TT, SC, or just get an R8 or Porsche GT3?
 

So the day is approaching that I'll be ending residency and making some serious coin. Given that my wife is stopping my fantasy of moving to Florida and having a sweet sportfishing boat, I'm looking at alternatives that will keep me happy here in Chicago. So I need some thoughts from you guys.

I love my 370Z, but I get smoked on track days by GTRs and Porsche GT3s. While I think the 370Z can hang with them in the corners, corner exits and straight aways leave me in their dust. So, how do we fix this problem? I have a few possible options.

1) I can bail on the 370Z and just get an R8 or GT3 for myself. Not cost effective, and I lose the fun of building a car.

2) Supercharge the Z

3) TT the Z

My question is this: Does a TT or SC 370Z stand a chance against those two cars (R8 or GT3)? My thought is that a nice SC kit making ~420whp would put me right in the R8/GT3 ballpark. I haven't found any 1/4 mile times for SC or TT 370s yet, but it looks like TT 350s can run low 11s (tricked out for drag racing).

So what would you do: R8, GT3, or spend comparatively less and make the 370Z a beast with SC/TT and supporting upgrades (cooler, clutch, airfoil, etc etc)?

I can't comment on your financial situation but if you pick up a car payment on an R8 or GT3 you'll be dishing that money out every month no matter what. If you build the 370 you can spend as needed and if something comes up the mods can wait. I think that would give you more financial freedom.

Just my opinion though and you should weigh the pros and cons for yourself.

I would SC or TT the Z and see how that works out for you. :)

It's always fun beating up on cars that the world says you shouldn't be beating up on. :D

Not worth getting a GT3 or R8 just to hang with them on the track IMO. The R8 4.2 is nothing special, it's relatively slow (a chipped 335i is faster in a straight line, lol!).
I say supercharge the Z, get your cooling, suspension and brake mods done and you'll have a really nice track car that is reliable and good as a DD as well. For the money you'll save on the R8/GT3, you can have a track monster of a Z.

You'll be in R8 and GT3 Territory with an SC. If that's your goal I'd definitely go SC rather than turbo. However, if it is in fact a possibility to pick up a GT3 or an R8, I would certainly do that before the SC. The GT3 is my choice...

Getting a car made for this from the factory will lead to less headaches...

Go Forced Induction...it's fun!!!

Hell, petrol driven automobiles will be disappearing soon. Why not get on the list for a Porsche 918 to ease the transitional pain? Congrats on ending your residency! :tup:

Get the F-ing GT3 Porsche why even ask those things are like heven on earth!
Or the new GT2 with over 600hp, which is a cool 250K! :)
Modding the Z sure can be good times though!

I think everyone has touched on it:
~Do you want to mod a car or have an "out of the box" track ready beast?

Tough call with what I would do, but I feel the Porsche would be a great choice.

The Porsche would, but think of the cash you could bank if you held on to the Z for a while and just added a SC. Pad your pockets even more then reevaluate what you want to do a year down the road.

In all honesty, if you have the money, get the Porsche. The GT3 RS is my choice. Plus, you can further mod the GT3 RS and hang with the next class of cars, like the GT2 and ZR1.

But, if your goal is to be able to hang with a GT3, then a SC will be enough to do so. And it will def be enough to beat the R8.

Forced induction..like Lou said its a lot more fun:tup:

My little dream vacation right now is a two week roadtrip to Stillen or GTM, drop the car off, enjoy the area for a while, and then pick it up in its transformed state :). Reality might just be shipping it there though.

For all around ease, the R8 V10 would be my #1 choice. It would be a fun daily driver as well, looks incredible (just saw one today and OMG), and is still a track beast. My concern is that I'd be devastated wrecking an R8 or GT3 on a track. The Z would be a bummer but not as life ending. I agree with you guys that spanking some big name cars with the Z would be very gratifying. Also, I love the idea of knowing my car the way it is now, and then experiencing it in the SC/TT version.

I would buy a used Porsche GT-3 or R8 V10. What's up no thought about a used GT-R, the tuning on the GT-R's is insane already. My friend just bought a E92 M3 and I like the 370Z, but the refinement on the M3 is incredible and the V8 is awesome.

I'm only going for a manual transmission. There is a connection with the car that no flappy-paddle gearbox can match. Even driving a supercar SLOWLY is fun with a 6MT.