With its chief rivals – the Dodge Challenger and Chevrolet Camaro – likely set to either be discontinued or at least replaced by EVs in the coming years, the Ford Mustang is facing a new breed of competition – sporty coupes hailing from other parts of the world. There’s been a resurgence in that regard in recent years, with the return of the Toyota Supra and the debut of the new Nissan Z, most recently. Now, Ford Authority has spotted a more powerful variant of the latter – the Nissan Z Nismo – out driving around in prototype form not just once, but twice.
Both of these Nissan Z Nismo prototypes were clad in heavy camo when they were spotted testing on the Angeles Crest Highway in California, but there are some obvious clues that reveal that each is a bit sportier than the recently-launched Z. Up front, that includes an all-new fascia that’s 2-3 inches longer, along with a revised front lip and mesh grill insert.
Down the side, we can see a set of nine-spoke wheels covering red Brembo brake calipers, hinting at extra performance in more ways than one. Finally, out back, a revised rear section looks a bit more angular than the regular Z, and is joined by new rear spoiler, too.
In terms of output, the Nissan Z Turismo is expected to crank out somewhere around 500 horsepower – which is considerably more than the regular Z and its 400 horsepower rating. Perhaps even more notably, that’s also exactly what the brand new 2024 Ford Mustang Dark Horse will generate, making this a proper foe for the most powerful S650 variant available – for now, at least. Like the S650, the Nissan Z Nismo is also expected to debut early next year, too.
While the Mustang and Z may not be traditional rivals, per se, each has plenty to offer those seeking a sporty, powerful, and stylish coupe, particularly in a world that’s largely devoid of such things, even if each of these vehicles takes a very different approach to that genre.
We’ll have more on everything Ford’s competition is up to soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comment
Not surprising per se’. Since most Japenese and Korean manufactureres seem intent on maintaining their car lines, it would make sense for them to create such vehicles to bring attention to these lines. For Ford and others eliminating cars from their lineups, the marketing value is rather singular, that is unless they decide to create sub brand categories using their iconic products marketing reputation.