Maxima = ugly, 4 door, FWD, heavy pig with only 190hp and no turbo to get more power easilly.
Mk III Supra Turbo = attractive, RWD, tuneable, more expensive than should be, heavy pig with electrical issues. At least it can handle a 1JZ/2JZ swap, but that's some $$$$
Mazda RX-7 (FC) Turbo II = hard-to-find, premium-priced (for its age), tricky-to-tune (ask any boosted rotary guy), learning-curve-required (whole new ballgame with rotary), hardto work on (ever tried to? I have, many things are a PITA to get to unerhood), medium weight car.
1G Eclipse/Talon AWD = driveline-weak, notchy-transmissioned, electronically-troublesome, expensive (for its age), hard-to-find, expensive-to-tune, heavy pig of a car (and FWD versions aren't all that much better).
2G Eclipse/Talon AWD = same as above, but add crankwalk, alot more money, and alot harder to find.
1G Toyota MR2 = small, spinout-prone, lightweight beercan with 80's transformer looks and no convenience room in cab. Might make a nice toy but not a good choice for a "get in and go" or "daily driver".
2G Toyota MR2 = almost as small, almost as light, harder to find (turbo even MORE hard to find), not much more cabroom, but newer so possible more reliable car. Still not very practical.
Z31 = attractive, RWD, tuneable, stout engined, priced right, no major electrical issues, reliable, SE S12-similar, aftermarket-supported, race-proven, cab-spacious, medium weight car that is priced very resonably for what you get.
And if you really want to go further with this...
Dodge Daytona Shelby Turbo II = FWD (yeah, yeah, but read on), simple-to-tune, reliable electrically, stout-engined, turbo-equipped, intercooled, strong-transmissioned, nicely-braked, easilly-tuned, community-supported, spaciously-cabbed, MAP-sensor controlled, reasonably attractive, not all that hard to find, not all that pricey to buy, medium weight car.
Who says Z31 has no suspension options? If it weren't for Z31 suspension options, WE would have no suspension options, and if anyone has been following along the past year, we DO have suspension options. There are a number of companies listing both springs and shocks/struts (some even knob adjustable) for Z31, and there's big brake upgrades, swaybars, bushing kits, etc.
Motorsport Auto alone carries a plethora of parts (including suspension) for the Z31, and there are other venors who do as well.
Guys, remember, I didn't come from Nissan enthusiasm. I started out elsewhere, and have put my dues in the DSM community, spent lots of time around Supra guys, am good friends with a very knowledgeable rotary guy, have done my homework on late-model Nissan sports cars, and even spent time with the modern VW tuning world. I'm comming from many different angles on this, and I still say, the Z31 is hands down the choice for his criteria as he put forth to us. That's not even considering that he presently owns an SE V6, which means he is already quite familiar with the VG30 configuration. A VG30ET-powered Z31 is the next logical step, and can be kept relatively modest while still allowing for it to be quite fast, and retain all the creature comforts he might want. And it is RWD, and doesn't look half bad (modestly stated) if I do say so myself.
In fact, if I ever wreck or blow up the 280ZX, I will be looking for a Z31 Turbo immediately afterwards.