V8 Shootout: Which is best?

When it comes to high powered V8 engines, most people immediately think of American muscle cars.  Yet there are a few more players in the field that can rightfully take away that crown of having best and most powerful V8 engine.  Which do you Prefer?

American V8's
One of the most powerful American production cars on the market is the 2012 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1.  It packs a Supercharged 6.2L V8 that produces 638 hp, and 604 lb.-ft of torque.  Thats an INSANE amount of power especially that its all being transferred to those massive rear tires.  Chevy recently announced it's Camaro ZL1, which packs the same ZR1 engine, but in a high performance Camaro body.

German V8's

Some of the most popular German V8 engines come from BMW.  The engine/car in focus is the all-new 2013 BMW M5.  This fully redesigned M5 has a 4.4L twin-turbo V8 underneath the hood, putting down an exceptional 560 HP and 502 lb-ft. of torque to the wheels.  Having insane sports car performance in a family saloon car is a big feat for BMW, having added a lighter and more efficient twin-turbo V8, and shedding some pounds throughout the car allowed BMW to make it faster than its previous V10 variant.

Japanese V8's

The Japanese aren't really known for having big V8's in the cars, but Lexus changed things up by introducing the IS F in 2007.  The IS F was truly the first steps for Lexus into the sports cars world.  The engine in the IS F is a Lexus/Yamaha collaboration that creates 416 HP and 371 lb.-ft of torque, coming from 5.0L V8.  Its not the most powerful engine in the list, but it is sure nothing to complain about!  The IS F's main competitors would be the BMW M3 or the Mercedes C63 AMG.

There are obviously more companies that produce amazing V8's, but these were the ones that we chose to highlight today? So tell me, which V8 is best?