- The Nissan Z Nismo goes head-to-head against the BMW M2 in a test of acceleration and handling.
- While the German car has more power, it also weighs a little more
- Despite that, the race doesn’t end up being close at all.
On paper, the Nissan Z NISMO and the BMW M2 look like they make pretty good rivals. Where one has more power, the other is lighter, and despite the difference in what the badges are worth, the prices are pretty similar, too. But Edmunds has some bad news for all Nissan fans out there.
In its latest U-Drag Race, the outlet pits the sports cars against one another in a quarter-mile drag race, followed by a hairpin turn, and a race back down the runway, and the BMW proves that the German brand knows muscle.
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The M2’s 3.0-liter, turbocharged inline-six makes a hearty 453 hp (338 kW / 459 PS) and 406 lb-ft (550 Nm) of torque, giving it the advantage over the Nissan. However, the Z doesn’t exactly have a sewing machine under the hood, as its turbocharged V6 makes 420 hp (313 kW / 426 PS) and 384 lb-ft (520 Nm) of torque.
However, the Nissan has the advantage over the German on the tipping scales, weighing in at 3,670 lbs (1,665 kg) to the BMW’s 3,860 lbs (1,750 kg), meaning it’s 190 lbs (85 kg) lighter. That doesn’t quite make up for the horsepower gap – each of the Z’s horses must pull 8.74 lbs (3.9 kg), while the M2’s have to pull just 8.52 lbs (4.3 kg) – but they aren’t a million miles apart.
Even in price, where you might think that the BMW would be out of range for Nissan buyers, the cars are pretty well-matched, and it’s the special edition Z that costs more, with an as-tested price of $68,290, as compared to the M2, which costs $66,945.
But this video proves that horsepower is a big deal, and the BMW beats the Nissan by a wide margin in two races. The M2 is faster than the Z in every performance metric, finishing the U-Drag 1.5 seconds ahead. Maybe this is another case of BMW underestimating the power of its engines?