Today is a good day for sports cars enthusiasts, as Nissan has finally released the U.S. pricing of the 2023 Z, with the seventh-generation model having an MSRP of $39,990 (plus a $1,025 destination/handling fee). This puts the sports car, which some enthusiasts still refer to as the 400Z, just slightly above the Mustang GT Fastback ($37,275 MSRP) and makes it considerably more affordable than the Toyota Supra 3.0 ($51,890 MSRP). However, as Jason Cammisa demonstrates in a fresh Hagerty video, the new Z is slower than its rivals in a drag race.
The clip, which is the latest from the insurance specialist’s “Cammisa’s Drag Race Replay” series, compares the 2023 Z Performance ($49,990 MSRP) with the said GR Supra 3.0 (remember, there’s also a Supra 2.0 turbo-four kicking off at $43,540) and the $56,000 MSRP Ford Mustang Mach 1.
The coupes battled in automatic form and we’ll list the main numbers below:
The Infiniti-lifed 3.0L twin-turbo V6 (400 hp/350 lb-ft) Nissan Z, which tips the scales at 3,610 lbs features a Mercedes 9-speed automatic.
The Supra 3.0, which weighs in at 3,350 lbs, borrows the full BMW powertrain, mixing a twin-scroll, single-turbo 3.0L straight-six (382 hp, 368 lb-ft) to a ZF 8-speed auto.
As for the Ford Mustang Mach 1, its N/A 5.0L V8, which makes 480 hp and 420 lb-ft of twist, works with a ten-speed automatic. However, at 3,850 lbs, this is the heaviest car here.
The action took place on the Willow Springs Racetrack and, with the asphalt appearing somewhat dusty, this seems to replicate real-world driving conditions pretty well. However, the Z was the only car on Bridgestone tires, while the other two had Michelins, with Cammisa stating that the former rubber is less grippy than the latter (more on this below).
The six-speed manual 2023 Z is also included
In adition, the video shows the 2023 Nissan Z racing itself in a 9s-speed auto vs. six-speed manual adventure (by the way, the clutch version comes with a no-lift shift feature). Hey, the Supra is also getting a manual for the 2023 model year, so we’ll get an opportunity to revisit this part of the adventure.
And since this drag racing series also likes to put pit contemporary speed devils against the velocity toys of the past, the Z also duked it out with the 2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage, as the two machines’ specs shown an amazing number of similarities.
A relatively small difference in terms of straight-line acceleration, which is mostly owed to a slower start—this is only a small part of enjoying a sports car, so the Z falling behind its enemies here shouldn’t be that important “in real life”.
However, now that the embargo for the Z first drives has been finally lifted, we expect to see a drag strip encounter and find out how a prepped surface influences these machines.
And with Nissan reportedly working on a hotter Nismo version of the Z and Toyota rumored to be developing a Supra GRMN, there should be plenty of fighting to witness even further down the road.
