Most of us will never use 80% of the available performance of the Z but it's still nice to know it's there and only natural to want more. Don't get too caught up in statistics. If you care that much there are always expensive ways to add power but chances are that won't make you any happier than a simple track day would.
It's worse with the motorcycle crowd. Guys get all bent out of shape over magazine shootouts where their bike lapped 0.06 seconds slower than another one when both were in stock trim going 170+ mph in the hands of professional racers on a closed circuit... What does that mean in terms of the actual real-world enjoyment you or I would experience riding these machines? Less than nothing. Could a normal person, even if turned loose on a private track, discern the minute differences in performance between the machines? Not bloody likely.
Buy whatever turns you on and enjoy the hell out of it. I didn't buy my Z because it's faster than a 5.0 Mustang; I bought it because it's better looking and more fun (for me) to drive. Similarly, I didn't buy my Ducati 848 because it could take a GSXR750 on a track; I bought it because it's more than quick enough for me, feels amazing to ride, sounds badass, looks like a million bucks, and isn't parked on every corner.
Put it this way: There are modded Civics that can blow the piss out of our Z-cars in the 1/4. But which would you rather own?
