Rougher than the Supra, but 2023 Nissan Z is budget- and mod-friendly

Right up front, I want to make it abundantly clear that the 2023 Toyota Supra, just as we stated in our comparison test, is by far a better all-around sports car than the 2023 Nissan Z, especially in the areas that matter most. It’s more responsive, composed, playful and even better sounding. And I absolutely stand by that.

But …

There’s still a case to be made in the Nissan Z’s favor, and it mainly revolves around pricing. Even with our fairly loaded test examples, there was a $7,000 price gap between the Supra and Z. That’s a lot of money for all kinds of other things, whether car-related or not. Certainly, both can be had for less, and the gap between comparable trims can be as low as about $3,000 for a Z Performance and an option-less Supra 3.0. But that’s ignoring a very interesting Z option: the Sport trim.

A Z Sport starts at just $42,085. That’s $12,000 less than a Supra 3.0. You can get a cheaper Supra in the 2.0, but that’s automatic-only, and it’s the four-cylinder with just 255 horsepower. The Z on the other hand gets the full-fat twin-turbo V6 with 400 horsepower and a manual transmission.

Yes, you do end up going without some nice things from the Z Performance, namely the clutch-type limited-slip differential and upgraded brakes. But this is where the more budget-priced Z really comes into its own: modification potential.

You can do an awful lot to a car with $12,000, and frankly, probably better than Nissan did. You see, our biggest complaint with the Z was with the suspension. It’s too soft and poorly controlled. All that extra money you saved over a Z Performance or a Supra 3.0 could get you a seriously sweet set of coilovers and still have money left over. Money that could, say, get you a limited-slip differential and some upgraded brakes. Maybe even some engine upgrades like a tune and a more alluring exhaust.

With the Z Sport, you have the extra budget to make the Z not just your own, but possibly even better than what the factory could provide (of course, we have yet to drive the Z Nismo).

Some of you may find the prospect of modifying a new car silly, especially as it could easily void the warranty, but it seems to me that it’s a very likely scenario for the Z as well as the Supra, or really any other sporty coupe (Mustang, GR86, et al). Not only do these cars have a history among tuners, but they’re sports cars for people that like to go fast. And those people tend to like to go faster and faster. Tuning potential is not something to be discounted. With room in the budget and a name and history like Z (not to mention hardware similarities with other Nissans), the Z is a compelling case.

Again, the Supra is the better car out of the box. But if you know that, even with an excellent car to start with, you won’t be satisfied leaving it alone, definitely keep the Z on your list. And heck, even if you’re not going to mess with it, it’s worth considering what else in your life you could do with many thousands of extra dollars.

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