The Nissan Z and the Toyota Supra are two of the most iconic Japanese cars ever made, and both of them have also been reintroduced quite recently. Built on the same principles, both of these cars have rear-wheel drive powered by strong 6-cylinder engines, along with coupe-styled bodies, and for the 2023 model year, manual transmissions. That's right, the Supra is once again joining the manual-transmission crew, and as such, becomes the Nissan Z's fiercest competitor.
Undoubtedly, the Nissan Z and the Toyota Supra are neck and neck competing against each other, but there are certain aspects where the Z shines brighter, and, inversely, those where the Supra does.
One thing is certain—there has never been a better time to be a JDM enthusiast, with both of these amazing cars going head-to-head, spoiling customers for choice. That being said, let’s take a look at five reasons why we would prefer the new Supra over its compatriot and three why the Nissan Z trumps the Supra.
8 The Toyota Supra Is Faster
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The Supra has been at the center of a lot of criticism for sharing its engine with the BMW Z4. Co-designed by Toyota and BMW, the two cars share the same platform, but when it comes to a speed contest with its compatriot rival, the Supra is simply faster.
The Supra's power figures don't disappoint. At 382 horsepower from the turbocharged inline-six engine, the Supra beats the Nissan Z in 0-60 speed (3.7 seconds as compared to the Z's 4.1 seconds), it is faster to the quarter-mile mark, and even reaches its peak horsepower earlier in the rev range than the Nissan Z.
7 The Supra Boasts Higher Interior Quality
While many have taken to calling this current generation of the Toyota Supra a re-badged BMW, the collaboration with the German giant does come with its upsides. For starters, the cabin of the Supra feels plusher than that of Nissan's Z car.
One would find all familiar BMW switches and toggles behind the wheel of the new Supra as well, and when cars are as closely matched in power as these two are, better materials in the interior can make all the difference.
6 The Supra Handles Better
The lack of a limited-slip differential on the Nissan Z's $40,000 Sport model is a huge turn-off for many, and that is where the Supra carves itself another slice of the enthusiast sales. Bigger brakes and the LSD are only available on the $50,000 Z model, which would then be at par with the similarly priced Supra, which comes with the LSD and Brembo disc brakes. A re-tuned suspension and steering across all 3.0-liter engine options, regardless of transmission, also means that Toyota has upped the ante in the handling department.
There is no doubt that tuners wouldn't mind the absence of an LSD, and would anyway be shelling out more money for aftermarket performance parts, but the LSD being exclusive to the premium Z Performance variant could be a deal-breaker when it comes to siding with either car.
5 The Supra Offers More Cargo Space
Right off the bat, if you take a look at the brochures of the 2023 Toyota Supra and the Nissan Z side by side, you'd notice how they are neck-and-neck in features and power figures. However, the Supra leaves the Nissan Z quite a bit behind in the cargo department. Admittedly, these being JDM tuner cars for enthusiasts, one shouldn't go into this expecting either trunk to fit more than a suitcase or two at best, but it's better to have more space on offer.
While the Nissan Z offers a meager 6.9 cubic feet of space in the cargo department, the Supra offers a better (comparatively) 10.2 cubic feet. As such, the Z would be about full after you throw in a backpack in there, while also being shallower than the Toyota.
4 The Supra's Inline-Six Sounds Heaps Better
The Supra shares its B58 engine with the BMW Z4, and the combined engineering prowess of the two car-making giants undoubtedly makes a power unit by car enthusiasts, for car enthusiasts. On a straight road, there is no doubt that the Supra is quicker than the Z, and it is also a lot more melodious to the ears.
The Nissan Z's 400-hp twin-turbo V6 VR30 engine, while providing more horses, just can't match up to the sound of the Supra, especially when both run on stock exhaust systems. Sure, how an engine sounds is not a huge deciding factor for the bulk of customers, nor for those who already have a custom exhaust on the way even before their car gets delivered, but for the rest of us, the sound of the Supra's engine trumps the Z's.
Nevertheless, the decision isn't as clear-cut as Toyota might like it to be, as Nissan, with their Z car, has hit some superb strokes at keeping up with the Supra. In fact, here are some of the reasons we might be inclined to bring a Nissan Z home rather than a Toyota Supra.
3 The Nissan Z Has A More Practical Interior
While Toyota might have outfitted the Supra's interior with materials that feel more plush and pleasing to the eye, the minute you get out of the Supra and into the Nissan Z, you realize that the latter is better in the long run.
The Nissan Z is not only roomier than the Supra but also offers more visibility, which is a huge game-changer. Speeding on the interstate is no fun at all if you can't get the feeling of being cramped out of your mind. Furthermore, the tech on the new Nissan Z feels like a generation above that of the Supra, with a much more customizable instrument cluster that you can almost bend to your will.
2 The Nissan Z Has Better Styling
Sure, looks are subjective, but when compared as much as the Supra and the Z are, we can't help but feel that Nissan simply trumped Toyota in the styling department by doing less. With simple, sleek curves that flow from front to rear, the Nissan Z comes off as the better-designed car, which doesn't feel like a lot to take in from any angle as you look at it, unlike the overly busy Toyota.
The Z pays more homage to the cars that came before it than the Supra does, with the original 'Z' badging on the car making it almost feel like a love letter or history lesson on the heritage. Furthermore, there simply are no fake exhausts and vents on the Z, of which there are plenty on the Supra, and wherever there are dummy exhausts, there also are points lost.
1 The Nissan Z Is Cheaper
Nissan is selling the Nissan Z for the starting price of around $40,000, which severely undercuts the Supra. Sure, the base model Supra is also available for close to $43,000, but it only has a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine making 255 hp. Furthermore, the four-cylinder engine of the Supra will not come with a manual transmission even for the 2023 model year.
Thus, the prospect of bringing home a twin-turbo V6 at $40,000 makes the Nissan Z a game-changer. For tuners, it is a dream-like situation, where they can then proceed to spend the extra money they would otherwise spend on getting a $53,000 3.0-liter Supra on performance mods and upgrades, which could see the Z cross the 500 hp or even the 600 hp mark.
Ultimately, however, an enthusiast is free to choose between either of these amazing cars. Just the fact that both of these cars are available at the same time, and are competitive with each other means that the true winners here are the customers and the enthusiasts.