The Nissan Fairlady Z and the Toyota GR Supra, are two iconic Japanese sports cars revamped for the Reiwa era. The former is a heavily revised version of the Z34 predecessor while the latter is basically a BMW underneath.
Both of these JDM sports cars, well, one of them's a proper JDM sports car anyway (see Nissan), are the coolest cars to come out from the Reiwa era, and in the world of Gran Turismo 7, they're a blast to drive. Having enjoyed these two legends reborn to this era of the new normal, the question now is, which one is the best?
Before that, let's commence the pecking order to get to know about those reborn JDM legends of the Reiwa era.
Beginning with the GR Supra, everybody knows that this is the forefather of the Reiwa era JDM sportscars and the revival of one of the most iconic sportscars from Japan, although it's basically a BMW Z4 G29 underneath.
With the design borrows inspiration from the FT-1 Concept, the GR Supra shares most of the engines from the BMW Z4 such as the 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine and the 3.0L BMW TwinPower Turbo engine for the range-topping RZ variant producing 340PS of power and 500Nm of torque. All of the engines are mated to an 8-speed Steptronic gearbox.
In the spring of 2020, the GR Supra's 3.0L BMW-derived TwinPower Turbo engine on the flagship RZ variant was boosted by 47PS, resulting in a 387PS power output. In addition, the updated GR Supra features a revised chassis consisting of lightweight aluminum braces, front and rear bump stops, and new damper tuning.
What about the RZ34 Nissan Fairlady Z? Although the design matches the Z Proto concept, it's still a Z34 underneath, therefore it's still a Heisei-era car recalibrated for the Reiwa era. Still, because most of the stuff is new, they've labeled this Fairlady Z as the RZ34 and the R stands for Reiwa.
With every nook and cranny from past models plastered to the RZ34, the engine that powers it is all about returning from its roots. It's a 3.0L V6 Twin Turbo engine lifted from the Skyline V37 400R. It produces 405PS of power, and 475Nm of torque, and can be mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 9-speed AT. In addition to the new monotube shocks, new front geometry, increased rigidity, available sport brakes, mechanical LSD, and rear suspension tuning, the RZ34 features, for the first time, available launch control and electric power steering.
With the pecking order done, it's time to find out which of these two is the best and with that, I went to Daytona to find the answer to this question. Using the Road Course for my little experiment, the Z and the GR Supra are flexing their samurai muscles as they hack and slash their way through Daytona's treacherous corners. Like a dragon, you say? Let's find out as I'm rolling the tape.
After a lap in Daytona with these high-blooded samurais, here are the results.
Nissan Z Performance '23 - 2m10.030s
Toyota GR Supra RZ '20 - 2m07.647s
It's a shocking result. The RZ34 Fairlady Z may have more power than the GR Supra but it's the weight that the GR Supra stands out. With its higher torque output, lightweight bodywork, and near-perfect weight distribution, it seems that the GR Supra trumped the Z by less than three seconds.
I may have to call this an upset but it's too obvious for this. It's like a samurai getting crushed by a German MMA fighter but whatever.
Even with the Nissan Fairlady Z's latest evolution, it turns out it's not enough to outlast a physical challenge against the Toyota GR Supra by a wide margin. Despite the outcome, these two samurais had enjoyed the time of their lives.
Such rivalry deserves a lot of respect and as sports cars are becoming an endangered species, rest assured that these last samurais are going all-out to let their blades shine and slash their way like it's their last.
The Z and the Supra... As the times prepare to erase them both, they're ready to fight to the very end. That's Japanese grit for you.
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