I've had a couple of NA four-bangers now and a Turbo four-banger, with regular access to a Focus ST and various Imprezas over the last few years. It's just a personal thing and I don't expect everybody to agree but to me NA engines are just so pure and I much prefer them. I suspect that other RS/Honda NA owners who give up counting what they've spent after a while probably feel the same way. I'm in the middle ground where as much as I'm not tight and I'll happily throw money into something, I do like to weigh it up in a £/BHP sort of way and I do have a limit. I do however fully appreciate that some people have a higher limit then I do!!!
There's no room for hiding with them, they're either a good engine or a not so good engine... With a Turbo, sometimes the boost and delivery can overwhelm the senses and mask any imperfections where as even my mum would notice a flatspot or deadzone on an NA engine. Of all the lads I go out with regularly, only myself and one other run NA (BMW 645i). No amount of persausion will get him to go the F/I route either.
I fully get what litchy means, if my dad threw half the money I've spent on Nicole at his Impreza then he'd have gained near enough 100BHP with the right mods, whereas I've probably gained 10-15BHP (once the V6 setup goes on). Hell, he could get another 50BHP with a £400 remap!!!
I think on any decent Turbo engine (sweeping generalisation), the ratio is about £8:1BHP.
On any decent NA engine (RS, Honda, Toyota), the ratio is probably nearer £50:1BHP
That might sound very steep. But, what do we gain on a £300 remap?...
Peak gains of 6BHP!?!