The Nissan Z has successfully caught up with and outsold its arch rival, the Toyota Supra. After automakers released their annual and quarterly sales reports at the turn of the new year, the reports show that Toyota sold only 2,615 Supras in 2024, while Nissan shifted around 549 more Zs, at 3,164. This marks the first time that the Z outsold the Supra in both models’ decade-long history and rivalry.
That’s a significant contrast to the previous year, where Toyota sold almost 1,000 more Supras than Nissan sold Zs. Previously, the current RZ34 Z was off to a rough start when it launched in 2022, selling only 36 units that year. But some attributed its rocky start to shady dealership markups and dwindling sports car demand. However, given that sales increased significantly for the Z, sports cars are clearly still very much wanted, despite not being volume sellers.
Supra Sales Have Already Been On A Decline
While Nissan can celebrate selling more Zs, it’s not really that surprising. Sales of Toyota’s Supra have been on a notable decline over the past couple of years, which can be attributed to a number of changes. Such changes include the discontinuation of the turbo-four-powered Supra. Back in 2020, Toyota introduced a four-cylinder-powered Supra in a bid to offer a more affordable variant of the two-door sports coupe. However, due to poor sales, Toyota discontinued the model this past year.
Additionally, the lack of a manual transmission option also likely turned away potential buyers as the Supra only came with a conventional automatic. But that recently changed as Toyota introduced a six-speed manual option for the Supra starting in 2023, a whole three years after its initial launch date. Add to the fact that a base Supra costs nearly $60,000 and the fact that it’s a niche sports coupe, it’s not exactly the type of vehicle that will fly off dealership lots.
In comparison, a base Nissan Z costs more than $15,000 less than a base Supra, but at no expense in performance. The Z still has 400 horsepower on tap from its Nissan GT-R-sourced twin-turbo V-6 and launched immediately with the option of either a nine-speed automatic or six-speed manual. There’s also an even harder-edged and faster NISMO Z, whereas the Supra’s only been available with a few trim options.
On top of all of that, the Z is more of a thoroughbred Japanese sports coupe, whereas the Supra sources its bones from the BMW Z4—a point of controversy among Supra and Japanese sports car fans alike. To keep up with the Z however, Toyota did release a limited-production 45th-annversary model in 2024. But other than the addition of the manual transmission option and the special anniversary model, Toyota hasn’t done much to upgrade the Supra.
As we enter 2025, the current fifth-generation A90 Supra is certainly beginning to show its age, having launched in 2019 as a 2020 model. That means it’ll be five years old this year, an age when most automakers tend to discontinue series production models. Despite the dwindling sales, Toyota reaffirmed in recent past that the Supra isn’t going anywhere and that it will continue to be a part of the company’s portfolio in years to come. With the prospect of electrification still lingering, it’ll be interesting to see where Toyota goes with the sixth-gen Supra.
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