My friend says mods are a waste! :(

UNKNOWN_370

On the long stretch you will feel power so now he's kinda trying to discourage confidence in your car...
Get quality coils or get Koni yellow/swift combo. Get eibach sway bar and spl titanium suspension parts. Get michelin pss, bridge RE-11 or NT-05's take out your spare tire, mats,etc. Get even lighter wheels and i bet you his mouth will drop at your speed increase.

He's talkin' shyt cuz he has an F.I car and he has a cost to power advantage, plus he has an off the line, from a stop advantage. But it doesn't mean those advantages mean automatic victory. He'll probably blow his weak azz motor halfway down the track anyway. lol
You will have an advantage on certain types of road courses etc. Get FI yourself and he's toast.

C/S I've had this crazy exhaust idea.
I've had this idea of replicating the Nismo exhaust out of titanium and without the resonator section. Reason: The nismo can give 5 to 7 hp throughout the range. (better than losing 5hp at the bottom to gain 20hp at the top. IMHO The Resonator eats 3hp, So designing it without resonators would both reduce, weight and add power throughout the range. Sound would be throatier and slightly more metallic. Stock cats and replicated Muffler will keep it from droning. We'd be good for 8/10hp throughout the range. Built out of titanium it would be about 20lbs.