Nissan Z vs Toyota Supra

[NINaudio]

Sonic Tuned on FB posted that they are seeing 1 blown Z engine per month now. Basically it was Public service there is an oil pressure solenoid that fails open.

It's a VR30. Not at all surprising to anyone who has owned one previously.

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[CarGuy11]

Review with owners of both.

 

[jmikes]

I know this thread is long dead, but they finally fixed the front bumper on the non-NISMO.

https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/future-concept/2027-new-nissan-z.html

 

[J29DB03]

I know this thread is long dead, but they finally fixed the front bumper on the non-NISMO.

https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/future-concept/2027-new-nissan-z.html

No they didn’t.

 

[jmikes]

No they didn’t.

Never said it was beautiful, just that it looks like they actually gave a damn this time.

 

[J29DB03]

Never said it was beautiful, just that it looks like they actually gave a damn this time.

I’ll know they’re serious when they ask those of us who have to see it in our rear view mirror all the damn time.

 

[John8]

I know this thread is long dead, but they finally fixed the front bumper on the non-NISMO.

https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/future-concept/2027-new-nissan-z.html

Enjoy. Have a great time with it.

 

[jmikes]

Enjoy. Have a great time with it.

I'm not trading a Supra for a Z dude, spent too long on the 370z platform to ever want to touch it's slightly updated offspring. The interior materials are almost as bad as a C5/C6.

 

[John8]

I'm not trading a Supra for a Z dude, spent too long on the 370z platform to ever want to touch it's slightly updated offspring. The interior materials are almost as bad as a C5/C6.

I thought you meant that you had one. My mistake, dude.

 

[NocturnalEmber]

An objective POV from someone who has owned both for about a year apiece:

I traded my 2023 3.0 Premium 6MT for a 2024 Performance 6MT Z. At the time I was wanting something that felt more JDM, and I felt I'd give the Z a try. Never owned a Z before, but I've owned my fair share of 240sx's and even some S12 and fwd 200sx's back in the day (note: Nissan is not the same as it was, they've been riding their own coattails for about 20 years now.)

I knew the Z was based on the 370 chassis, but I'd question why they even bothered calling it an RZ34, its about a 1:1 minus some marketing about chassis stiffness. The Z, as much as I hate to say it, is a really subpar car that deserved better. Lipstick on a pig basically. A 370Z chassis which is based heavily on the 350 that preceded it; you are basically buying a 25 year old chassis for 60,000$ (don't even get me started on the Nismo Z's.)

The car just screams cheap Nissan. The underside has relatively no under panel protection whatsoever, leaving the sub frames exposed to the elements. Interior bits are all reused and found on everything from a Sentra to the 370 that proceeded it. You're basically getting a parts bin car.

I'll give them credit, they managed to make a creative car by raiding their own parts bin, but that isn't the point here. Paying a premium for a non premium experience is my biggest problem.

The VR30 is open deck, has horrible thermal runaway problems with the IAT's and air to water system, the car is absolutely horrible with traction on the stock tires, the transmission does not like 1-2 shifts, and the cost of modding the VR30 is just not very great in comparison to the Supra. Switching to an air to air system (while hacking up the cars rad support to do it) is the only real way to prevent thermal runaway. Even spending $2,000~ USD on AMS intercoolers for the A2W setup only delays the inevitable.

The last straw for me though, was the cracked heads. Q50/Q60 owners for a long time have been dealing with what was called a "porous block" at the time, but was actually determined by AMS to be cracks forming on each head around the head bolt bosses of one of the exhaust head studs causing a coolant leak. Basically the coolant passages left enough absence of material there that it created a stress riser and people were having coolant mixing issues because of it.

Supposedly people say that was "fixed" with the Z's, but two owners have claimed to have had that issue happen to them. At that point I wasn't willing to keep a car I didn't want (and deal with Nissan's abhorrent dealer service simultaneously) while also having that in the back of my head as well.

Sold the car, and I'm now back in a 2025 3.0 6MT. I still am not crazy about the BMW parts, but the car, for what it is, is very well done. I would say it was more of a culture shock to me than anything.

I wanted to like the Z, I really did, but the car is just not worth the price and absolutely does not compare to the Supra in serious competition. The Nismo Z's, even with a manual option, I can't see how someone can justify paying Cayman like prices for a 25 year old chassis (you can bolt 90% of the parts onto a base or 'performance' level Z with no issues.)

My .02, take that for what you will.

 

[PikkaGTR]

Expensive lesson I bet. Could have just listened to logic and what other people have experienced. I don't need to get herpes myself, I could have watched an educational video about it to KNow I don't want it.
This Z was slower on Grassroots Motorsports track than an AUTO BRZ
That tells you all you need to know about this product.

 

[Settin]

Expensive lesson I bet. Could have just listened to logic and what other people have experienced. I don't need to get herpes myself, I could have watched an educational video about it to KNow I don't want it.
This Z was slower on Grassroots Motorsports track than an AUTO BRZ
That tells you all you need to know about this product.

 

[jaimeslo]

usually huge discount in Canada
$5000 off as of april without even having to negotiate. potential for $10000 off if you buy one of the left over stock

in CAD that is 45000 = ~33000 USD? that is mustang ecoboost money

I think that is huge bargain

test drove one last year, worse sport car overall but its a better daily which is also my supra. better visibility. ANDROID AUTO!!! and they even have smart cruise control for manual cars which is almost never heard of

 

[kaj]

usually huge discount in Canada
$5000 off as of april without even having to negotiate. potential for $10000 off if you buy one of the left over stock

in CAD that is 45000 = ~33000 USD? that is mustang ecoboost money

I think that is huge bargain

test drove one last year, worse sport car overall but its a better daily which is also my supra. better visibility. ANDROID AUTO!!! and they even have smart cruise control for manual cars which is almost never heard of

I wouldn't pay that for a 350z.

 

[jaimeslo]

true but....
"when Nissan 350Z was new (2003–2008), its MSRP in the U.S. ranged from approximately $26,800 to over $40,000"

so the new one beats inflation lol

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