ls will do about the same as a b16.. you just need cams in the ls motor to make it produce as much power as the b16 under boost.

I personally would recommend you go with a ls motor if you plan on spraying or going turbo. Why? you already have a good compression, a good tranny for F/I & a cheap head to get cams for & replace.

If you plan on building an lsvtec in the future, the b16 platform is the way to go, you will have everything except bearings, new pumps & an ls block/rods/crank & higher compression pistons

Personally I like ls motors for F/I
Check out cheesefrog.com that is a good example of what an ls can do bahaha. Cheesefrog has a very nice lsturbo setup