When you think of a sports car, you think of an aggressive body shape with a powerful engine that makes good power and can go fast. Well, that's exactly what the Datsun 240Z had to offer back when it was new in the late 60's to early 70's. However, it wasn't the only one like this. The 240Z had competitors, as basically all cars do at one point or another.
There were other sports cars at the time that proved worthy competitors, such as the MGB GT, Porsche 914, and Opel GT, all well-performing cars for their time and still cool cars to this day. In the world of automobiles where every company is competing in every class of car, whether it be sporty or SUV, the one big question for the Datsun 240Z still remains.
How does this awesome ride compare with its rivals?
The Datsun 240Z Faced Stiff Competition For Performance
When it comes to sports cars, something that they always need is the ability to be fun to drive. This means power, speed, and everything around should be as high numbers as possible. Well, while compared to today's cars, the Datsun 240Z may not seem like much, it can still pack a punch, especially for a car that's around 50 years old.
The 240Z is equipped with a 2.4-liter Inline-6 engine that makes 151 hp and allows for a top speed of 126 mph. In addition to this, it has a 0-60 time of 8 seconds. This may not sound like much, considering that modern-day Ferraris and Lamborghinis can reach speeds north of 200 mph and have 0-60 times of sometimes under 3 seconds, but you have to take into account that this isn't an extremely expensive super sports car that would cost at least in today's money hundreds of thousands of dollars. It is a highly manufactured sports car, which even today, with inflation, won't cost very much.
As for its competitors, they have some varied numbers. Based on whether you got the 4, 6, or S version of the Porsche 914, it would either come with 79, 108, or 295 hp, which lead to top speeds between 72 and 155 mph, essentially meaning that a 914 could be much faster than a 240Z or much slower. As for the MGB GT and Opel GT, the MGB only reaches a top speed of 105 mph and the Opel 115. Overall, this shows that in many speed competitions between the 240Z and its rivals, it is very likely to win.
Looks That Could Kill
If you are going to own a sports car like the 240Z, chances are you want it to look nice. Whether you want to gain attention towards you or you just want a nice looking car for your own eyes, you probably don't want to own something that looks bad or boring. Well, luckily for Datsun 240Z owners, their car has the exact appearance you'd expect and want a sports car to have. It has a long hood with a short rear, just the right type of look on any sporty front-engine car.
This body shape gives a nicely aggressive look which has clearly held up through time, as even today, practically every front-engined sports car looks very similar to the 240Z. Some examples of this are many modern and past Ferrari models, such as the F12 TDF, 250 GTO, and the new Roma, to name a few. And Ferrari isn't the only one that has followed this iconic design shape either. Every car company has likely made a sports car and used this body shape at least once before in their history.
As for the competition, both the MGB GT and Opel GT follow the iconic sports car design with their own unique twists on them, but you could easily make an argument that the 240Z has a better overall design, with its more aggressive look from every angle of the back along with the front. As for the Porsche 914, it takes a slightly different turn.
The 914 has a very different style, with both the rear of the car and the front being almost identical in shape and length, a style you would usually only see in sedan-type vehicles. The 914 also has some questionable designs, such as their somewhat strangely designed lights. While everyone has a right to their own opinion and there likely is a large group of people who love the 914, history has shown that its design is not as sporty and good looking as the 240Z to the majority of people.
The Datsun 240Z Was A Reliable Ride
While sports cars aren't built like or meant to be an SUV or sedan, where their goal is to simply get you from point A to B while being easy to drive and very practical, you still don't want your car breaking down every 2 seconds. Luckily for Datsun 240Z owners, it's a very reliable sports car. Its transmission, in particular, is something to note, as it is very well built and should suit you well in terms of actually working. This is especially important considering that some cars are built with terrible transmissions that will be unreliable, and if they break, could cost you thousands to replace.
As for their counterparts, all three are generally very reliable cars too. It is important to note, however, that while these cars are likely all going to work well and give you minimal problems, they are all around fifty years old now, and any car of that age, even when well maintained, can and likely will have some problems come up.
Overall, the Datsun 240Z and all its rivals were some great sports cars in their time and have stayed beloved by many to this day. While you can probably make a case for the 240Z being better than the rest, as well as a case for any of them being better than the rest, they are ultimately very equal in many different aspects.
In terms of power and speed, they are overall very similar, with some being faster than others but not really by much. In the looks department, while it is a very opinionated topic, you can make an argument that the 240Z is the best looking of them just based on the overall view on all of the car designs from Datsun, MGB, Opel, and Porsche.
Then goes to one of the major factors with a car in whether or not a car will actually work for you in which they will all likely face some problems but overall be fine. So, in the end, when you compare the Datsun 240Z to its competitors, it's overall pretty similar in almost every aspect. So, a good choice. But not the only one.