My favorite would half to be the old screamin' 671 detroit. they ran forever as long as ya kept em wound tight and they blew oil everywhere. Used to really [censored] folks off when they would blow by me on a hill and almost everytime I'd catch up to em at the stop light in the next town.
As for gas engines, its a tie between the 283 and the 2.5 4cyl in my 89 ciera....