Okay so I see several dumb comments from people that don't really know much about 350Z's so I had to jump in . First off pretty much all Z's will get you in the 400 rwhp range depending on the twin turbo setup and tune on stock internals at only 8 psi. How much boost does the Evo have to run to make 400whp lol? APS I believe makes the best kit for the Vq35DE motor equiped Z's (03-06) since they use ball bearing turbos for quicker spool up and best hp gains on a Z with stock internals unlike Greddy's which uses the mitsubishi garbage. 350whp is around the ball park figure for a Z on a supercharger.
If you want to talk 07-08 Z's , a shop called Performance Factory has built a bolt on twin turbo kit that generates 504whp at only 10psi on stock internals.
One thing though is that the Evo can make hp quicker for less money than a Z . Since all you have to do is just a tune with a complete aftermarket exhaust and you're already making 70+ hp simply because Mitsubishi decided to cheap out on the engine but made sure to make up for it by throwing in an intercooler and small turbo on it.
For the original thread starter : If you want to get a car that can haul a lot of people (ex. you're married with children and refuse to get a minivan) then the evo is right for you. Mitsubishi made the evo 4 doors specifically for this type of consumer. Nissan made the Z non turbo from the factory specifically to avoid poor sales due to price since by default the Z must have a 6cyl engine , not a cheap 4cyl. The 6cyl + Twin turbo setup price is what killed off the last generation of the Z (300ZX)
If you want a car that has all the elements of a true sports car (2 seater , rear wheel drive, and plenty good power for starters, and panty dropping looks) then the Z is right for you, especially if money is not an obstacle. With a built motor and Twin Turbo setup you'll be looking at 800-900whp . If 400-500hp keeps you happy then a stock internal 07-08 Z twin turbo charged Z can still do that.
The Evo is all in all a great car , but it isnt a sports car, its a rally car.
Evo's looks = riced out turbo 4 door civic , Z's looks = Sleek and Sexy sports car. The Evo just has a lot of hype because of its success in time attack ...because it is awd. This is not to say that the Z's haven't beaten Evo's in time attack because they have. But having an awd car to build for these types of events where grip is crucial , it certainly makes it easier to have success with an awd car.
Here is an example of the hype behind the Evo ... if you havent seen bullrun on speed channel there were these two idiots with a modified evo. They came in last place on a timed dirt challenge vs a dodge dart (a 1970's rearwheel drive car) , and ended up destroying the car in the process of coming in last LOL. Watch those two idiots because that is exactly what type of crowd is behind the wheel in the evo community. People that read a lot of mags and think their 4door fast baby mover thats parked outside is a fully built track smoking terror hahaha.