The Mk V Toyota Supra that entered production back in 2019 and the 2023 Nissan Z that’s set to start leaving the assembly line this month (March 2022) are not just rivals, they’re entirely different in a myriad of ways. And while the Internet has been hung up on choosing between the two, the rendering sitting before us delivers the opposite perspective by blending them into a JDM cocktail many will find intriguing.
Styling is obviously important for any automobile that finds itself inside a showroom, but when it comes to segments such as sports cars, this characteristic will—more often than we like to admit it—have the power to outweigh all others, the driving experience included.
And the general consensus among car lovers is that the Nissan Z easily takes the cake when battling the A90-generation Supra visually. For instance, many enthusiasts still struggle to cope with the faux vents of the Mk V Supra (Toyota says they’re there for tuners to unleash extra cooling as they turn up the power). Then there’s the general over-styling that defines the look of the machine—just look at the area where the door meets the quarter panels.
The new Z, on the other hand, brings one of the cleanest new designs on the market, harkening back to the 240Z of the late 1960s with simple lines.
Present time aside, the said aesthetic characteristics of these two JDM delights likely mean that one of them is going to age considerably better than the other. Historically, the design battle was never won by a single side. So, while the original 240Z looked considerably more attractive than the Celica Supra (it wasn’t a standalone model from the get-go), the Mk V iteration of the Toyota is generally regarded as more appealing than the 300ZX.
A delicate balance for the rendering
Approaching a mix like this one is never easy for reasons that don’t need to be explained. However, digital artist on Jon Pumfrey (aka DomesticMango or dm_jon), is an expert on the matter, having rendered a plethora of such hybrids.
On this occasion, his work maintains the complex body lines of the Supra, front fascia included, while adding the posterior of the Z and, more importantly, the Nissan’s upper half.
And, given the lunacy of the result, we don’t expect anybody to build such a toy anytime soon, which is why we’ll stick with an RPM (real project in the making) Rating of 0/10—this one is for the giggles, people, which is why we came up with the nickname in the title.
The spec battle between the Mk V Supra and the 2023 Nissan Z
Of course, the dynamic factor is also of great importance here. On paper, the two coupes are extremely similar, as they both pack around 400 hp, send their power to the rear wheels and feature turbocharged six-cylinder engines—a V6 for the Nissan and a BMW straight-six for the Toyota, just like they used to pack in the 90s, turbocharging included.
However, there are also certain differences. Unlike the Supra, the Z can be had with a six-speed manual (both pack eight-speed autos). However, according to an ordering guide leaked in January this year, the lightest Z sits at 3,486 pounds (1,580 kg), which makes it some 120 lbs (55 kg) heavier than its nemesis.
Both Toyota and Nissan have had a difficult time keeping their sportscar alive. For one, the Supra was off the market for over one and a half decades and, to bring it back, Toyota partneted with BMW.
And while the Germans provided A-list tech solutions for the engine and chassis, the production design of the Mk V is clearly less impressive than that of the Toyota-only FT-1 concept that previewed it—you can check this out in the first video below, with the second clip showing the production Z, which is virtually identical to the show car that came before it.
Frankly, the battle between the two show cars is the reality we had been dreaming of. Don’t get us wrong, though: in today’s less engaging automotive environment, the sheer presence of a new Supra and Nissan Z as internal combustion-powered RWD coupes is enough to put a smile on our faces. Besides, the A90 Supra is already an aftermarket darling, with kits ranging for uber-modern offerings to aero packages that shave decades off the calendar.
However, as mentioned above, the 2023 Nissan Z isn’t without it flaws and we’re referring to the said scale footprint here. This is probably a result of the fact that the architecture of the sportscar is a revamped version of the chassis that served its 370Z predecessor, which, in turn, is closely related to the 350Z introduced a full two decades back.
There’s a serious price gap between the Japanese sportscars
Interestingly, while the Supra can also be had with a BMW turbo-four, there’s been no word on such an entry version for the new Z so far. However, the $40,000 estimated starting price of the 2023 Nissan Z puts this in the same league as the said four-cylinder Supra, which packs 255 hp, while opting for the higher engine sees the price of the Toyota climbing well past the $50,000 mark.
However, once the 2023 Nissan Z press cars are unleashed next month, we should be able to enjoy a complete comparo between these Japanese heroes.
