This unique episode of the Autoblog Garage sees us spend some time walking around and dissecting both the 2023 Nissan Z and 2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0. Both are rocking their available manual transmissions, and on paper, they’re a perfect matchup. The powerful six-cylinder engines in both are paired with sports car chassis that makes deciding between the two of them rather difficult. We talk through each sport coupe’s strengths and weaknesses, give you a thorough tour inside and out, then come to a conclusion. Which would you have: Supra? Or Z?
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TranscriptZAC PALMER: Hey, guys, Zac Palmer, Road Test Editor for "Autoblog." And to my left over here, we have--
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Joel Stocksdale, News Editor at "Autoblog."
ZAC PALMER: And as you can probably already tell, we have a special version of the "Autoblog Garage" for you today. To my right, I have the 2023 Toyota GR Supra 3.0 with a manual transmission. And Joel--
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Has a 2023 Nissan Z, also with a manual transmission.
ZAC PALMER: So we got these two awesome sport coupes with us today. We're going to give you guys a pretty usual roundup of the "Autoblog Garage." Walk around them, get inside, talk about the engines. So how about we begin with the Supra?
[MUSIC PLAYING]
So right here, the Supra. Nothing new on the outside. You guys know what it looks like at this point. This one's in a nice shade of Stratosphere Blue. You know it's still the awesome design from that Toyota FT-1 concept we saw at the Detroit Auto Show years ago. I love that. It's the opposite of the Z. The Z is a retro design. This is totally new and modern, but I love that.
As we walk around the side here, I want to point out that this '23 does have some new 19-inch forged wheels. Because this is the 3.0, we got some big old brakes in there. Love, love that. As we move further down the side, though, we got some nice carbon fiber mirror caps. I love that double bubble roof. Such an iconic design here. I think it really works on the Supra.
And, of course, don't forget those fake vents and everything. That's still a thing with the Supra. That's not going away. It doesn't bother me much, but that is one thing that the Z doesn't have. As we move all the way to the back, though, probably my favorite view, my favorite angle of this whole car is just this rear 3/4. This awesome ducktail spoiler. The tail lights that jut out like so. And, of course, this awesome dual exhaust from that 3-liter inline-six. Such a sweet, sweet sounding car.
[ENGINE REVVING]
And to top it all off, you got this awesome little reverse light back here. F1-inspired. Really, really love that look. But now that we've looked around the outside real quick, we should hop inside, check out where that six-speed manual lives. Welcome inside the Supra with the six-speed manual transmission. Makes my heart so happy to see this right here.
Obviously, this is what we're going to start with. So this is, of course, a BMW manual transmission that Toyota has messed with a lot to make it its own. Actually feels a lot better going through the gates than any modern BMW transmission I've tried in a long time.
Now Toyota did have to modify some things in the center console here to make everything work. The iDrive knob has moved to a less ergonomic space to control the infotainment system that's over here. It's a little further of a reach. These buttons have been massaged a bit, too.
My biggest ergonomic complaint, though, is where these cup holders lie. My elbow just tends to fall into them, as you can see here, as I'm shifting. I've had to learn to adapt to just kind of move my arm over a little bit, and then you can stay away from it. Just a bit of a learning process.
Now the rest of the Supra interior is as you're used to. You got the nice, big BMW screen up there. Super easy-to-use climate controls. Really easy volume and radio controls down there, too. The big cluster with a giant center tachometer. I really love that. So readable.
Also, this Toyota-only steering wheel. It's not a big thick-rimmed steering wheel like BMWs have. And then I should also mention the seats because these are lovely seats. Super comfortable, hug you nicely, adjustable bolsters. Really, really good stuff for a sports car.
So now that we've seen what's in here, let's go check out the trunk because that is one place where the Supra has an advantage over the Z. So under the Supra's nice, big hatch here, we have a relatively narrow opening. However, that opening is a deep one, which is the big advantage that the Supra has over the Z. You can actually get some suitcases in here for a couple of people to go on a nice little trip. That's a big advantage for the Supra.
But now that we've looked back here, how about we hop towards the front, check out what's under the hood? Under the hood of this GR Supra 3.0, we have the 3-liter inline-six, the BMW-derived engine that is so, so sweet. It sounds fantastic, revs freely. I love, love, love this engine. It's like a little precision instrument. A real sweetheart. It's one thing that the Z does not have.
It's a bit of a brute. Has a lot of power. But this is what you want. You can snick through the manual gates. I love that Toyota has given us that this year. It's a huge improvement for this car. Now that we've seen everything there is on the outside, inside, and under the hood of the Supra, let's hop on over to Joel and see what he has to say about the Z.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
JOEL STOCKSDALE: This is the 2023 Nissan Z. And as you can see, it takes a very different path as far as styling is concerned compared to the Supra. This is retro from nose to tail, and we mean that very literally. The nose of this car is very much inspired by '70s Nissan Z cars-- the 240, 260, even 280.
It's got a very similar grill. It's got headlights that echo the sugar scoop lights from the old ones. Even up here on the hood, it's got a crease that echoes the hood bulge from those '70s Zs. This is a performance trim, which means it gets a few upgrades both under the skin and on the outside. And on the outside, some of those include the 19-inch forged raised alloy wheels, as well as the upgraded brakes.
Up front, it's got four-piston calipers. And in the rear it has two-piston. Coming along the side, you'll start to notice some traces of the 370Z that donated some of its bones to this car. It's mainly in the proportions and in the roofline. Things have been done to disguise that a bit. It's got the silver trim that goes along here. And if you get one and two tone, you get a contrasting black roof that looks really nice. Without it, it looks nice too, but you know, different options for different people.
It's got a newly designed door handle. It's still in kind of a similar place as the 370, but you know, redesigned. And it's got the vintage Z badge in the pillar. This is another throwback to the '70s Z cars, and it's even the vintage Z font. It's not the newer version that was introduced on the 350Z.
That brings us to the back. And this is where the design inspiration leaps forward to the early 1990s 300ZX. It's almost the same pattern as that car, but now with LED illumination and this nice blackout panel. And what I really like about this is that this tail light design really accentuates how wide this car is. It makes it look lower, wider, and meaner. It's a great way to finish off a really gorgeous retro design.
The retro design doesn't end here, though. It also carries to the interior. So let's go take a look. Just like the outside of the Nissan Z, the interior is very retro inspired. It takes its inspiration mainly from '70s Nissan Zs, and that comes through in the driver-oriented center screen and controls. The high up vents and the auxiliary gauges up on the top of the dash. That's all very much like vintage Nissan 240Z.
Even the steering wheel is quite retro. It's a sleek three-spoke design. It's got the vintage Z badge on the middle. And this wheel isn't really shared with any other. This is a unique piece for this car. This interior features one of our favorite color schemes-- the Black over red. There are a variety of other colorful interiors, though. There's blue and yellow available. We like all of them, and we're happy to see more color in cars.
The instruments are on a screen. And this screen I have in the sport mode. This puts the tachometer front and center, and it also gives very comprehensive information. In addition to speed and tachometer engine speed, it also displays engine oil temperature, differential oil temperature, water temperature, and engine oil pressure. That's all in addition to those aforementioned gauges on the dash, which show turbo boost, turbo RPM, and the voltmeter.
It is a small cabin, but feels fairly comfortable. There's enough room for your legs to stretch out. And the sills are fairly low for a car like this, and it feels much lighter and airier than, say, the Toyota Supra. We also really like the screen here. It's very bright and sharp, has a nice, simple interface. And, again, I think we would give it a slight edge over the Supra.
These seats are also very sporting, not only in looks, but also in feel. It's got very firm bolsters. They can be a little bit tight for someone of bigger build, but for the most part, they're not bad and offer quite a bit of adjustment. We do wish that there was a little bit of lumbar, but, otherwise, they're not bad. And with the cabin out of the way, let's take a look at the cargo space.
To get to the cargo area in the Nissan Z, you just reach for the very discreetly placed release button in the logo. That allows you to lift up the quite enormous hatch, which gives fantastic access to everything in the back. The cargo area is fairly deep into the car. And it's very wide. But it's also very shallow, so you do need to be aware of that. You can't put anything too tall, at least without tipping it over on its side. But access is very good.
It's maybe a little bit comparable to kind of an older Corvette. Maybe not quite as spacious, but certainly usable. There's also a couple of handy little bags that feature first aid kit, cargo net. And they're made of this faux carbon fiber with the Z logo on it. It's a nice little touch to add a couple of little accessories in there. But with that out of the way, let's go take a look at the other end of the vehicle and see the Nissan Z's engine.
At this end of the Nissan Z, we have a twin turbocharged 3.0 liter V6. Same displacement, same number of cylinders is the Supra, just arranged a little differently. This is an engine developed by Nissan. This is not outsourced like the BMW engine in the Toyota. This is all home grown Nissan. It makes 400 horsepower, which is a bit more than the Supra.
And it makes 350 pound feet of torque, which is a bit less than the Supra. That power goes through a six-speed manual transmission. And because this is the performance trim, it has a limited slip differential at the back. And that about covers it for the 2023 Nissan Z.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
ZAC PALMER: So I know that we've been talking a lot off camera about the way that these cars look. And I have a-- I know that we both had a hard time figuring out which one we like better. But I think as I continue to look more and more at the Supra and the Z, I think I'm kind of falling on the side of the Supra. Know that you kind of like the Z a little more.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, I like the Supra a lot too, and for some of the same reasons as you because it looks very much like the FT-1 concept that came out quite a few years before, actually. But as I've been sitting with the Z, I look at it from almost every single angle, and I can't find a single one that looks bad on it. Every line on it looks purposeful, well-thought out, and elegant.
Whereas on the Supra, there's just a lot going on. And there's a lot that I like, but there are also just some angles that look a little awkward, and some of the fake vents are a little strange. I like the Supra, but I just-- I can't find anything wrong with the Z.
ZAC PALMER: That's-- you know, and I completely get where you're coming from because the retro design of this, from the moment I first laid my eyes on it, it was beautiful. It was gorgeous. But the interior is another place where I think I am also extremely torn.
Now I really love the Supra's interior. I really love the Nissan's. Think they both have their strengths and weaknesses, but I think that I liked being in the Supra a little more. The seats, the seating position, really being down low and whatnot. Whereas the Z has-- it has some really good tech. I don't know where you stand on that as far as Supra, Z inside.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: I don't think either one beats the other for me. I feel like it's kind of a draw because I really love the design of the Z's interior. I like the classic looks. I feel like it's executed really well. And I like some of the simple controls and the infotainment. However, the seats in the Supra are way more comfortable, and I think I like the driving position a little bit better. So it's kind of like, I like looking at the Z's interior. I like sitting in the Supra's interior. So maybe that's the decider. Maybe that's maybe that gives the Supra the win there.
ZAC PALMER: Gives the Supra the win there. And I don't think that we have any argument at all about which one we prefer to drive. The shifter, the engine. I think that all goes straight to the Supra for both of us.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: Yeah, we really wanted to like the Z more. And there's definitely things that we do like about the Z. That V6. We talk about like BMW engines being kind of underrated. This Z engine feels like it might be a little underrated, and it already has a horsepower lead. There's just something about the way those turbos hit and the way it pulls all the way to redline that feels really brutal and powerful. But that brutality means that it's not as confidence-inspiring.
The Supra, it's got instant throttle response. The steering is sharper. The chassis is stiffer. It's got a better shifter. It's got a better clutch. It's just far and away the best drive.
ZAC PALMER: Yeah, I think that you said it best there. So that's been this episode of "Autoblog Garage." I'm Zac Palmer.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: I'm Joel Stocksdale.
ZAC PALMER: And make sure you guys head to the comment section below and let us know what you think about the Super and the Z. And also, make sure to like, share, and subscribe.
JOEL STOCKSDALE: So how about we get out of here?
ZAC PALMER: Yeah, let's roll.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
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