That's a good point as far as the 2zz goes. But then I started thinking...
The 2zz puts out around 130-135 ft-lbs of torque and about 180-190 hp.
Now the 5S puts out around 145 ft-lbs of torque and about 130-135 hp.
Here's the kicker which we all know. The 2zz's dry weight is 250 lbs (for the long block). The 5s-fe's dry weight for the long block is around 350 lbs. So right away you save about 100 lbs by using the 2zz.
Then you take into account the weight of a newer 6 speed which should weigh at least the same if not less than the NA 5 speed. So if you drop 100 lbs to loose 10 ft-lbs of torque but gain ~50 hp...it's not too bad a trade off.
Now you can talk about upsetting the balance...which could be fixed by running the battery out of the trunk (take 30 lbs or so lets say and move it from the front to the back). Remove the spare tire and there you have your 42/58 weight distribution.
Over all though it would still come down to preference and money. The 2zz isn't super cheap but it does have a supercharger
...
Just some food for thought...