There’s a new Ford Mustang but it won’t go on sale until next summer. Until that happens, the soon-to-be-retired Mustang remains the company’s representative in the sports car segment. In the same league, Nissan has a strong new competitor in the form of the overhauled Nissan Z. Which of the two vehicles is faster? Let’s find out.
If you just read forums and social media, you’d probably think everyone is buying a sports car with a manual transmission these days. That’s not true, however, as many customers opt for the two-pedal configuration because it’s easier to use every day and sometimes quicker on the track. Both of the vehicles featured in this drag race video are equipped with automatic gearboxes – and they are both better than you might expect. Let’s see the numbers.
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The Mustang uses GT trim, which means there’s a 5.0-liter naturally aspirated engine under the hood. It produces 460 horsepower (338 kilowatts) and 420 pound-feet (569 Newton-meters) of torque, sent to the rear wheels via a 10-speed automatic. The curb weight of the machine tested was 3,752 pounds (1,702 kilograms). It is the heavier and more powerful of the two cars.
Against that, the Nissan Z uses a 3.0-liter turbo V6 engine with 400 hp (294 kW) and 350 lb-ft (475 lb-ft) of torque. There is a nine-speed automatic transmission mated to the engine, sending power to the rear wheels. The Nissan Z weighs 3,550 lbs (1,610 kg).
To be honest, even though they are very different in concept, the two cars have very similar performance. The video shows us three races with a standing start and all three have an equal winner. There are also two rolling-start races, which seem a bit more exciting but pay off again. Basically, it’s the dominant performance of either of these two cars. Select one? The answer is in the video at the top of this page.
