Hi, my first post here just to share my experience as I've dabbled in both for the past 10 years as an owner but not so much as a tuner. I've owned two R32 and two R33 (one with GT2530s got totalled while playing with a 996 turbo unfortunately) and have owned both the pre-vvti and vvti 6 speed VVti. I still keep a lightly mod R33, a VVTi 6 speed and an Aristo VVti.
Just on the engine, with basic mods, the 2JZ especially in VVTi form wins hands down. Torque is available in gobs from 2000 rpm onwards. A well tuned RB with R34 BB turbos develop power from around 3,500rpm and I stress well tuned as none of the second hand RBs I purchased come "well tuned". Invariably it costed me quite a bit just to find out whether its the AFM, the FPR, the fuel pump, the electronics, the air leaks, the BOVs that's costing me power. The supras run an equally complicated (if not more complicate) sequential turbo system but surprisingly, they are never hard to trouble shoot. The RB is just a delicate creature that needs everything exactly matched in order to perform. The 2JZ on the other hand just pulls and pulls so long as you give it fuel and spark. Even the VVTi running AFMs never give me any sorrow though these are so much more difficult to tune due to the VVTi system. The old non-VVTi that runs MAP is just a tuner's wet dream.
Then there's the matter of cost of mods and second hand parts. The 2JZ VVTi shares the same engine with the Aristo 161 and the 2JZ without VVTi shares the same engine with the old Aristo 141. If God forbid you somehow manage to blow a 2JZ block, a replacement engine from an auto Aristo can be as cheap as a late model MX5 engine (in HOng KOng anyway)! The RB? Forget it, full rebuilt, no less. Mega bucks.
But here comes the interesting part, I love my R33 more than my Supra! It boils down to connection with the car. My biggest gripe about the supra is the steering. It's almost like driving the Aristo, the front end floats and I never feel connected to the road. It's a competent chassis and it can get thrown around just as fast as a GTR but there's simply no connection. The Supra (FMIC, 1.2 bar) accelerates so smoothly you get to 260kph in a blink with no drama. The R (R34 BB turbos, Tomei Poncam A, Tomei System 3 ECU, Nismo 555, N1 pumps, equal length downpipe) makes you feel every hp that comes out from the engine. Its not faster than the supra, no siree, but its certainly dramatic, the way it howls and barks and pulls when both turbo decides to spin. Every drive in the R is an event on its own whereas the supra can at times, feel "too competent" and bland if there's such a thing. Only thing I hate about the GTR's handling is the way torque suddenly comes to the front wheels especially with the larger turbos. Not sure if it's just bad setup on my car but it's given me a couple of big scares when the 2530s come on mid corner and it suddenly starts to "torque steer". Anyway, sorry for rambling but I'm a big fan for both engines!:proud:
heheheheheheheheheh............
