Chevrolet Corvette vs Nissan Z

Zora Arkus-Duntov. That name is to Corvette enthusiasts, what John Bonham is to Led Zeppelin aficionados. As far back as the late 1950s, he suggested to General Motors that the Corvette should be a mid-engine sports car. But that decision would have been costly and GM was just fine keeping the ‘Vette profitable. There was a rumor that the C7 Corvette was supposed to have a mid-engine layout, but the recession of the 2000s shut the plan down. Almost 25 years after his death, Arkus-Duntov’s dream came to fruition in the form of the 2020 C8 Corvette.

In moving the engine to behind the driver, the Corvette got an instant boost in performance. It was faster and more dynamic, but there was more to it. The mid-engine placement made the new Corvette less like a step up from the Camaro and more like a world-class exotic car—think Porsche 911 or even a Ferrari or Lamborghini.

But elevating reputation also elevates expectations. Does the mid-engine 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray live up to its newfound supercar reputation? Read on to find out.

The Nissan Z sports car got its first redesign in over a decade for the 2023 model year. For 2024, Nissan is giving the reinvigorated Z an extra dose of performance.

The Z is a sports car icon. Unveiled in 1969 as the Datsun 240Z, it made a big splash as one of the few affordable sports cars available at the time. Later models grew larger and more luxurious, but also faster and more sophisticated. Nissan brought the Z back to its roots with the Z33-generation 350Z in 2002, and then launched the successor Z34-generation 370Z in 2008. That version lasted until the 2022 model year, giving it one of the longest runs of any modern production car.

Both the Z33 and Z34 Z cars got NISMO performance variants. NISMO stands for Nissan Motorsports, the performance division that applies a little motorsports magic to the occasional Nissan road car. It’s done just that with the 2024 Nissan Z NISMO, which arrives with more power, a stiffened chassis, and upgraded brakes to complete a lineup that also includes the carryover Sport and Performance trim levels.

With this three-tier lineup, the Z is positioned alongside the Toyota GR Supra, spanning the gap between entry-level sports cars like the Mazda MX-5 Miata and pricier fare like the Chevrolet Corvette and Porsche 718 Cayman.

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