In a manual-versus-auto duel, the Z raced against itself.
Only a fraction of the reasons that attracts people to buy a sports car is their ability to accelerate in a straight line. It’s fun to see three rear-wheel-drive coupes competing in drag racing, even though it doesn’t necessarily reflect a model’s overall performance. As Nissan has put it, the embargo on the Z1 first drives has ended. Expect to see lots of content about the “attainable dream vehicle”.
Hagerty was able to obtain the 370Z replacement with an automatic transmission. He compared it against the Toyota Supra, which had the same number and cylinders but the latter in a straight-six arrangement. The Ford Mustang Mach1 represented the United States with its powerful V8 engine and missing a clutch pedal. The Z was the most affordable of all three, at $51,000. Next came the $55,500 Supra and the $56,000 ‘Stang.
Although the Mach 1 is the most powerful with 480 horsepower, it also weighs in at 3,850lbs. The hotly anticipated Z from Nissan is now available. It has 80 horsepower and weighs around 240 more than the Blue Oval’s ponycar. The Supra’s 382 horsepower is the weakest but it compensates by being the lightest at 3,350 lbs.
The Mustang and Supra can be seen crossing the finish line together thanks to some magic editing by Hagerty’s video crew. Jason Cammisa pointed out that the Mach 1 had a trap speed of 3 mph faster and finished the drag race in 12.1 seconds, at 120 mph. The Z came in third, having completed the quarter-mile in 12.3 secs at 116 mph. Although the Nissan is able to keep up with all three for most of the drag race it is still handicapped at the start. It’s worth noting that the Z was equipped with Bridgestone tires, while the other two had Michelin rubber.
The Z raced against itself in the next drag race. The 9AT was faster than the 6MT by half a second: 12.3 seconds at the 116 mph, compared to 12.8 seconds for the 112 mph.
The manual Z was now ready to race the 2010 Aston Martin V8 Vantage in drag racing. The Gaydon coupe won the race by a narrow margin. It crossed the line in 12.7 seconds, or one tenth of an second faster. Both cars had a trap speed of 112 miles per hour.
Jason Cammisa points out that a better set would have allowed the Z to compete with its competitors. It’s only a matter time before Nissan releases a NISMO version to even the odds.