Maximum go for not much dough: Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo

If you’re tired of hearing people gush about wimpy, overpriced euro poseuer-mobiles like the M-B SLK, BMW Z3/M3 and Porsche Boxster as being true performance cars, there is a refreshing– and much cheaper– alternative. From 1990-96, Nissan made one of the best all-around sports cars ever, the 300ZX Twin Turbo. Four years in a row listed in Car & Driver’s Top Ten, the ZX was the culmination of everything Nissan knew about fast and good. Agressively styled like a mako shark, the car was available with lots of creature comforts like leather upholstery, power windows, climate control, active suspension, cruise control and more.

Stock TT’s pump out 300bhp (detuned to 275 in the last couple of years) but the real fun lies in realms beyond 450bhp and 170+ mph. The 3 liter quad-cam 4 valve all-alloy engine was originally designed to withstand the extensive stress of turbocharging, unlike other engines where the turbos were added later. Also available in a “n/a” normally aspirated version, this engine is as bulletproof as anything ever built for street use. Both turbo and n/a cars often go 200,000+ miles without needing anything other than routine maintenance and normal replacement components. One caveat: "normal" replacements will include turbos, clutches, and probably transmssions if you use all that power agressively and drive the car hard.Nothing lasts forever under the assualt of mega-horsepower.

The reason the 300ZX Twin Turbos are so popular with real performance enthusiasts that they’re inexpensive, handle the stress of modification reasonably well, and enjoy a huge pool of parts, information and savvy tuners who keep the flame alive. Companies like Steve Millen in Southern California have invested years of time and huge amounts of money in creating reliable aftermarket parts to boost the TT’s already-prodigious performance.

TT modification is measured in “stages,” each stage representing a specific modification. Thus a car with larger intercoolers, a free-flowing exhaust and tweaked ecu would be Stage 3. The power generated by modified TT’s is stunning. Stage 3 engines will easily pull 350bhp. Stage 5 cars can make more than 400bhp, and at Stage 7/8/9 you’re sitting in a 475-550bhp dyno-certified street rocket. All this with absolute reliability (assuming you don’t abuse it) and compete tractibility around town.

But the trick is not to buy a stock TT and have it modified: you’ll be sinking major dollars into a car that will never sell for anywhere near what you’ve invested. Do your homework and find a car that’s already been tweaked by a reliable tuner. You’ll get the benefit of someone else’s investment for much less than actual cost. In every case, documentation is critical: never believe anything that isn’t backed up by receipts or verbal confirmation with the parts house, mechanic, shop or tuner.

A Stage 7/8/9 car is faster than nearly anything on the street, even a Porsche 996 Turbo. A highly modified TT will simply chew up and spit out any BMW, M-B, Audi, Saab, Jaguar, Corvette, Mustang, et al. Now for the real good news: a well-maintained stock 300 ZX Twin Turbo can be had for around $12-15,000. A car modified to Stage 5 specs with upgrades to the chassis, brakes, suspension, tires, etc. might be in the $20-25,000 range, and it will easily be as fast as the $100, 000 Porsche 996 Turbo.

Driving a 450bhp TT requires experience, skill, good reflexes, committment and a huge dollop of self control. In spite of their docile behavior around town, these aren’t machines for the uninitiated, the hesitant or anyone prone to road rage. Wheelspin is available in almost any gear, and because the car is somewhat front-heavy, the tail steps out when too much throttle is applied. Traction control aids, sticky tires, high performance brakes and other suspenion changes mitigate but don’t eliminate this trait.

For great value, warp-speed performance, slick looks, reliability and comfort, consider a Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbo. It's hard to beat if driving a used car isn’t too damaging to your ego. Or go ahead and spend twice as much money for a slower, pretentious "performance" euro- car... if you want to get your rear kicked when the rubber meets the road. It’s great fun watching those tri-pointed stars and whirling propeller emblems disappearing in my rear view mirrors.