My friend and I are having a discussion of weather he would be better off keeping his GT63 single turbo JZA80 Supra (656whp) or step into the built/boosted 350Z sector. We have been debating this for about two days and wanted to get some outside opinions. We both have extensive experience with both cars. We are just trying to see what others think. Of course there are age and chassis differences, but overall which is the better car?

At the end of the day, both cars have their +'s and -'s. Therfore, lets take a budget of $50k including the cost of either car and assume both cars are of equal-ish milage and wear. Any serious input will be appreciated.

This is not debate to say the Supra is better than the 350z or vise versa, we just want to figure out dollar for dollar, which car would perform/be better overall.

I think it comes down to preference, but he is seriously thinking of selling the sup and doesn't want to make a mistake. Afterall, the Z33 can easily be replaced, but the turbo supra cannot.

Thanks in advance from your friends at www.carv2.com. We'll see everyone at the April 15th ECZA meet.

 

The supra turbo is made for turbo.. it has much better gearing, easier to achieve power ect... 350z's are made for NA.. they have shorter gears, nice linear power ect..
I can say, even though i dont have turbo myself, that most boosted Z's on this site have problems hooking up their tires till 3rd gear.. He's probably better off keeping the supra. Oh, and it costs like 17K just to get a mildly build block w/ a TT setup... on top of a 30K car.. you have about 2 grand to play with for wheels, suspension, appearence ect..

 

an 800whp supra will have traction issues in low gears just like a z will

 

I agree, it is much easier to get reliable and more power from a factory FI engine versus a factory NA motor. If you are looking for all out power with probably at least some increased reliability I would stay with the Supra, plus they are timeless in soo many ways. I went with my 350Z because I wanted to have fun with a NA motor after years with Subaru fun. However, there are some incredible examples of TT 350Z's that absolutely blow me away and make me want to cash in my 401K. So, if you want a new challenge with set backs along the way you will love the style and fun of the Z, but if you want all out power and more proven paths the Supra is hard to top.

Regards,


Sonny

 

Please keep the Supra....its a classic. Post some pics of it

 

Having owned two JZA80 Supras (one bpu and one HKS to4r) and owning a Z33 that will be TT soon.....heres my $0.02

For your friend that already has a built Supra...I wouldnt give it up for a built/FI Z33. Though the chassis is older, the jza80 was a very well built car and the 2jzgte is a very stout motor. Yes, the Z33 might have some more plus features than the jza80 (1 touch up and down windows for both sides, etc)...from a perf standpoint, I would stick with what he has.

As for you decidiing between the two from scratch....its a toss up with it slightly leaning to go Z33. Its something newer and plus finding a unmolested Supra 6spd these days is not easy...nor cheap.

 

Sell the supra get a skyline..... lol but in reality the supra is your better option.
A) Resale Value is always there
B) Exclusiveness how many supra's do you see on the road compared to z's?
C) 2jz Engine built for FI easier to mod
D) Supra consistant proven powerhouse look at the Drag strip and numbers vs. Z's putting down the same numbers.
E) The z ultimatly will probably cost you more to mod because it is a newer car and its potential for now is limited until more research and development is done.

P.S. I am a Z enthusiast but hands down that supra is a hard car to compare to.

 

I have to agree with Will on this one. We had Supras at the same time. The Z's motor unfortunately, needs some help in order to withstand the power that a stock 2JZ could deal with easily with no help. You figure that there is a 30hp (approx) diff in power straight from the factory. Now you can add any upgrades to the 2JZ motor from there. Unfortunately, the Z falls behind because in order to add the same amount of power to the VQ, it will need to be fully built.

Now I fully believe that the Z is a much better handling car than the Supra. So there's a plus for the Z.

 

the 350z game is a big headache right now ify ou want super big HP... tell him to just hold out for a couple years. in a couple years the 350z will likely do everythign and more then the jza80 ever did, but its not down to a science yet. no one has figured it out yet how exactly to build a 350z engine to compete with the 2JZGTE at the extreme HP game... but it will happen.

the ONLY reason I would even consider a supra over my Z is because the HP potential of the motor... other then that, I got my huge brakes, my crazy suspension, my nice body work, an engine with better torque and throttle response... these isnt anything a JZA80 is gonna do better then a well setup Z33 other then keep its engine together. give us another year or two and we will be there.

 

same here just stick to the supra for now maybe in a year or two FI for the Z's will be more accurate and more safe. As of now we are still finding out what the VQ can really handle and make and safe points. But yes supra is a beauty and i will personally like to own one in the near future just becouse of its motor and style.

 

If I already have the supra, I wouldn't give it away. stock internals of a supra can hold up to 700whp. Only thing in a z that can hold that much is that crank shaft. If I had a the money at hand, I'd buy a brand new z, rather than a used supra. 8 year old car just aint worth 40k, relative to a 30k brand new up to date design sports car.