May ICE Have Mercy: 2023 Nissan Z Races a 2000 Skyline GT-T With 415 HP at the Wheels

And I’m not talking about high-end engineering that would make NASA geeks extend their hands out for an approbatory high-five. The race in today’s report is a Nissan-exclusive event, with a 2023 Nissan Z and a 2000 Skyline R34 GT-T. That’s T, as in Turbo, and not R, as in Godzilla.

There isn’t an R in Godzilla? Tell that to the Nissan fans, and then we’ll talk. In the meantime, let’s see what this middle-class face-off is about. Sam Carlegion, the car YouTuber from Canada, went out to his local dragstrip for a quick run.

Armed with a 2023 Nissan Z, as mentioned, the vlogger had a contest against a tuned but still old Skyline. The owner claims some 415 hp at the wheel – the rear ones, if anyone needs clarifications on the drivetrain architecture. This isn’t the mythological monster, but a pompous Grand Tourer; only the back rubbers are used for traction.

Nonetheless, 415 hp (421 PS) is more than the Z, which only offers 400 hp (406 PS), also democratically divided among the aft wheels. Transmission-wise, the balance is broken abruptly – a five-speed manual from 23 years ago rubbing elbows with a nine-speed automatic? How fast of a reflex would a driver need to possess to beat the shift times of a computer-dominated high-tech clockwork assembly?

Still, car racing has taught us a thing or two about underdogs coming out on top at the end of the 440-yard clash, so let’s not throw out the baby with the bath water just yet. Prejudice is a false advocate, especially when cars are concerned.

2.5 liters arranged in six equally sized and straight-line organized cylinders is another sector in which the Skyline loses the battle against the Z. Although the piston headcount is the same, the architecture spells a big V. The displacement is an even three liters, with two turbines to blow cold air into the combustion chambers.

The aging R34 borrowed a turbocharger from a Dodge Cummins engine to boost power by around 200 hp. Where is this value coming from? A bit of fun crankshaft math should help – but please allow for a safe margin of error.

The Skyline driver states a 415-hp rating on the ground. If we admit the drivetrain loss to be a rounded 15%, the flywheel value is roughly 477 hp. Bone stock, a GT Turbo, came off the assembly line with a 276 hp Apgar score. Basic primary school arithmetic solves for X.

To make matters worse – on paper – for the Z, if we reverse-equate the same formula, we end up with a tire-horsepower index of 340 (345 PS). However, the old GTT has an advantage of 3,100 lb or thereabout (1,400 kg, give or take).

On the other hand, the 2023 Z’s lightest trim is a 3.550 lb (1.6 tons) car. But this model is a performance version (the paddle shifters give it away), weighing 3,600 lb (1,633 kg). So, in absolute values, the Skyline drops the power-to-weight hammer on its younger half-brother.

Alright, papers aside, car racing is about metal and rubber. And electronics, if I may, mainly because these two contenders come from a country that loves to put electronics on everything. Without further ado: 3, 2, 1 – hit it!

Remember that 415 RW-HP firepower claimed by the R34 GTT Skyline? That extra 200 hp we mathematically determined must have ended up on the spare wheel. The Z shoots off the line, leaving the old but cool-looking adversary in the dust.

The 2023 karate kid has the Downshift Rev Matching feature, while the clunky clutch and the long-travel shifter from 23 years ago can’t do any good. The Skyline becomes a speck in the Z’s rearview mirrors – watch Sam lean over to see where he lost his opponents.

Skyline radicals might argue the turbo lag disadvantage that discredits their beloved R34. Well, I have news – and when has any news been good? The drag race failed to provide any drama, but the roll race is no different. From 32 mph – 50 kph – the Nissan Z axes the GTT without remorse, shaming it without consideration for the common emblem on their grilles.

Even at 50 mph (80 kph), with the turbo in full swing – hopefully – the Skyline isn’t able to show the rear spoiler to its counterpart. It puts up a fight, but it’s far too little and too late to matter. Also, the catastrophically bouncy suspension didn’t help – look at the driver jolting up and down like it’s spring-loaded.

Sometimes, old cars should avoid a fight; alternatively, they should pick on somebody their size. After all, it’s a sad moment for the ICE as it is; we don’t need to be reminded of how immensely obsolete they are on the efficiency leaderboards.