[MiracleMax]

Every motor has its advantages and disadvantages;

Pushrod engines have fewer moving parts compared to an overhead cam engine, at the very least you have half the number of cams and attendant hardware. On the down side because of the need for pushrods, port alignment is compromised and probably valve placement in the combustion chamber. With the LS1 your looking at a pushrod engine at its pinnacle without having to resort to exotic hardware in order to minimize the problems associated with a pushrod.

As for torque production, any engine can produce gobs of torque, it can be OHV, OHC, SOHC, DOHC, 2 valve, 4 valve, rotary valve, reed valve, and so on. The misconception is that OHV 2 valve motors are torque monsters. aside from reduced friction from fewer mechanical parts, a OHV engine often has smaller than optimal port and valve sizes, which produces peak torque lower in the rev range (not to mention they typically tend to be larger in size!) hence the big torque numbers down low were most of us actually like it. swap out heads to a DOHC 4 valve design and you've got what amounts to a humungo port and valve size compared to the old OHV setup. Which will with no other changes move the torque peak farther up into the the rev range (this is all an over simplification since the cam, runner length ect, will move the torque around too). Ultimately it all has to do with velocity and volumetric efficiency which typically is highest around peak torque.

As for Ford's mod motor, it is a wonderful smog motor for a variety of environments. the small bore and long stroke makes for an engine that is tolerent of a wide variety of fuels (crappy to good gasoline), with that dinky bore (3.550?), the chance for detonation is reduced, crevice volume around the top ringland is smaller. Both of which offer significant improvements in emmisions (especially when cold). The OHC layout provides for better combustion chamber design and sparkplug placement as well as port layout. All big advantages on paper, however in execution, they seemed to have dropped the ball some place? I see no reason why Ford shouldn't have a 280 hp 4.6 SOHC engine running around or even one making 300 hp for that matter.

As for what makes the 5.0 great, the same thing that makes the SB chevy great, its an easy cheap motor to build in a variety of configurations, and has huge aftermarket support, how many intake manifolds for the 302? Probably 12 or 13 efi intakes alone, with an equal amount of options in cylinder heads, twice that for headers, 10 times that for camshafts, Heck you even have about 4 or 5 different choices for blocks alone. add to this options for supercharging,turbocharging, nitrous oxide, carburation, fuel injection, stroking/destroking, ect. and a large community of people who support the engine and thats what makes it such a great powerplant.

The mod motor might achieve the same level one day? It all depends? It will more and likely take a dedicated cadre of people who will like the 5.0 movement in its infancy will take it and make it faster, but thats a while off though, and Ford ain't helping much
(especially with rumors about a 4.0 liter mill in the next gen mustang), Sure they have a small parts program and there are some really fast mod motors out there, but the #1 problem is, you can walk into the General's show room and drive away in a low 13 second car for like 25,000. From Ford, your looking at 30,000, and for from the general for about the same price, your looking at high 12,'s

If for some reason (and I SEVERELY doubt this) if Ford should happen to produce a reasonalby priced GT with a low 13 second mod motor capable of whipping up on the soon to be defunct slomaro and fireturd, then the 5.0's days will come sooner than later.