Modifying 2019 G70 Potential

BartHarleyJarvis · Jan 7, 2023

Hey everyone!

I’m considering buying a used car soon and have seen multiple 2019-2021 G70s 3.3T at the 33-36k price range. My question is with the money I’m saving(Vs paying for a used M3s or C63s) if I used that for upgrades to the car such as springs, sway bars, new intercooler, jb4 map 2 etc. how close dynamically can I get this car to performance vehicles like the M3?
Thanks I’m advance for the input!

Slip_Angle · Jan 8, 2023

Easily to their stock performance level and beyond in terms of acceleration. Though, I would recommend ECU-TCU vs. JB4.

Handling I don't think it'll be to the same level as an M3. Others who have worked on that part of the G70 would know more.

Volfy · Jan 9, 2023

A lot depends what comes to your mind when "race track" is mentioned. If it's a long straight strip with Xmas lights, the 3.3T can more than hold its own against the majority of the German, Italian and the Japanese sporty sedans.

However, if it conjures up COTA or Laguna Seca, the G70's peers dwindle a bit. This platform is definitely more of a Grand Turismo than pure bred sports car. Some folks are gonna cry bloody foul on that statement, but that it the cold hard truth. It doesn't mean it won't benefit from chassis tuning and all the usual cornering go-fast kits. It just means it has its limitations. The front MacPherson struts is a good example. It has no adjustability for more negative camber, unless you are willing to spend some serious mod money. Even then, you might find that the true high end suspension tuners don't really cater to this platform.

That said, as long as we keep our expectations in check and are honest with what we want done, a lot of us are enjoying the heck out of our Stingers and G70s.

Normally, I would say buying used is somewhat negating one of the brand's biggest draw - the long warranty. But if you are bent on doing some serious mod work, being closer to end of warranty period might help remove any hesitation to go for it. Still, it has to be some substantial saving over brand new, for me to want to buy used.

G-983766 · Jan 15, 2023

Volfy said:
A lot depends what comes to your mind when "race track" is mentioned. If it's a long straight strip with Xmas lights, the 3.3T can more than hold its own against the majority of the German, Italian and the Japanese sporty sedans.

However, if it conjures up COTA or Laguna Seca, the G70's peers dwindle a bit. This platform is definitely more of a Grand Turismo than pure bred sports car. Some folks are gonna cry bloody foul on that statement, but that it the cold hard truth. It doesn't mean it won't benefit from chassis tuning and all the usual cornering go-fast kits. It just means it has its limitations. The front MacPherson struts is a good example. It has no adjustability for more negative camber, unless you are willing to spend some serious mod money. Even then, you might find that the true high end suspension tuners don't really cater to this platform.

That said, as long as we keep our expectations in check and are honest with what we want done, a lot of us are enjoying the heck out of our Stingers and G70s.

Normally, I would say buying used is somewhat negating one of the brand's biggest draw - the long warranty. But if you are bent on doing some serious mod work, being closer to end of warranty period might help remove any hesitation to go for it. Still, it has to be some substantial saving over brand new, for me to want to buy used.

Thanks for the input, this was very helpful. My budget is $45,000 and as a result a lot of used sport coupes are finding their way into my shortlist, primarily the F87 M2. But with a pre-refresh G70 3.3T I can save about $10-12k and over time have the freedom to make the car my own. I WFH but the car would still be a "daily" so I am definitely not going to make it a track car.
The potential lack of warranty is definitely a factor but isn't as frightening to me after scouring these forums for issues and having a brother who is mechanically inclined. It's definitely less scary than owning a M car!
I'm seeing some examples from hyundai/genesis dealers with 20-30k miles and am hoping those would still qualify for a warranty.

Volfy · Jan 16, 2023

I would not be afraid to buy gently used and let somebody else take the initial depreciation. I've done that many a times. That said, the used car market through this past year has been the worst I've seen since... I started driving. It is softening up a bit but still nowhere close to pre-pandemic. I would hold off on buying, unless you absolutely have to.

I'm about as bad about modding up a storm as the next car nut. Thing about modding a car is though is that very few mods will add value to the car. If anything, if you leave some of the mods on the car when you sell it, their presence might actually reduce the resale value. Too many times, I hear folks say such and such mod totally transformed the car. "It's like a completely different car". To me, it's either wishful thinking, or if the transformation is really that dramatic, the investment is likely substantial. At that point, it would realistically be better to pay more up front for a car that is closer to what you want, instead of all that mod work.