Benchtest: Nissan Z v Toyota GR Supra

There’s a tantalising new-generation rivalry brewing between two iconic Japanese sports coupes – the striking new Nissan Z and born-again Toyota GR Supra – but which one will claim bragging rights?

With rich histories and dazzling designs, both the Z and Supra are now powered by strapping six-cylinder turbo engines capable of generating adrenaline-pumping g-forces and incinerating their expensive rear tyres.

The new Z35-series Nissan Z was revealed this week, ahead of its Aussie launch in early 2022, and on paper it’s more powerful than the Toyota Supra.

But will it be quicker and which one will be the superior sports car overall?

Let’s compare the facts, figures and vital statistics of these two-seat, rear-drive coupes to find out.

Nissan Z: 298kW/475Nm
Toyota Supra: 285kW/500Nm

As predicted, the seventh-generation Nissan Z leverages the Infiniti-developed VR30DDTT engine, a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 delivering 298kW of power at 6400rpm (based on the US-spec’s 400hp output) through a six-speed manual or nine-speed auto transmission.

The Toyota Supra’s BMW-sourced B58 engine is also a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol unit, but it’s an inline six not V6 and it cranks out 13kW less peak power than the Nissan – 285kW over a broader 5800-6500rpm. And it’s paired exclusively with an eight-speed auto.

Torque, which generates the thrust you feel when accelerating especially off the line, goes in favour of the Supra, however, with peak twist of 500Nm over 1800-5000rpm versus 475Nm over 1600-5600rpm for the Z.

For the record, the 3042cc Nissan/Infiniti V6 revs to 6800rpm and has square cylinder dimensions with an 86mm bore and stroke, while the 2998cc Toyota/BMW straight-six is longer-stroke at 82x94.6mm. Premium unleaded is recommended for both engines.

Nissan Z: 4.3sec (estimated)
Toyota Supra: 4.1sec (claimed)

The Nissan Z has more power, but the auto-only Toyota Supra should still be slightly quicker to 100km/h than both the manual and auto Z, mostly because of the Supra’s lower (1505kg) kerb weight and extra torque.

At 3.154:1, the Supra also has a slightly shorter final drive ratio than the Z auto (3.133), although the Z manual is shorter again at 3.538.

Nissan has not officially confirmed the retro-styled Z’s kerb weight nor its 0-60mph (0-96.5km/h) acceleration time, but estimates it will deliver a 15 per cent improvement on the model it replaces.

Therefore it’s predecessor’s circa-5.0sec 0-60mph time would drop to 4.25 seconds, versus the Supra’s 3.9sec 0-60mph sprint. This should translate to a 0-100km/h time of around 4.3 seconds, which is slightly off the Supra’s 4.1sec pace.

In terms of handling performance, it remains to be seen whether thorough updates to the long-running Nissan FM platform bless the new Z with dynamics to match the BMW Z4 Roadster-based Supra.

Either way, these rear-drive Japanese sports cars will be pretty closely matched in a straight line, and they could represent the end of an era as the last purely combustion-powered performance cars from each brand as the auto industry rushes towards electrified powertrains.

Indeed Hiroshi Tamura, Chief Product Specialist for Nissan’s GT-R and NISMO models, has stated that a hybrid version of the Z sports car is very much a possibility.

And Toyota is working on a higher-performance GRMN version of the Supra to fight the expected Nissan Z NISMO, so expect more to come in terms of both engine and chassis performance from both models.

Nissan Z: Under $70,000 (estimated)
Toyota Supra: $87,003 (plus ORCs)

The first Aussie shipment of 100 Toyota Supra vehicles sold out in just seven minutes, but the new Nissan Z could be even more sought-after if it’s priced from under $70,000.

Leaked pricing details from the US claim the Nissan Z will cost around 20 per cent less than the Supra, and if this remains the case in Australia we could see prices starting around $70K.

That would be in line with the 370Z’s traditional pricing, but still well above its run-out starting price of just $50,490.

But even if Nissan Australia ignores North America’s Sport entry variant and only brings in one high-spec Performance model loaded with bigger 19-inch wheels, sticky Bridgestone Potenza S007 tyres, a limited-slip diff, aggressive body kit upgrades and premium interior, it’s still likely to be significantly more affordable than the Supra.

Nissan’s inclusion of a six-speed manual alongside the nine-speed auto, will not only please purists but also give it a price advantage.

Nissan Z: 1969
Toyota Supra: 1978

The Nissan Z story started in 1969 with the legendary Datsun 240Z, whose purpose was to deliver rear-drive sports car thrills at an affordable price.

It did exactly that and demand outstripped supply by orders of magnitude. It was followed by a more powerful 260Z version. Subsequent generations of Z cars included the 280ZX, 300ZX, 350Z, 370Z and now the latest iteration, the naming convention of which has been simplified and now deletes engine size, ending speculation of the 400Z moniker.

The Supra kicked off in 1978 as a heavily modified six-cylinder version of the Celica, which was dubbed the A40 model.

It was followed by the A50, A60, A70 and arguably the most famous Supra, the A80 built between 1993 and 1998, and immortalised in bright orange livery in the Fast and Furious movie franchise.

The current generation was resurrected in 2019 and heavily based on the BMW Z4, which donates its platform architecture, engine and electricals.

Nissan Z: Retro-inspired
Toyota Supra: Contemporary

We are the first to admit that design is subjective but there are clear differences in the visual approaches of these two Japanese sports car rivals.

While the new Nissan Z adopts elements of the 240Z at the front and 300ZX at the rear, creating aggressive but nostalgic optics, the Supra is more of a clean-sheet design.

There are elements of the A80 Supra in the new-generation A90, such as the long-bonnet proportions, but the overall styling – and especially the headlight and tail-light detailing – appears to be inspired by the Toyota FT-1 concept from 2014 rather than any particular classic Supra.

There’s no denying the new Nissan Z makes for a compelling proposition. It’s got more power, is almost certainly going to be more affordable, has a stronger bloodline and is offered with a manual, unlike the auto-only Supra.

Many will argue it delivers more visual punch too.

But at this stage the new Z car may not be as fast as the Supra and, despite new suspension components, it is remains based on the much older Nissan FM platform that dates back to the fifth-generation 350Z of 2002.

We’ll update this story when we have more intel on the Nissan Z’s pace, weight and price, but given what we know so far, which is your pick? Have your say in the comments section below.