Dieselpower, I think you need to do more research on the LS options & power. Many people throw out the "higher RPM power" comment. People fail to remember parts also effect this. So yes, you stick a huge cam in there made for top end drag racing all your power will be up high. Just like any engine. And I'd rather keep the few electronics the LS has & get 20 MPG with 400+ RWHP instead of 12 MPG for the same from a SBC. For instance, I have a good friend running a forged 370 LS with a Procharger making 760 RWHP & he is getting 21 MPG on his street tune. You will not EVER achieve that in a SBC without a EFI system & even then your gonna be hard pressed.
LOL, "real power", come on now. I have spent the last 7yrs doin nothing but LS stuff. You can make sick power from a LS engine & not spend a ton & thats a fact. Mod for mod you'll make more power than a SBC, fact. And no, the Vortec heads were not the best flowing stock head GM offered. Maybe for a SBC, but not the best they have offered. Another example, my personal car. I have a stock LS1 short block with milled stock casting 5.3L heads to bump compression, ported stock TB, stock LS6 intake & baby 224/224 .581/.581 114 cam & I'm making right at 400 RWHP. I got $500 in my heads, $255 for springs, $200 for a used cam & $300 for the intake & $75 for the TB port job by the same guy who did my heads. I'm averaging about 18 MPG untuned. So I have a total of what $1330 in my set-up. Yea, LS performance is so expensive. I guess it is for those who only look in a Jeg's or Summit catalog & see $2k heads. But the same can be said about SBC, you want top shelf parts you gotta pay to play.
I have seen alot of these ill-knowledged comments about the LS engines on this forum. I think alot of people dont truely know what they are talkin about with the GenIII+ engines. there are a few over here but alot of mis-information as well.