Isbark.com

In a shock move, Toyota Japan has unveiled the final edition of the GR Supra. We know it’s going to be the final edition because that’s the rather unimaginative name Toyota blessed it with. Odd naming aside, this is the rumored GRMN model we saw doing laps at the Nürburgring, and even though it doesn’t carry that famous nomenclature, the Japanese brand certainly did enough to justify sticking that badge to its bewinged rear.

Because it’s such a special machine, we had to find something to compare it to. The BMW Z4 (despite the addition of a manual gearbox) has always lived in the shadow of its corporate cousin, which brings us to the doorstep of the Nissan Z Nismo. Both are traditional two-door sports cars with turbocharged six-cylinder engines, made a bit more hardcore for track work. But, as you will soon see, they’re also quite different in one very important department.

Design: The Supra Goes Hard

The GR Supra A90 Final Edition is not a subtle car. The name obviously suggests that production will end in 2026 as reported, and why hold back when you’re building the last of something? The upgrades are quite easy to spot. There’s a new carbon-fiber front spoiler, and hood duct, plus a swan-neck rear wing borrowed directly from the GT4-spec racer. The black ten-spoke alloys – staggered 19 inches up front and 20 at the rear – leave a large enough gap to showcase the Brembo brakes. If you look at the Final Edition and the standard Supra side-by-side, there’s no doubt as to which one is a purpose-built track machine.

In contrast, the Z Nismo went for an understated design. It has what Nissan calls a “Grand-Nose,” which is a front fascia with a wider grille with honeycomb mesh. The not-so-subtle canards aid airflow to the wheels, but it’s those red accents on the front splitter and around the entire car that stand out the most. The Nismo also has model-specific 19-inch wheels, red brake calipers, a black-painted roof, and subtle Nismo badges on the front and rear.

Add CarBuzz to your Google News feed.

Engine And Powertrain: Turbocharged Six-Cylinder Power

The final Supra did not get access to the full-fat BMW M4-spec S58 engine as we hoped. The updated B58 engine’s figures still compare well to the Nismo, which is equipped with an equally reliable V6 engine. Both this updated B58 and the Nissan’s VR30DDTT come from engine families that have won multiple engine of the year awards.

Having said that, the Nismo’s gains over the standard Z are not as big as you’d expect. Thanks to an updated electronic wastegate, a different spark timing strategy, and an updated cooling system, the Nismo gains 20 hp and 34 lb-ft of torque over the standard model.

The standard GR Supra’s B58 produces 382 hp and 368 lb-ft, which means it gains 47 hp and 52 lb-ft. To achieve these gains, Toyota gave the Final Edition an ECU tune, a revised intake route, and a low-back-pressure catalyst. Toyota also gave it a flatter torque curve that lasts from 2,000 rpm to 6,000 rpm before tapering off. The peak power output now arrives at 5,500 rpm, so you have to rev it out for a bit longer to access it.

The Nissan’s peak torque is available from 2,000 rpm and lasts till 5,200 rpm. While not as wide as the Supra’s, it’s still a lovely torque curve to play around with. While these two cars are pretty close together in terms of power output, you’ll notice the Supra’s torque advantage, especially when it comes to in-gear acceleration. But that’s not the main reason why more people might gravitate toward the Toyota.

As you might have noticed, the GR Supra Final Edition is equipped with a manual gearbox, while the Z is available exclusively with a nine-speed automatic. You can get a base Nissan Z with a manual, but the Nismo is auto-only. This caused quite a bit of controversy when it was announced, but it does make sense when you look at modern track cars. It’s much easier to set a faster time around a racetrack when you only have to deal with paddles. As we found in our road test, the Nismo’s paddle shifters do a grand job:

23:57

Related

Test Drive Comparison: 2024 Nissan Z Vs. Z Nismo – Which Z Is Best?

Is the Nismo genuinely worth nearly $13,000 more than a base Nissan Z?

We suspect Toyota might have placed fun above faster lap times, and that’s something we respect. While we appreciate the power boost, the Final Edition is still not powerful enough to be considered intimidating to the point where we’d rather use paddle shifters. If you hoon something like a Porsche 911 GT3 around the track, paddles are the way to go, but anything lower than 500 horses deserves a manual. The Supra’s Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires are 10 percent wider and should provide ample grip. The manual transmission also comes standard with rev-matching if your heel-and-toe game isn’t as refined as it should be yet.

Related

Driven: 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 Is Sports Car Nirvana On Track

It doesn’t get better than this.

Interior and Tech: The Supra Goes Just As Hard On The Inside

The Nismo’s interior is not a bad place to be, as Nissan obviously wanted to strike a decent balance between track tool and a long-distance cruiser. You get Recaro sports buckets with acceptable levels of cushioning, and an anodized red stop/start button and drive mode selector. The steering wheel is clad in both leather and Alcantara, with a red accent at 12 o’clock. It’s a sporty upgrade over the standard car, but Toyota went a bit wilder, especially with the Alcantara.

The Supra boasts Recaro Podium CF carbon-fiber bucket seats with Alcantara pads. They look sensational, and it’s something you usually only see on high-end supercars. These seats don’t look comfortable enough for a long trip, but for a 15-minute track session, they should be perfect. Toyota also pasted Alcantara to the steering wheel, door trim, knee pads, armrest, shifter, and a section of the instrument panel. One of the main criticisms against the Toyota is that it looks too much like a BMW on the inside; as if that’s a bad thing. Still, these upgrades take care of that.

Verdict: Toyota Showing Nissan How Special Edition Sports Cars Should Be Built

Toyota USA has yet to confirm whether America will get the A90 Final Edition, and only 300 units will be made “for the global market.” We suspect the US will get its own special edition matching this, with greater availability for the market where the Supra has sold so well. Of note, the international press release mentions the “current” Supra, which suggests that a new model will follow. The press release also has another interesting quote, which caught our eye:

To us, this reads like Toyota is prepping another Supra, and that it will be built using lessons learned at the track.

But that’s casting an eye well into the future; what about this comparison right now? On paper, these two seem closely matched, but it’s worth remembering that on paper, the base Nissan Z was a superior car to the GR Supra, and in reality, that’s not exactly the case. What Toyota has done here is teach Nissan how to build a special edition sports car. You don’t give it 20 hp and minor chassis tweaks and call it a day, you go to town with a 50 hp gain, a manual gearbox, and KW adjustable suspension. You make it look special inside and out. If you’re going to be asking people to pay handsomely for the privilege of a special model, you better make damn sure it looks and feels special enough to justify its price, and the Toyota does that while the Nissan just feels a bit “Is that all?”

We’ve been on record saying the Z Nismo is more than the sum of its parts, but alongside a Supra that goes all out, it just seems a little bland. Bravo, Toyota.