Nissan Z vs Toyota GR Supra

The Nissan Z opens at $76,160 before on-road costs for either the 6-speed manual or 9-speed automatic, with the hardcore Z Nismo at $94,065. The Toyota GR Supra GT starts at $86,290, rising to $96,295 for the GTS and $105,295 for the Track Edition. So like-for-like, the Z undercuts the Supra by roughly $10,000 at the entry point.

Driveaway, expect the Z around $83,000-$85,000 and the Supra GT closer to $93,000-$95,000 depending on state. Over a typical finance term that $10k gap is real money, and the Z gives you a more powerful engine for less.

Running costs tilt back toward the Toyota. The Supra uses 7.7L/100km versus 9.8L for the Z automatic (10.8L for the manual), and Toyota's capped-price servicing and vast dealer network are hard to beat for convenience and cost certainty. Both take premium unleaded.

Resale is the Supra's quiet advantage. Toyota's GR halo and reputation for reliability tend to hold values strongly, while the Z, sharing much with the previous 370Z under the skin, is more of a value play up front than a resale star.

Neither car carries an ANCAP rating, which is normal for low-volume sports coupes that are not submitted for testing. That does not mean they are unsafe, but it does mean there is no independent star score to lean on.

The Nissan Z comes with Nissan's Safety Shield suite: autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, intelligent (adaptive) cruise control, lane-departure warning and a reversing camera with rear sensors.

The GR Supra includes Toyota Supra Safety with AEB, adaptive cruise, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and speed-sign recognition. The two are closely matched on active safety; both have the essentials covered for a modern performance car.

Both are strict two-seaters, so neither offers rear seats or ISOFIX points, an important practical note if you occasionally need to carry more than one passenger.

The Nissan Z leans into retro charm. Standard kit includes a 12.3-inch fully digital driver display, an 8-inch central touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an 8-speaker Bose sound system, heated front seats, a frameless digital rear-view mirror and Z-specific analogue-style turbo gauges atop the dash that nod to Zs of the past.

The GR Supra runs a BMW-sourced 8.8-inch infotainment system with wired Apple CarPlay, a 12.3-inch digital cluster, a 12-speaker JBL audio option, heated leather seats and BMW's slick switchgear. The cabin feels a touch more polished and German in execution, because much of it is.

In day-to-day use the Z feels more theatrical and the Supra more precise and premium. Tech-wise they are well matched, though the Z edges ahead on standard wireless smartphone mirroring where the Supra is wired.

This is the heart of the matchup. The Nissan Z uses a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 (the VR30DDTT, shared with Infiniti) making 298kW and 475Nm. It is muscular, free-revving and sounds purposeful, with strong, linear thrust and the theatre of two turbos spooling. Drive goes to the rear wheels via a 6-speed manual or 9-speed automatic, both with a mechanical limited-slip differential and launch control.

The GR Supra runs a 3.0-litre turbocharged inline-six (BMW's B58) producing 285kW and 500Nm. It has slightly less peak power but a touch more torque, and the inline-six is famously smooth and tractable. It comes with a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic, the auto being one of the quickest-shifting torque-converter units on the market.

On the numbers both sprint to 100km/h in around 4.3 seconds, so straight-line pace is effectively a draw. The difference is character: the Z is the bigger, more dramatic-feeling car, while the Supra is tighter and more surgical thanks to its shorter wheelbase and BMW-honed chassis. Enthusiasts tend to give the Supra the nod for outright handling finesse, and the Z the nod for V6 drama and value.

Fuel use favours the Supra at 7.7L/100km versus 9.8L for the Z automatic, a meaningful gap if you drive big distances.

Both are tight, driver-focused two-seat cabins. The Z offers 241 litres of boot space behind the seats; the Supra a slightly more usable 290 litres under its hatch, enough for a soft weekend bag or two. Neither is a long-haul luggage hauler, but the Supra's hatchback opening is the more practical of the two.

Front-seat space and comfort are good in both for average-height adults, though taller drivers may find the Supra's low roofline and BMW seats a fraction tighter on headroom. The Z's more upright glasshouse makes it marginally easier to see out of and live with day to day.

Material quality is a slight win for the Supra given its BMW-sourced switchgear and trim, while the Z trades some polish for personality with its driver-canted dash and retro detailing.

Both come with a 5-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. Nissan will extend its cover year-by-year up to 10 years/300,000km if you service on schedule at a Nissan dealer, which is a genuine ownership perk.

Servicing and running costs favour the Toyota: lower fuel use, capped-price servicing and the largest dealer and parts network in the country. The Supra's BMW underpinnings mean some components are shared with German cars, but Toyota's servicing pricing keeps costs predictable.

The Z is cheaper to buy and more powerful, but thirstier and likely to depreciate faster than the Supra. Over five years the Supra's stronger resale and lower fuel bills narrow the Z's upfront price advantage, though they rarely erase it entirely.