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Some of the world's most popular V8 engine might just be more reliable than you would think.

You have heard of V8s. You might have even seen some up close. But even if you are not familiar with how they work, every gear head knows that V8s equal power.

Besides the power, there are also the aural joys of the rumbling, gurgles as the engine idles and the loud throaty growls as you accelerate. Chances are there might also be some wheels spin and smoke but hey it happens.

American automotive culture is by no means a stranger to V8s, having developed some of the most iconic V8 blocks to date. General Motor's LS-line sits at near the top of the list, if not at the absolute top, and for good reason.

So let's look at how reliable these engines are and marvel at some of the most powerful engines in the LS line-up.

RELATED: 8 Facts Every Gearhead Should Know About LS Engines

You might have heard the term "LS engine" or "LS swap" thrown around a fair bit and whether you searched it up or just figured it out from conversations, the LS is a V8 engine series from GM.

Unknown to a lot of car enthusiasts the term LS actually stands for luxury sport and debuted in the 1997 Chevrolet Corvette. That engine, known as the LS1, is a 5.7-Liter V8 that was capable of producing 345 HP and 350 lb-ft of torque. However, it was discontinued in 2004. Before quickly going through the different members in the LS family, let's look at just why the LS1 was so special and how it creates the way for the entire LS range.

There were three main advantages associated with the LS1; decreased weight, Y-block construction and consequently increased performance.

The LS1, unlike other V8s of its time, featured an aluminum construction instead of iron, which decreased its weight by 110 pounds. This in itself created significant performance benefits as reducing weight is one of the easiest ways to increase speed. Secondly, GM moved to a Y-block configuration for the block itself which provided better engine balance and stability, crankshaft performance and durability (more on that later).

Furthermore, the Y-block configuration also made the engine significantly smaller than traditional V8s meaning that it could be swapped into a variety of different cars, even significantly smaller cars. Besides the often discussed Miata LS swap, the internet has seen a variety of wild LS swaps. Besides the fact that LS engines are smaller, lighter and produce serious power, another key reason they are so popular in engine swaps is their affordability. You can buy modern LS crate engines pretty cheap and there are a variety of different options to choose from, making it an ultra versatile engine.

As already alluded to, LS engines are pretty reliable.

So what makes them so? Why are they such strong, durable engines?

One of the main reasons why LS engines are such durable engines is because of their aluminum block. Aluminum is a strong yet lightweight material, it allows the engines to withstand significant pressure without needing the extra weight of iron. However, there are some LS engines that utilize cast iron blocks but due to their smaller size (as compared to competitor engines) they still remain lighter.

Besides the engine strength and stability that the Y-block configuration allows, it also makes room for a significant larger camshaft than stock before having to change things around. Additionally, the strength and durability of the LS engine makes them really tuneable allowing for significant performance improvements with only minor modifications. Furthermore, as they are durable engines they also make for better daily drivers than the competition.

It is one of the most reliable V8s out there and there are reports of LS engines with 250,000 to 300,000 miles on them which still function well with only minimal internal engine wear. Having said that spark plugs will need to be changed every 50,000 miles and some of the earlier LS1s are said to be heavy on oil consumption.

RELATED: 5 V8 Engines We Trust (5 We Want Nothing To Do With)

This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer as the LS family has a variety of truly impressive members. But let's discuss two all-around amazing engines.

Firstly, let's discuss the older brother of the family: big, powerful but still within the realm of 'normal.' The LS3 is a 6.2-Liter high revving V8 that powers the SS Camaro and the C6 Corvette. It makes 430 HP and 425 lb-ft of torque in its factory form and costs just over $5,000.

Let's move to the grandfather of the family, the monstrous supercharged 6.2-Liter LS9 engine. Besides the stronger internals, the 2.3-Liter Eaton supercharger bumps up the performance values to 638 HP and 604 lb-ft of torque. This engine is significantly more expensive at over $21,000 but with limited quantities available and a recent reduction in the MSRP, this is one of the best times to buy one of these beasts.

Samuel is a law student, guitarist, and car enthusiast based in Melbourne, Australia. His favorite cars are classic muscle cars from the '60s and '70s, and he is growing an interest in JDM cars.