I hate "Detroit iron"...lol! I really don't like V8s at all -- they're unbalanced, and remind me of a pickup truck with headers at higher RPMs. Hate the styling that comes out of Detroit, too. And don't get me started on the poor craftsmanship (if you can call it that) and reliability. Not that other brands are much better anymore...

I prefer a more refined engine, and if I could afford a V12, would definitely go that route. Used to be, years ago, there were appealing, affordable sports cars with manual transmissions. Nowadays, that's all changed. The "short list" of cars I could live with...is...short....

Mustang gt350 then. Balanced flat plain ferrari style v8.

But just to address your concerns and complaints, the Z ain't the car for you

I won't argue with you. But there's NOTHING "Ferrari" about what's in the GT350. Not even close.

Get a Q50 red sport and a tune and make your wrapped out 485hp with stock components and zero lag plus awd.

A four-door family sedan that weighs 4,000 pounds??

You guys are killing me! This IS a forum for Z-cars, isn't it?

Yeah, I had a baby. Guess my taste changed.

How about a Miata?

LOL! I hear ya!

I don't like ragtops, and Mazda's engines are even wimpier than Nissan's. (We have a 2016 Mazda3.) My dream car is a three-pedal LP640, but those are like hen's teeth, even if I did have the dough and could convince the wife...

He's talking about ooooooooooooold technology.

OP, get a turbo kit and go have fun. I'm surprised no one has suggested the AAM TT kit. Yes, it's more expensive, but solely based on the turbos they use, they claim to reduce lag even further than other setups.

Also, you need to catch up with modern turbo technology, and not stuff from over 2 decades ago! :D

a huge V8 spinning to 8000rpm and making power all the way to redline IS a lot like Ferrari.

Guess I'm not your typical "boy racer" -- maybe more in a Paul Newman kinda way! :driving:

OK, you all have convinced me to take another look at turbos. I'll have to ejimicate myself on the new tech. Question: what sorts of things could I get away with limiting the boost to, say, 8psi, that wouldn't be prudent at higher levels? Stock exhaust, or no? Still need bigger injectors and pump? Other things?

No matter what kind of forced induction you do, you'll need bigger injectors and pump. Not to mention the clutch, gauges, tuning, etc. You can run a stock exhaust with the Boosted Performance kit, but you lose the cats if that's a concern to you. It'll be a restriction, but the car will still be fast.

I am feeling like you are a SC guy more than a TT guy. But, I see no reason to mess with the twin SC.

Install, setup, and tuning. These factors, more so than your decision in which system to use, are what is going to determine how well this plays out for you.

Your power goals are conservative, well within the reach of any choice in forced induction, and well within the safe limits of the factory engine.

All aftermarket kits leave things open to interpretation for the installer. The install and setup will make-or-break the whole experience for the user. Done with an attention to detail, and tuned correctly, you can very possibly have no perceivable increase in maintenance for the first several years.

I have the GTM stage 1 SC and recently ordered the Stage 1.5 upgrade.
Aprox. 475RWHP +-.
I have sent several emails and phone calls to Amin & Omar at Gamma.
They were very prompt to return emails and always answered the phone.
I ordered the kit about mid November, paid by CC and was just called by Omar to tell me the kit is shipping today.
Will update once I receive the upgrade kit.
I have had no issues with the stage 1 kit. Relatively easy to install and like the quality of the parts.

And they are in his backyard..

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and experience! Very helpful! 475rwhp would be awesome! I checked the fitment for the kit, and it says 2009-2013. What about later models?

AAM is in Maryland...I live in the Florida panhandle.