Another thing that makes a big difference is the class you intend to run with the car. If you're racing GT3 or stock, the 04 is a good car. I think you might be at a bit of a disadvantage if you plan to race mod. I think it would be hard to get enough steering on the car if you run mod unless you're running foams on carpet. Even then, maybe. I race my 04 in GT3 and it's awesome. I don't think the Evo3 or any other current "race" chassis would have an advantage over it. In stock, my feelings are pretty much the same. I have raced my car in stock quite a bit in the past and it was plenty fast and handled well. I still prefer my XXX-S in stock, but that's mainly because I've been racing stock in it for over 2 years and I know exactly what changes have what effect. At the end of the day, though, I'll go with Difuser and rowdyrj. For club racing, most any "race" chassis car will win races in the right hands. In GT3, I race with a guy that's running an FF01. He's one of the fastest guys out there and most of the rest of us are running 04R's. Granted, he has less rotating mass, but if you consider that the FF01 isn't really a "race" chassis, the 04 should have a much greater advantage.