370z vs Wrx Sti
 

Had the 370z for awhile now and been doing alot been doing research about modding it and seems theres not much you can do to gain more power without going f.i so ive been shopping around for wrx sti something about the car that catches my attention. anyone have/had experience with the sti? was looking at a brand new model sti...i know the wrx sti have a better mod potential then the z and handles better but no nothing else about them any advice? im basicly looking for a car that can gain alot more power but ca also be an ok dd

The Z's more fun, and it looks better :)

Start by test driving the STI. Everything else is subjective car boy stuff.

I've had an 05

Had turbo back Cobb tuned etc

You can make power easy and it has insane low end torque but personally those cars are ugly.

I'd take a z any day.

lol maybe ask an sti forum
my friend has an sti and he likes my 370 more and i think his car is a barge.
They have been detuned as time has gone on and not as good as they use to be.
Z looks heaps better too!!!

I own both.

The Z is faster on a race track, it will handle better at high speeds. You won't get a lot more power out of the engine short of FI, but you'd lose money trading for an STI anyway. The Z also looks better, imo. The Z also makes its power NA, so it isn't laggy or straining. And it's Rwd, which is very fun.

The Sti will be drivable in more winter conditions and is roomier. It launches quick due to awd. It is cheaper to get high power gains, but not too much cheaper. Its suspension is super stiff, so it is agile, but no easier on my back than the Z. It is a more practical dd, but worse on gas from what I've seen. The boooost makes every trip fun, and the short throw shifter is nicer than the Z's shifter.

I love both. Do your research and make the right decision for you.

It really depends more on what you want down the line. Since you're in TX, AWD isn't really a necessity. If you're only looking for 300-350 whp, it's much easier to do on the Subaru. Downpipe, TMIC, boost control solenoid and tune. There's your reliable 325 whp or so. Change the fluids on time and the car will last forever. Ringlands are an issue on the stock tune, so budget in a reflash. It doesn't handle better than a Z out of the box. It understeers like a pig. Swap out the sway bars and it's a night and day difference. If you do all of that, you've got a great daily driver.

Compared to the Z, it's a lot easier to get the first 50+ whp. If you're looking to go over 400ish whp, mods will cost about the same if you did it right and didn't cut corners. A 400 whp STI on the stock block will blow up. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but you should at least have the funds set aside for when it happens.

I sold my 2004 STI to buy my Z. It was a stage 2/FMIC/EWG running 93+meth. It put down 330/350 on a heartbreaker dyno. It was an absolute animal. Very little on the road could keep up with it up to 90 mph or so. And a G37s with bolt ons and a tune walked away from it on the freeway once we both hit 4th gear. Just so you have a point of reference.

I also had every mount and bushing swapped out for either poly or the Group N rally car pieces. Sway bars, end links, a ton of chassis bracing and a sweet set of Ohlins adjustable struts. It handled better than anything else I've driven. It was also awful as a daily driver due to all of the NVH and the stiffness. Do springs and sway bars, and you'll have a wonderful daily driver. Beyond that, it'll beat you up.

Also, Subarus rattle after 15k miles or so. There's nothing you can do about it. Just turn up the radio. I spent hours chasing rattles and squeaks, and for every one I fixed two popped up. Save yourself the frustration.

Power mod potential vs dollars will go to the STi simply because turbo upgrades get huge gains w/o having to go the whole new turbo/SC route. "Handles better" is definitely up for debate.

I replied to your other thread. I've owned both. You can't really go wrong with either. I love my Z. I still miss my STI.

Welcome to the world of turbos. The STI will take to mods much better then the Z but to say there is not much you can do to add power to the Z with FI is silly. Full bolt-on's and a tune is netting people 30-40hp increase,that is really good on a NA car. As for the STI handling better that is just simply incorrect. The STI is a great handling car but not as good as the Z.

allow me to answer some of these points. my roommate has an 09 STI gr. i road in it every other day for the last year + and have driven it a few times. that, and the z and subie guys do a lot of stuff together here in kc as well.

http://www.the370z.com/members/edub3...-dyno-dash.jpg

the sti has better mod potential to a point... sure, u can bolt on 320whp with the stock turbo. or go rotated and make as much power as u want. HOWEVER, even with the z being na, it can handle high hp MUCH better than sti's. sti's have, and have had forever, ringland issues when u go over 400whp. pretty much garunteed to crack them in a couple weeks at that hp level. then its hello engine rebuild! also, the fit and finish of the z is superior to the sti imho. close the door in a z, then close it in an sti... 1 of them sounds like an empty beer can and its not the z.

handling better is definately up for debate. the sti's corner entry speeds are much slower, but exits speeds are much quicker. the z u can kinda toss into a corner at higher speed and it will have enough traction to settle down and pull you thru. sti's will understeer like a mofo if thrown into a corner too quickly. however they can exit much quicker because of their awd system.

there is no comparison if u want a sports car. the z is a sports car, not a sports sedan. however, if u need a little utility, then the sti is a great bang for the buck sports sedan. it even performs great on the track. however, steering and driver feel is 10x better in the z. the sti is quicker from the stopligths without a doubt. i mean those things can launch HARD. but the Z is faster in general. meaning that once u are rolling a 300whp z can end up reeling in a 330whp sti without any problems.

really comes down to what you are needing out of a car. if u need a little utility and passenger space, then the sti is for u. if u want a true sports car that will get looks everywhere u go, then the z is your car

Reposted from your other thread

It really depends more on what you want down the line. Since you're in TX, AWD isn't really a necessity. If you're only looking for 300-350 whp, it's much easier to do on the Subaru. Downpipe, TMIC, boost control solenoid and tune. There's your reliable 325 whp or so. Change the fluids on time and the car will last forever. Ringlands are an issue on the stock tune, so budget in a reflash. It doesn't handle better than a Z out of the box. It understeers like a pig. Swap out the sway bars and it's a night and day difference. If you do all of that, you've got a great daily driver.

Compared to the Z, it's a lot easier to get the first 50+ whp. If you're looking to go over 400ish whp, mods will end up costing about the same if you did it right and didn't cut corners. A 400 whp STI on the stock block will blow up. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but you should at least have the funds set aside for when it happens.

I sold my 2004 STI to buy my Z. It was a stage 2/FMIC/EWG running 93+meth. It put down 330/350 on a heartbreaker dyno. It was an absolute animal. Very little on the road could keep up with it up to 90 mph or so. And a G37s with bolt ons and a tune walked away from it on the freeway once we both hit 4th gear. Just so you have a point of reference.

I also had every mount and bushing swapped out for either poly or the Group N rally car pieces. Sway bars, end links, a ton of chassis bracing and a sweet set of Ohlins adjustable struts. It handled better than anything else I've driven. It was also awful as a daily driver due to all of the NVH and the stiffness. Do springs and sway bars, and you'll have a wonderful daily driver. Beyond that, it'll beat you up.

Also, Subarus rattle after 15k miles or so. There's nothing you can do about it. Just turn up the radio. I spent hours chasing rattles and squeaks, and for every one I fixed two popped up. Save yourself the frustration.

^^ lol at how similar our to 2 assesments are of the cars

Thanks for the reply guys! I was/kind of happy with the z untill its the same power even with full bolt ons i dont think I would be that happy...Im just looking for something I can make more power max (600 ish) so i am going to go test drive a new wrx sti and see how it goes. Would go domestic but more of an import guy I know domestic make pretty good num with bolt ons

Pretty much dead on. In addition, the STI is a lot more forgiving if you're going to drive like a dumbass. The 3 LSDs will pull you out of maneuvers that would have left a Z wrapped around a tree.

You can throw out the idea of a 600 whp daily driver on either car. If that's what you want, you're looking in the wrong place. Buy a GTR, Vette, CTS-V or GT500.

Im just going to think about keeping the z or get another car no big rush just looking for advice before jumping on something thanks for the help guys

will probably be similar money to get 500+hp out of either car. z has a better chance of a stock motor putting up with that power than an sti

I disagree. If you don't cheap out and have a pro do a proper tune there is no reason you cant DD a 600+Whp STI or Z. With that said it will probably cost around the same price to make both cars handle 600 wheel.

If I do end up fi the z I would build the motor and go forged internals but how much power could the z take with forged int and how long would it last?

A fully built motor? GTM built one with close to or over 1000hp. But 600hp wheel on a built motor would be very reliable. Alot of it comes down to the tune. If its tuned properly you wont have issues.

It would be reliable enough for a toy, but I'm still not sure I'd use it as a daily driver. Plus, that motor on GTM's website costs a mint. I'm sure it's worth it, but a 600 whp Z would probably cost you close to 100k (including the price of the car) by the time you got it built and tuned. Personally, if I were going that route, I'd budget $1500 for a craigslist beater to use Monday through Thursday, and just bring out the toy on the weekend. As far as your original question, for 600 whp the Z would be a far better car. A 600 whp STI would have turbo lag like you wouldn't believe.

Please don't think I'm trying to talk you out of doing it. I'm just pointing out that it won't be the easiest or cheapest 600 whp car you could have once you're done and you add up the receipts. That being said, a 600 whp Z would be awesome.

Its all good im just looking for advice and to see what other people point of view is. Im just looking for more power that is it love the z and everything about the car not like im going to jump up to 600whp right away that is just the max hp I would want. Wouldnt mind having 500 or more looks like gtm tt is the way to go for the 500 range just want it to be reliable...should pm them and ask would it be safe for stock internals...I really appreciate all the advice!

You'll be fine at or just under 500 whp (dynojet) on the stock block, assuming the tune is spot on. Budget 15k or so to really do it right. 500 whp is a lot of power. You might find out that you're perfectly content at that level. A turbo Z is a handful.

If you are looking at around 500whp, I'd stick with the Z. Will probably end up being cheaper to hit those numbers with it.

I'm going to second the issues with 400+ whp sti's. I have a couple friends who have had to rebuild their engines and were pushing those numbers.

If you are so obsessed with high hp you might also consider another platform entirely. Higher displacement v8, old supra?

If you plan to track get a Z. If you want good power get a Z and TT the baby. If you want to carpool get the WRX. :icon17:

Think longevity. DD not an issue but why go big power if only a DD? Track duty is high wear so what car at high power usage lasts longer/costs you less to keep the same performance over time?

100k? LOL. Not even close. There are a few 370's and G37's on the Island here running GTM Stg2 TT kits on fully built motors and they did not spend 100k. From what I hear I would have to guess 30-40k for a shop to do it. Talk to GTM cause I know they will tell you daily driving a properly built 600hp Z is very possible.

I did talk to GTM. And then I bought a ton of stuff from them. I'm going from experience, not what I've heard.

Ok, let's do some math. The car cost 30-40k. The turbo kit's about 15. The motors from GTM look to be about 25k. That's about 80 or so, and we haven't touched the fuel system. 2-3k. Probably going to want some wider wheels and tires in the back to handle the power. That's what, another 4k+? Oh yeah, clutch? another 1k. So we're at 77-87k without labor depending on if he bought a base model or touring.

Maybe I'm being too vague. I'll use my numbers. The car cost 40. The turbo kit, clutch, flywheel, etc cost 15k. Another 2k or so in random stuff like springs, sways, endlinks, camber arms, radiator, etc. Call it 5k in labor so the math's easy. So I'm at 62k with a bone stock motor. Add in the 25k GTM longblock, 2-3k fuel system, a good bit of dyno time, etc and we're still not too far off the 100k mark. close enough to it to consider other vehicles that might be able to make 600whp a little easier.

Just the TT kit is 15K?

The base kit isn't, but that's what you'll spend to do it right. 3" downpipes, EWGs, ceramic coat everything, powdercoat piping, etc. I included the cost of my exhaust in there, but he'll need some form of 3" exhaust. They cost around the same. Sorry if I came off as combative, I just unfortunately know how much this costs. I was dumb enough to keep a spreadsheet. OP, if you build a 600 whp Z, throw away the damn receipts. You won't want to know the final total.

Not combative at all. This info is very helpful for all of us and you for sure know a lot more then I do since you have done it LOL. The local shop in my area will do a STG 1 GTM installed with an OS Giken clutch/flywheel, 25 row oil cooler, Tune for around $15k. Exhaust will be more of course. I know that's STG 1 and I'm not getting into the full build of the motor but that's good for 450-500 wheel.

And that's where he should stop. Past that point the $/hp curve gets wacky.

Your local shop isn't too bad on the cost, but you'll still need another $5k of other stuff. 3" downpipes, exhaust, radiator, etc. You only want to do this once. The real bastard about this is, the numbers look daunting and hard to swallow, but it's soooo worth it.

FYI, If you're thinking about TTing a Z, keep some funds in reserve in case something goes bang. It would suck for someone to be making payments on a car that doesn't run.

Ahaha I have a base model. I was on gtm page looking at stage 2 tt kit it was about 7k

:iagree:

ya I am not sure where he's getting his numbers from from what I can see you could have bought 2 tuner kits for that price!

sorry wouldn't safe the preferences for vehicle and what I had searched so you'll have to do it yourself
GTMPOWER.COM

even in this article(the first post) it's only $7500 for the TT kit

http://www.the370z.com/gt-motorsport...ar-review.html

7k to start. Once you add the other things you're going to need to do it right and reliable, double it.

From the GTM invoice on my desk, unfortunately. And the one from Fast Intentions, and the one from CSF, etc. :rofl2:

weird you should look into that cause you got over charged I know a guy up here in Canada that went GTM TT and he spent <$10K


are you including instal? some of use are capable of installing it ourselves which is a huge savings and great sense of accomplishment!

OP, I'm gonna do my best to cut through a lot of the crap that is being slung around.

OK, the question of which car handles better has been beat to death. It is probably a more fair comparison to say they handle differently versus saying one handles better. The Z has a significant amount more raw grip, and a more "pure" dynamic, stemming mostly from the RWD platform. It also (in stock form) has a whole lot more top end. The STI has a good bit less grip (mostly based on tires and weight), but offers the opportunity to get back on the gas much earlier in a corner than the 370z. These differences show in track times--the Z walks away on courses with long straights and high speed sweepers, while the STI tends to handle much better when things get tight, especially on an autocross course.

Of course, this is assuming the STI is stock-ish and the Z is lightly modified (oil cooler, etc). A tune does wonders for opening up the top end of the STI, and brings things a good bit closer on the higher speed courses. I'd see if you can find a used STI to dog and get a feel for whether you like it. The AWD turbo sled feel isn't for everyone, and you may very well decide you want to stay in a RWD coupe.

For DD duty, the posters that mentioned the door quality of the STI hit the nail on the head...worst doors in the industry, no question. Other than that, neither car is bad and it comes down to preference. Test drive both and form your own opinion. I personally found the Z to be better tuned for cruising, and the hatch space was actually pretty usable...but if you need a backseat, you need a backseat.


Now, for the mod-ability discussion that seems to have taken center stage. You may notice that the folks posting in this thread in favor of a 500+whp daily driver have something in common, notably that they have no experience with one.

There's a whole lot of dedication that comes with owning a heavily modified car, and anyone that has put more than a couple thousand real miles on one can tell you all about it. It's not necessarily bad, but no heavily modified car is "reliable" in the traditional sense. Things break, and regular maintenance takes on a different tone.

When the work is done right, it doesn't have to be a burden, but at the same time, you better have some familiarity with how your car works and how to fix things like boost leaks. If the work is done poorly, you wind up with stories like the blown motor on the STI.


While talking power, it's also worth thinking about your plans for it...street, strip, track?

The FI'd Z's have proven to be trap speed monsters which means it is a fun machine to spool up in, but there's less positive data for track and strip. Worth keeping in mind and doing research on. The only tracked Z's I've seen have been SC'd and even then running into heat issues when laying competitive times....


If you can post up more of your goals from the car, we can probably steer you better. There's a number of reasons why each car might be better for you, although I'd generally steer you away from trading a relatively new Z in for an STI without some sort of compelling reason.

do you have a link to this?