[GTRJack]

Well first of all I will be moving back to Thailand, Bangkok by the beginning of next year to start off my business plan.

I will be looking into cars but I have a diffecult choice to make. The question is should I be looking into a newer EVO or an older Skyline? The choice is between EVO VI/VII or an R33 GTR because of the price isn't very much of a difference in Thailand. In terms of performance though I haven an impression that the newer EVOs can match up the level with a bit older Skylines. I'm a big fan of both cars; well maybe the Skyline a bit more

The thing is I would use this car as an week end beater on the high way or at a local drag strip. The tuning sceene in Bangkok is actually very intense and the most popular and common events is drag racing because we have almost non race track to test our cars legally during the cost differencies; this mean my priority should be looking for a decent engine mods.

It sound most reasonable I should be looking for a Skyline but I have a feeling it's getting outdated and the EVOs and Scoobies are catching up in the tuner sceene. I've driven newer generation EVOs and the reasion I like them more then the Skylines is because as AWD it's lighter and nimble + it has 4 door, BUT I don't like the symetrical AWD as the ATTESSA ET-S AWD because my impression is the symetrical AWD suits better for the twisties and smaller off roads which we don't have much of here in Bangkok. I think the Skyline's ATTESSA ET-S with brute force would better fits for our high way runs, more decent top end and raw acceleration at our local drag strip. I love the ability of the RWD when I want and AWD when I need.

When I studied in Bangkok for couple of years back I had an mildy tuned around 350HP R32 GTR. I experienced the Skyline became an expensive tuning hobby which made me almost got kicked out from the university because I almost didn't have enough money to pay for the semester. I believe what would tricker me to buy this car from the other is the tuning cost and the reliability. I must admit I have no tuning experience with the EVOs and this is where my other important question comes in. (In general speak) "For the same level of performance, for example to achieve 11 seconds at a drag strip, which car? A Skyline or an EVO to be the most reliable and the cheapest to tune??" Does anybody here has the experiencies of tuning both cars and the cost of tuning them in comparison? As I see it the advantages the EVO has over the Skyline is the weight; other words would need less horsepower to achieve the same power to weight ratio but then again the Skyline is more of the brute force bigger displacement, 2 cylinder more and overall potentially quicker on surtent level of tuning. Secondly which car is more enduranced for heat because in Thailand we have abow 32 - 35 C degrees everyday? (In case I would be getting a Skyline R33 GTR, how much does the RB30 conversion cost or should I just get a stroker kit to 2.8 L?)

I'm more familiar and love the Skylines more then the EVOs BUT this time I have to think of my economical stand point in terms of which car would be the most practical, reliable (in the heat) and the cheapest to tune. This is a pretty fustruative choice for me :bawling: but I still 6 months to do more researches and to make up my mind. Still I'd like to hear you guys opinions on this and what I should be getting, "Stick to the older R33 GTR or get a newer EVO VII?"

I've also had other options in my mind as the Toyota Supra. In terms of engine mods, cheap high end horsepower and reliability I think Toyota Supra is an excelent choice but I am a guy who loves traction and values other automotive performance without to worry about changing spesific tire to each type of course. Mazda RX7 has also crossed my mind but in terms of speed and engine reliability I don't think it's realistic for me in this extreem heat everyday in Thailand.

Please all opinions and advice would be gladly appreciated, thank you :clap:

 

[GTRJack]

No sugestions?

 

[Sean]

I'm slightly biased but

Any Skyline over any Evo

 

[R33_GTS-t]

Skyline. The bigger engine must surely provide better reliability in the heat for a given bhp.

 

[daytona]

Tune a Skyline correctly and on the sort of roads you will be using it would take a VERY special EVO or Scoob to be in front

 

[skylife]

i went to holiday earlier in the year to Thailand and found that the roads would be much more suited for the Skyline. the evo is awesome but i chose the Skyline over it even tho here in NZ there are twisties everywhere. yes, the GTR is a money pit, but i'm sure the EVO is also at the level of your required tune, therefore i would choose the 'line.

 

[MeLLoN Stu]

surely the service intervals and costs would be enough to put you off an evo! 4.5k service intervals and megabucks would kill me.

Skyline all day long, with only mild mods i can reel in the more powerful editions of evo on the straights, and unless it's a particularly twisty or bumpy road they don't get away from me unless they've been breathed on with more than the initial basic mods.

evo's are fantastic cars, but they really are like a coiled spring, always raring to go and very on the edge, where the skyline is a bit more relaxed until you want the fun to start. In the evo i found myself having to remind myself and the car that i was only taking it around the block, not down a rally course.

if both cars had been looked after equally previously, i'd put money on the skyline being the more reliable. cost to tune wise i'm not sure, evo's aren't cheap to tune, but they don't have skyline tax which means prices double lol. pound for pound i'd expect the skyline to give the biggest returns for the same mods.

i found myself in your boots so to speak, was sorely tempted by an evo FQ330, but the skyline won for me on looks, running costs and the easy to live with day to day factor. both are fantastic cars though as i've said.
I'd also be worried about people stealing an evo, still top of the hitlist over here, dont know what it's like over there.

 

[RIPPMODS]

We've tuned an EVO9 MR up to 419whp AND ITS A lot of fun....but then again the R33 is a machine.... the EVO is still the "boy" racer hopped up Lancer... don;t get me wrong, I'd own one and use it as a daily driver but the 33 is simply a better car on a whole....

I've run my speed shop for 14 years and I've never been under a machine like a skyline.... and that list includes Porshes, BMW, Audi's, Honda' and so on...

 

[kismetcapitan]

And, although I know next to nothing about Evos, isn't the power potential of the RB26 far more than that 2 liter 4G63?

A bit off topic but what's so great about the Evo AWD system in comparison with the ATTESA-ETS?

 

[MeLLoN Stu]

i've seen a few 800-1000bhp evo's, look what norris can do with them!
reaslistically though how much power you can get out of the engine is pretty irrelevant unless you're at the top end of the tuner scale, or building some drag monster.

the evo's 4wd system is nothing too special on the older models, on the newer models the bias between front and rear can be set into 3 ( if memory serves) positions, tarmac for example gives a 40/60 split f/r for example, its done electronically rather than by use of viscous means i believe.

 

[GTRJack]

Thanks for the sugestions, I'm grateful.

As I said abow I love the Skyline more and it would suit better for the roads in Bangkok but the point is what worries me is the tuning cost in comparison. I have no experience in tuning EVO's and their cost, let me put it this way; I'm aiming for sub 11 seconds from either of the two cars on a drag strip (on street tires) for equal performance. "What would cost to tune 500HP EVO VII in price comparison to tune 550 - 600HP R33 GTR?" Generally if this level of tuning cost equally between the two cars I will probably not go for the EVO but if I finds out the EVO is alot cheaper then it's a bargain coz of my economical stand point. From my experience Skyline isn't a cheap car to tune

As I've also said I love the ATTESSA ET-S AWD more then the symetrical AWD in an EVO. ATTESSA ET-S is more for the hardcare Grand Tourer power and top end AWD which would perfectly fits for the highways in Bangkok. The symetrical AWD is more for the twisties small bumpy roads.

 

[bkvj]

R33 GTR!!!!

well its my favourite car so what can i say?

 

[GTR Jon]

Take an Evo, leave the Skyline's here

 

[GTRJack]

Take an Evo, leave the Skyline's here

What's the reasion?

 

[rasonline]

But don't you need to change a lot of Skyline parts to go reliably over 500BHP? Gearboxes, headgaskets, injectors, etc. And from what i've heard (though i could most prob be wrong cos it's only hear say) the Skyline parts are more expensive.
'
The EVO is much much lighter and doesn't need as much power to run the same as a GTR..

What about brake upgrades? These cost a fortune on the GTR and as it is a big heavy car it is still a little compromised.

Really gotta decide what is needed... straight line speed, nothing can match the GTR though.

I really don't have a clue what costs are on an EVO but just putting forward some points for comparison. So it could well turn out that the GTR is still the better option.

Spanner in the works...Why not try out an Impreza version 6 STI?

 

[skyline69_uk]

I was in much the same position over a year ago but after talking to both camps on the subject it became obvious that the GT-R was the cheaper route by far if you want to tune the car.

EVO's also seemed to have weaker gearboxes etc with a lot of diffs going bang and serious engine problems with tuning unless the big money was spent. That's the problem I had with a tuned Evo - cost and reliability. I would love an EVO as it's a hell of a B road weapon (and I may still get one) but I would not do much in the way of tuning from what other owners have told me :bawling: .

I got nearly 400bhp, Ohlin's fully adjustable Road and Track suspension, strut brace, sways bars, exhaust and lots of other goodies for under £12,000, I could only have a standard EVO for that although it would be faster on B roads it would not be anywhere as special as my GT-R .

 

[GTRJack]

^^ Thanks Skyline69_uk, that's the answare I was looking for. Anyway I thought hard about this, I will probably go for R32 GTR again even though it's getting old now. The price for a decent R32 GTR (stage 1) in Thailand is very low today and concluded I will have some money left to do some extra mods insted of going for R33 GTR with almost no mods. I'm used with the Skyline insted of going into a new route with the EVO's....

Thanks everyone for your opinions