The long-awaited replacement for the 370Z got off to a slow start, but Nissan is pleased to report its sports car is now doing much better. In the first six months, demand for the Z has shot up 50.8 percent. That’s not to say it’s been a runaway commercial success, as percentages can be misleading. Still, deliveries are up sharply, with 1,457 units sold through June compared with the same period in 2023, when just 966 people bought a Z.
The Z nearly equaled the Supra, which suffered a 7.8 percent decline to 1,495 units delivered between January and June. Toyota just killed off the cheaper base model with the four-cylinder engine, so maybe Nissan has a shot at beating out the competition by 2024. A manual transmission and/or a lower asking price for the Nismo would have improved the Z’s chances of beating out its rival, but that’s not going to happen.
Pricing details for the 2025 model year are still unknown, but the outgoing 2024 Z will cost $42,970 regardless of whether you want the manual or automatic. Step up to the Nismo and you’ll pay $65,750 before destination and handling fees. With the four-cylinder dropped, Toyota wants at least $56,250 for its 2025 Supra. The hotter GRMN is still a no-show, but it’ll still be more expensive than the $59,400 Supra Premium trim.
The Z is Nissan’s only remaining sports car since the GT-R finally retired after 17 years. Through June 2024, demand for Godzilla fell 30.4 percent to just 151 units. The R35’s last hurrah in the United States is a special edition duo of variants: the Skyline and Takumi Edition. GT-R production for the U.S. market ends in October.
As for Toyota’s other sports car, the GR86 is doing great. Demand was up 41.9 percent through June, to 7,467 units. Surprisingly, it outsold the mechanically related Subaru BRZ by five to one.