The 2024 Nissan Z Nismo wasn’t exactly greeted with unanimous applause on debut. It’s heavier and doesn’t have much more power, neither of which help its case against the 2024 Toyota GR Supra. Well, things may get worse, because the Nismo Z supposedly costs almost as much as a base 2024 Chevrolet Corvette.
The cost was signaled in a post on the New Nissan Z forum, which outlined pricing for the whole spectrum of 2024 Zs. Base models will reportedly start at $43,305 delivered, which is cheaper than the base four-cylinder Supra, while the Performance model jumps $1,220 to $53,305—still cheaper than the six-cylinder Toyota. But the Nismo may be a bridge too far, as it’ll reportedly start at $66,085 delivered. For context, a base 2024 Corvette starts at $67,895 delivered, just $1,810 more. Even if you prefer Japanese cars, it’s evident which gives you more bang for your buck.
Nissan declined to comment when The Drive reached out to the company about the reported pricing.
This Nissan is already not everyone’s first choice over its Toyota rival, owing to the Supra having a noticeably better chassis. The Nismo’s case isn’t helped by how underwhelming an upgrade it is, with only 20 horsepower more, no manual transmission option, and extra weight. Sure, it’s a tad stiffer, has retuned suspension, functional aero, bigger brakes, Recaro bucket seats and an oil cooler—but this isn’t the major step up most were hoping for.
At its reported price, it’s an even harder sell, as the absolute most-expensive 2024 Toyota GR Supra 45th Anniversary Edition retails for a few hundred bucks cheaper. The Toyota’s aftermarket is stronger too, and it’ll be easier to acquire due to the Z’s sluggish production. Also, the Supra offers a manual now, which was arguably the biggest knock against it at the time of the Z’s unveiling way back in 2021.
Then there’s the problem of value when it comes to the Z’s performance. For less than $1,000, an ECU re-flash can take the Z’s 3.0-liter, twin-turbo VR30DDTT V6 up by 100 horsepower and 120 lb-ft of torque. Or, you could spend almost $23,000 extra to leap up to the Nismo—more than 50 percent pricier than the base Z—for just 20 hp. If you want a fast Z, the cheapest way to go about it is obvious. And if you’re not set on the Nissan, well, it’s hard to ignore the alternatives.
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