Within the ever-shifting world of recent sports activities automobiles, surprises nonetheless occur. And this yr, one of many largest surprises comes from Nissan, because the Z has managed to outsell the Toyota GR Supra by a staggering 3-to-1 margin up to now in 2025. For anybody who’s been following the evolution of each automobiles, this twist wasn’t precisely anticipated. However right here we’re.
Once we reviewed the 2024 Nissan Z Efficiency with the guide transmission, we got here away completely impressed by its mix of traditional rear-wheel-drive enjoyable, usable energy, and reversion styling that simply works. It felt like Nissan lastly hit the candy spot between nostalgia and fashionable efficiency. On the time, gross sales didn’t fairly mirror how good the automobile was, doubtless resulting from lingering provide chain points, inflated vendor pricing, and a comparatively sluggish manufacturing ramp-up. Now, these hurdles appear to be principally within the rearview mirror.
In response to the newest numbers, demand for the Nissan Z has exploded in 2025. First-quarter gross sales surged 108 %, with 1,635 items offered. That momentum continued into the second quarter, bringing the full to three,789 items via the primary half of the yr. That’s a 160.1 % improve year-over-year — an enormous leap that displays rising curiosity and availability.
Examine that to the Toyota GR Supra, which, regardless of providing a compelling bundle and eventually including a guide transmission lately, hasn’t been capable of preserve the identical momentum. We gave excessive reward to the 2023 GR Supra 6MT once we examined it, appreciating the best way Toyota and BMW managed to inject some analog soul into an in any other case very tech-heavy automobile. Sadly, gross sales haven’t adopted swimsuit. To date in 2025, simply 1,231 Supras have discovered houses within the U.S., marking a 17.7 % decline in comparison with this time final yr.
Whereas the Z’s resurgence is price celebrating, it’s price noting that its essential rival received’t be round for much longer. Toyota has confirmed that the present Supra will finish manufacturing after the 2026 mannequin yr, with a limited-run Last Version of simply 1,300 items wrapping issues up. That stated, Toyota followers can take consolation in figuring out {that a} sixth-generation Supra is already in improvement, doubtless closing the lengthy hole that after stretched 20 years between generations.
After all, the sports activities automobile panorama has shifted fairly a bit, and whereas the Z is at present stealing the highlight from the Supra, each are nonetheless light-years behind the phase’s quantity chief — the Ford Mustang. Even with a 14.2 % dip in gross sales, Ford managed to maneuver 23,551 Mustangs within the first half of 2025. That’s greater than 4 instances the mixed gross sales of the Z and Supra. The Mustang’s broader enchantment and a number of drivetrain choices proceed to make it the go-to alternative for American coupe consumers.
After which there’s the Nissan GT-R. Whereas probably not in the identical gross sales dialog resulting from its value and now-limited availability, it’s price mentioning that simply 37 GT-Rs have been offered within the first half of 2025. That marks a 75.5 % drop, however with U.S. manufacturing ending final October and order books closing in Japan in February, the writing was already on the wall. The R35 chapter is closed. The following-generation GT-R is coming, but when the Hyper Drive idea is any trace of what’s subsequent, count on a radical, presumably all-electric future.
For now, the Nissan Z’s robust displaying in 2025 proves that even in a market leaning closely towards crossovers and EVs, there’s nonetheless room for an old-school, rear-drive sports activities coupe finished proper. Whether or not this tempo retains up stays to be seen, however the message is obvious — fans are paying consideration.