i never knew this thread would go into an argument!
well, in my case, i was contemplating of having either 1UZ-FE (4.0 V8 NA) or 2JZ-GTE (3.0 I6 twinturbo) transplanted into my car.
i would love to have the torque of a V8 but in my opinion, it would be more expensive to upgrade compared to the 2JZ, especially if i choose to turbocharge the V8. if twin turbo V8 expensive, single turbo V8 also expensive... die lor like that...
but in a general term (not our case of cant afford to convert evo engine to wira - put in 4G93 DOHC NA instead - no offense to anyone yeah!), a smaller displacement turbocharged engine can match the performance of a larger displacement NA engine, while keeping the fuel consumption low.
example is a Volvo S80 2.0T and a Cefiro 3.0V6. they are similar in terms of horsepower, but volvo wins hands down in terms of fuel consumption (assuming sane n normal driving of course).
and even a comparison between same engine (turbo vs bigger cc), lets say B16A turbo vs B20B NA, which one can yield higher horsepower/torque at a cheaper price? dont put winning races into consideration cos gearbox/tyres/driver come into play (too many variables)
that's my thought...