It’s a good time to be a fan of Japanese sports coupes, as the new Nissan Z and Toyota Supra offer customers some enticing choices. This video puts models with six-cylinder engines and automatic transmissions head-to-head.
As a refresher, the new Z packs a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 that develops 400 horsepower (298 kilowatts) at 6,400 rpm and 350 lb-ft (475 Newton-meters) of torque from 1,600 to 5,200 rpm. /min. This car has the nine-speed automatic, but Nisan also offers a six-speed manual. The example here is the Performance level with 19-inch Bridgestone Potenza S007 tires.
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By comparison, the Supra has a turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six producing 382 hp (285 kW) from 5,800-6,500 rpm and 368 lb-ft (499 Nm) from 1,800-5,000. rpm. It has an eight-speed automatic, but Toyota now also offers a six-speed manual. It rolls on 19-inch Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.
The drag races start from a dig, and the host of the video is very unhappy with the Z’s Bridgestone tires. He struggles to put the power on launch without spinning the wheels. This gives the Supra easy wins.
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Things get more interesting when they start off a roll. The first is 32 miles per hour (52 kilometers per hour). The Supra takes a long lead and stays there, although the Z has more power and extra gear to work with.
Then they raced again in manual mode and second gear. Change makes a huge difference. The Z quickly takes the lead and the Supra recovers the difference. The result is a photo-finish. We only see the result on one side of the cones, but it looks like the Nissan could take the win by an inch or less.
The third roll stroke increases the starting speed to 50 mph (80 km/h) but still starts them in second gear in manual mode. This time, the Toyota wins a clear victory.
Eventually, they restart this race, but this time the cars’ transmissions are in automatic mode. The Toyota leaves the Z in its dust.
Judging by this video, it looks like the Toyota’s gearbox is more responsive when operating like an automatic, at least compared to the Z.
There is a rumor that a more powerful Supra could be considered. It allegedly takes the BMW S58 engine from the M3 and M4. In addition, the body would gain carbon fiber components.
