Don't get us wrong; Ford's 5.0L "Coyote" DOHC V8 is a great engine. It's hard not to love an all-American V8 with modern features like an alloy block, an elevated 7,500-rpm redline, and nearly 100 horsepower per liter. But as engine swap candidates go, the Coyote has never really posed a serious threat to Chevrolet's small-block. Chevy's LS- and LT-series engines are compact and light, with pushrod durability and gobs of low-end torque.

Now, Ford has fired what might be its most significant shot back at Chevrolet's ever-popular small-blocks, adding its 7.3L "Godzilla" OHV V8 to the Ford Performance parts catalog, according to a report from Muscle Cars And Trucks.

The "Godzilla" originates from Ford's current crop of gasoline-fueled F-Series Super Duty trucks like the Ford F-250, where it makes a stout 430 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque - plenty enough to break the tires loose. And that's in "understressed tow rig" mode; with some basic mods like ported heads and a high-lift cam, tuners have managed to squeeze nearly 600 horsepower and about 500 lb-ft out of the Godzilla.

If you aren't averse to a little boost pressure, Whipple can help take things even further with a 3.0L twin-screw supercharger kit, capable of up to 700 horsepower and 750 lb-ft of tire-torturing torque.

We can imagine all sorts of naughty, awesome builds Ford's 7.3L Godzilla might be perfect for. Drop it in a '69 Mustang and tack on a few replica Boss 429 bits and you have yourself a Boss 445, ready to trounce Chargers and munch on Camaros around town. Mod it and install it in your Ford GT40 Mk II replica, for mondo torque and just the right pushrod-V8 growl.

And if you're worried about the expense, listen to this: Ford has priced its 7.3L Godzilla crate motor at $8,150 - less than half the cost of an SRT Hellcat crate engine, and little more than a third the price of Ford's 5.2L "Aluminator" V8. Talk about getting the most proverbial bang for your buck.