Car journos like myself have been talking about the death of rear-wheel drive, manual transmission, two-door sports cars for years now. And while that day certainly is coming, it isn’t today. Look at the current market and you’ll see a ton of ’em, almost all of which are great. There’s the Ford Mustang, Chevy Camaro, Mazda MX-5, Toyota GR86, and these three—the G87 BMW M2, Toyota Supra, and Nissan Z. In this new video from The Straight Pipes, we get to see how those three compare.
All three cars represent that dying breed pretty similarly. Up front, they all have six-cylinder engines, they all have six-speed manuals, and they all drive only their rear tires. However, they all have their differences. The BMW M2 uses a 3.0-liter twin-turbo I6 with 453 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, while the Toyota Supra uses BMW’s own B58 engine, a 3.0-liter single-turbo I6 with 382 horsepower and 369 lb-ft. Lastly, the Nissan Z uses a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 with 400 horsepower and 350 lb-ft.
The BMW is the most powerful but it’s also the heaviest, at over 3,700 lbs. While the Nissan Z is in the middle, at just over 3,500 lbs. Lastly the Z4-based Supra is the lightest, at just over 3,300 lbs. The M2 is the only car to have back seats, though.
I think it’s safe to say that, as car enthusiasts, we’re all happy that these three cars are around to represent a dying breed. However, there has to be a winner among the. So which one is it?
Both hosts answer that question interestingly and I’m surprised to hear their answers. All three cars are great sports cars but they’re all great for different reasons. Each car has its own strengths and weaknesses that make it desirable.
The BMW M2 for instance, is the fastest and most powerful car, it’s the most spacious car, and it’s the most high tech car. However, it’s also the most expensive, the heaviest, and it lacks the engagement of the other two cars. The Nissan Z is fun, the cheapest of the three, and it’s still quite comfortable. While the Toyota Supra is also fun but it trades some of the Z’s on-road comfort for sharper dynamics. Admittedly, few customers will cross-shop these three, especially not BMW customers, but they should. These are awesome cars that will act as reminders for why we loved that layout, long after the internal combustion engine is gone.