There’s a new Ford Mustang but it won’t go on sale until the summer of next year. Until that happens, the soon-to-be-retired Mustang remains the company’s representative in the sports car segment. In the same league, Nissan has a serious new competitor in the form of the revised Nissan Z. Which of the two vehicles is faster? Let’s find out.
If you just read forums and social media, you’d probably think everyone buys a sports car with a manual transmission these days. This isn’t true though, as many customers opt for a two-pedal setup because it’s easier to live with on a daily basis and is sometimes faster on the trail. The two vehicles featured in this drag racing video are both equipped with an automatic gearbox – and both are better than you’d expect. Let’s see the numbers.
21 Pictures
The Mustang comes in GT trim, which means there’s a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter engine under the hood. It generates 460 horsepower (338 kilowatts) and 420 pound-feet (569 Newton-meters) of torque, sent to the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic. The curb weight of the tested machine is 3,752 pounds (1,702 kilograms). It is the heavier and more powerful of the two cars.
Against it, the Nissan Z puts its 3.0-litre V6 turbo engine to work developing 400 hp (294 kW) and 350 lb-ft (475 lb-ft) of torque. There’s a nine-speed automatic transmission mated to the engine, delivering power to the rear wheels. The Nissan Z weighs 3,550 lbs (1,610 kg).
Honestly, although very different in concept, these two cars have very similar performance. The video shows us three races with a standing start and all three have the same winner, however. There are also two rolling start races, which seem to be a bit more interesting but again have the denouement. Basically, it’s a dominating performance from either of those two cars. Which? The answer is in the video at the top of this page.
There’s a new Ford Mustang but it won’t go on sale until the summer of next year. Until that happens, the soon-to-be-retired Mustang remains the company’s representative in the sports car segment. In the same league, Nissan has a serious new competitor in the form of the revised Nissan Z. Which of the two vehicles is faster? Let’s find out.
If you just read forums and social media, you’d probably think everyone buys a sports car with a manual transmission these days. This isn’t true though, as many customers opt for a two-pedal setup because it’s easier to live with on a daily basis and is sometimes faster on the trail. The two vehicles featured in this drag racing video are both equipped with an automatic gearbox – and both are better than you’d expect. Let’s see the numbers.
21 Pictures
The Mustang comes in GT trim, which means there’s a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter engine under the hood. It generates 460 horsepower (338 kilowatts) and 420 pound-feet (569 Newton-meters) of torque, sent to the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic. The curb weight of the tested machine is 3,752 pounds (1,702 kilograms). It is the heavier and more powerful of the two cars.
Against it, the Nissan Z puts its 3.0-litre V6 turbo engine to work developing 400 hp (294 kW) and 350 lb-ft (475 lb-ft) of torque. There’s a nine-speed automatic transmission mated to the engine, delivering power to the rear wheels. The Nissan Z weighs 3,550 lbs (1,610 kg).
Honestly, although very different in concept, these two cars have very similar performance. The video shows us three races with a standing start and all three have the same winner, however. There are also two rolling start races, which seem to be a bit more interesting but again have the denouement. Basically, it’s a dominating performance from either of those two cars. Which? The answer is in the video at the top of this page.
