Toyota Supra v Nissan 400Z

Nissan and Toyota have rediscovered their mojo, as evidenced no more clearly than in their sizzling six-cylinder, rear-wheel drive sports coupes. But which is the better sub-$100,000 performance car?

The (A90) Toyota Supra is a rear-drive two-seat sports car available in Australia only in six-cylinder form. Co-developed with BMW, it’s a known quantity; a brilliant performance machine in almost every respect.

The upcoming (Z35) Nissan 400Z is being developed wholly by Nissan and is expected to go on sale in 2021, but we know its fundamentals will be identical.

While the latest Toyota Supra is a belated replacement for the A80 Supra produced between 1993 and 2002, the new Nissan 400Z will replace the Z34 370Z released in 2009, reigniting a showroom rivalry not seen for almost a decade.

Here’s how the fight is shaping up so far.

Supra – 4.3 seconds

Along with its platform architecture, the Toyota Supra’s 3.0-litre turbocharged inline six-cylinder engine, codenamed B58, is supplied by BMW and currently bangs out 250kW of power at 6500rpm and 500Nm of torque at 1600 to 4500rpm.

The power figure will rise to 285kW, matching the upgraded BMW Z4 on which it’s based, when an updated 2021 Toyota Supra arrives later this year.

Pumping through a conventional eight-speed ZF automatic, the 250kW six-pot engine propels the 1495kg Supra to 100km/h in a claimed 4.3 seconds, which is fast by any measure.

400Z – 5.1 seconds*

The Nissan 400Z will also be propelled by a twin-turbo 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine, this time a V6 codenamed VR30DDTT.

The 400Z will borrow its engine (and its FM platform architecture) from the discontinued Infiniti Q60 Coupe, which pumped out 298kW at 6400rpm – more power than the Supra – but slightly less torque at 475Nm over 1600-5200rpm. The outgoing Nissan 370Z is powered by a 253kW/371Nm 3.7-litre naturally aspirated V6.

* The new 400Z could belt out even more power than the Q60’s 298kW unit, and while the Infiniti is best yardstick we have to measure its performance, including the 5.1-second 0-100km/h dash, the Q60 weighed around 1780kg. The 400Z should be lighter than that, so it will be interesting to see if it can match the Supra.

Supra – $84,900

While the Supra is not what you’d call an affordable sports car (hello sub-$40,000 Toyota 86!), its value for money isn’t horrendous either. Fit and finish is excellent, thanks in large part to its BMW parts and platform sharing, and it comes with all the convenience and luxury features you’d expect at this price.

There is a more affordable four-cylinder Supra (it’s not offered in Australia), but it’s like buying the four-cylinder Mustang – heresy!

400Z – circa-$70,000

This is where the on-paper comparison is going to get very interesting, especially if the Nissan 400Z retains its predecessor’s sharp starting price of $50,490 – a whopping $34,410 cheaper than the Supra. You could buy a Ford Fiesta ST hot hatch with the change!

Pricing for the 400Z has not yet been revealed, but reports from the US suggest it’ll cost about $US40,000 which is 20 per cent less than the Supra. Ergo, a price of around $70,000 in Australia could be close to the mark.

Supra

Design is subjective – some will love the Toyota Supra and some won’t, but it nails the sports car styling brief with its long bonnet, pushed-back glass house and its driver sitting close to the rear axle.

The double-bubble roof is a neat feature but based on social media comments we’ve received, not everyone loves the front-end design.

400Z

Talking about the Nissan 400Z’s aesthetics is challenging given it hasn’t been officially revealed. However, Nissan has released a teaser image that confirms the vehicle’s overall shape and more rounded headlights – one of several retro design cues that recall the original 240Z.

The latest renders based on this silhouette provide a close approximation of how it will look – long bonnet, short rear overhangs and a low stance.

While the Toyota Supra is an engaging driver’s car thanks to a balanced chassis, potent turbo engine and sonorous exhaust, Nissan has time up its sleeve and will be benchmarking the 400Z against the Supra to ensure it eclipses that vehicle in every performance respect.

That said, Toyota has always said it will update the Supra pretty much annually, steadily improving its power and dynamics. All eyes will be on the Nissan 400Z to see how it compares to its arch-rival in terms of performance, price and design.

While there’s no clear-cut winner yet, one thing’s for sure: we’re going to see a hum-dinger of a battle very soon as these two Japanese brands continue to develop the sports car genre for a new generation.

All we need now is a Mitsubishi 3000GT to join the fray…