Horsepower Wars Season 4, presented by Summit Racing, kicks off with the long-awaited Third LS vs. Coyote showdown. Episode one sets the stage by outlining the rules that are designed to keep the playing field level, and this time, the matchup looks more balanced than ever.

A Quick Flashback

LS vs. Coyote 1 was held in 2016 and was a more casual shootout that pitted the LS3 versus the Gen 1 Coyote, since that was under the hood of the fifth-gen Camaros and the later S197 Mustangs. With a limiting $9,999 budget, naturally aspirated, stock-displacement, and stock intake manifolds, the LS3 took the win over the Coyote. The 6.2-liter LS made 556 horsepower, and the Coyote could only muster 510 horsepower.

LS vs. Coyote 2 on the other hand was a full-blown Horsepower Wars competition. The Ford fan base cried that the budget was too constraining, and the Coyote really shines with boost. So the budget was upped to $15,000, and the engine builders were given a choice of ProCharger superchargers. Since the new rules benefited the Ford crowd, the stock displacement limits were removed to help the LS. The results were a 427 LS with an F-1X competing against a Coyote with an F-1A-94, and the LS completely wiped the floor with the Coyote.

LS vs. Coyote 2 was a full-blown Horsepower Wars competition with the LS winning again.

Present Day

For LS vs. Coyote 3, the complaining from the Ford group was louder than ever, so we went back to the drawing board to rework the rules. This go around, we chose the Gen 3 Coyote against the Gen V 5.3-liter L83. These two can be found in late-model half-ton trucks, and the 5.3-liter displacement is the closest GM V8 in size to the Coyote. Both will be required to maintain their stock strokes and are allowed no more than .020-inch of overbore during the rebuild process. For LS vs. Coyote 3, both engines will be required to use the stock block and a 76mm turbocharger from HPT Turbo.

The man, the myth, the legend: Bryan Neelen with LME.

The L83 Will Dominate

For Horsepower Wars Season 4, we have 21 simple reasons the LT will still win for a third time: 21 cubic inches. The L83’s final displacement of 328.6 cubic-inches after a rebuild might sound like a small difference compared to the Coyote’s 307.2 cubic-inches, but with boost from the 76mm turbo and superior simplistic pushrod design, it will be enough to edge out Ford’s four-valve failure. Returning to build the LT is Bryan Neelen and the team at Late Model Engines. These days, it seems anyone can slap a turbo on a truck engine and make impressive power, but to squeeze out every single horsepower to win and survive testing, you go with the best.

By the end of this series, each engine will go between the fenders of these C10 trucks to see which wins on the drag strip. We’re about as thrilled as you are about a Coyote in a classic Chevy truck.

Stay tuned as we drop a new Horsepower Wars content every Thursday on social media. Also, to have fun with these engines once dyno testing is finished, they will be shipped off to Big 3 Racing and Team Bigun to be installed in a pair of C10 pickup trucks for the Horsepower Wars C10 Shootout. We know, a Coyote in a C10 is beyond sacrilegious, but if that’s what it takes to prove to the Ford fan-boys that GM’s V8 is best, we say it’s worth it.