Nissan recently announced that deliveries its 2023 Z coupe would be late due to production disruptions in Japan. But is it also late to the finish line when matched against its toughest $50k rivals in a drag strip shootout?
That’s what Hagerty’s Jason Cammisa set out to discover in the latest instalment of his Ultimate Drag Race Replay Series. The focal point of Cammisa’s grid is the $51,015 Nissan Z Performance, which comes with some useful quarter-mile equipment not fitted to the base $41,015 car, including wider tires and limited slip differential, plus the optional nine-speed automatic to match the two-pedal transmissions in the other cars in the race.
The Z’s twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 makes 400 hp (406 PS) and 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) of torque, and the whole package weighs 3,610 lbs (1,640 kg). That means that the Z has a small power advantage over the 382 hp (387 PS) Toyota Supra 3.0, but the $56,000 Toyota makes 18 lb-ft (24 Nm) more torque, and at 3,350 lbs (1,520 kg), it weighs substantially less.
Related: 2023 Nissan Z Starts At $39,990 In The U.S., Undercuts Supra 3.0 By $12,925
Over in the blue oval corner, the $55,500 Ford Mustang Mach 1 weighs even more than the Z (3,850 lbs/1,750 kg), but it fights back with more power and torque than either of its rivals. The Mustang’s 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 makes 480 hp (487 PS) and 420 lb-ft (569 Nm).
Simple math tells you the Nissan has both the worst power-to-weight, and torque-to-weight ratios of the three, but surely Nissan wouldn’t release a brand new Z car without ensuring it’s quicker than its two elderly rivals, would it? We’ll not spoil the race by revealing the winners and losers, but trust us, it’s incredibly close, at least for two of the cars.
Interestingly, Cammisa also lines up the auto Z against a six-speed manual version to see which is the fastest Z configuration and in doing so reveals an interesting fact that might actually dissuade you from buying the manual, and it’s got nothing to do with how fast it goes. It seems that drive-by noise regulations mean the manual car is significantly quieter than the automatic, so expect aftermarket exhaust systems to be a popular mod among stick-shift Z buyers.