The Main Differences Between The Two Sports Cars

• 

  2000-2002 Nissan Skyline R34

  The R34 GT-R was the fifth generation Skyline GT-R that was made between 1999-2002.  It was the last vehicle to wear the Skyline name which has been used since 1969.

  Pros

  • Pop-culture Icon. A fan-favorite with JDM aficionados
  • Time-less style meets mega performance grip and tech-laden cockpit
  • Has long been a forbidden fruit but will begin to hit U.S. Shores

  Cons

  • Finding unmodified stock examples can be challenging
  • Will soon command a premium

• 

  1993 – 1998 Toyota Supra

  The A80 Toyota Supra known as the MK4 Supra, was a Japanese sports car made by Toyota from 1993-1998. It is the fourth generation of the Supra and is considered the best Supra ever made. 

  Pros

  • The Supra of Supras. A true legend
  • Plenty fast with immense tuning potential
  • Still relatively affordable

  Cons

  • Front-end styling may not be to everyones taste
  • Dated cabin is a sea of black plastic
  • Stock low-mileage examples maybe hard to come by

Summary

• The R34 GT-R and Toyota A80 Supra are both iconic sports cars from the 90s, known for their advanced technology and powerful engines.
• The RB26 engine in the GT-R and the 2JZ engine in the Supra are both high-performance engines that can make more power with little modifications while still being reliable.
• The GT-R features an all-wheel drive system, making it more advantageous in terms of traction compared to the Supra, which is rear-wheel drive.

Both Toyota and Nissan are two of the oldest and some of the most historic automotive Japanese brands in the world. This history is mainly filled with making the best and most affordable passenger cars for the public. But they were also leaders in the niche sports car market they were in and are renowned for making some of the best sports cars on the market. The 90s presented these companies with the opportunity to build the best cars in the world, and they would go on to build the some of most legendary sports cars in automotive history.

The Nissan GT-R Skyline R34 and Toyota Supra Mk4 (A80) represent the pinnacle of Japanese engineering back in the 90s. Both models were built to the highest standards at the time and are both remarkable feats of engineering even today. They were both technologically advanced vehicles for their time with the most robust powerplants. So in this article, we’re going to explore the major differences between these icons starting with what’s under the hood.

• 	2000-2002 Nissan Skyline R34	1993 – 1998 Toyota Supra
  Engine	Twin-turbo inline-six	Twin-turbo inline-six
  Horsepower	276 horsepower	320 horsepower
  Torque	290 pound-feet	315 horsepower
  Transmission	Six-speed manual	Five/six-speed manual, Four-speed auto
  Drivetrain	All-wheel drive	Rear wheel drive
  0-60 MPH	4.6 seconds	5 seconds
  Top Speed	156	155

In order to bring you the most up-to-date and accurate comparison possible, we’ve relied on information sourced from Nissan, Toyota, Fueleconomy.gov, Mototrend, Car and Driver.

Performance: Overbuilt Engines RB26 Vs 2JZ

In the JDM world, the engines seem to be the most discussed topic since they were what really made these cars. Built not just to make power but to be very reliable is one of the main reasons why these cars are so sought after. Just like the cars they power the RB26 and 2JZ are the most legendary engines out of Japan known for making more power with little modifications still being reliable. They also both made more power than advertised by the manufacturers.

RB26DETT

The RB26 has been the engine powering the GT-Rs since 1989 in the R32 GT-R. This was a twin-turbo inline-six that was also used in the R33 and later powered the R34 GT-R. It is part of the RB series of inline-six engines ranging from 2.0 liters to 3.0 liters and is named according to their displacement. A good example is the RB20 which is a 2.0-liter engine and the RB30 is a 3.0-liter. The engine in the R34 GT-R was a 2.6-liter twin-turbo inline-six engine which is why it is called an RB26.

The engine block was made of cast iron, cylinder heads made from aluminum alloys and gorged internals, and a parallel twin turbo setup. It also had an oversquare engine design which allowed it to rev higher with a redline of 7,200 RPM. But the odd thing was that it still made the same horsepower as the R32 GT-R 10 years later. This was due to the gentlemen’s agreement in Japan to limit power to just 276 horsepower. But in reality, the R34 made close to 320 horsepower mated to a six-speed manual sending power to a clever all-wheel drive system.

2JZ-GTE

The highlight of the Toyota Supra is its engine which debuted with this. The R34 GT-R may have been six years newer but the RB26 was four years older than the 2JZ. It should come as no surprise that the 2JZ also has cast iron block, aluminum cylinder heads, and forged internals but with a sequential turbo setup. This allows a smaller turbo to spool up quickly at low RPMs before the bigger turbo kicks in at higher RPMs which reduces turbo lag.

The strength of this engine comes at a price measured in weight. This was a heavy engine and for reference it was 200 pounds heavier than the 1JZ in the previous Supra and 230 pounds heavier than the RB26. However, the trade-off was a very reliable and almost indestructible engine when more power was added to it.

Full Performance Specifications

(Sourced from Toyota and Nissan)

But overall, the A80 Supra was 200 pounds lighter than the outgoing car with the use of aluminum body panels on parts like the roof and hood. Transmission choices included a six-speed manual and a four-speed automatic sending power to the rear wheels. There was also a naturally aspirated version known as the 2JZ-GE which was basically the same engine without the twin turbos and came paired with a five-speed manual transmission. U.S. spec cars were advertised with more power than Japanese specs at 320 horsepower and 315 pound-feet of torque.

Fuel Economy

Since the Supra was sold new in the U.S., fuel economy figures are available. But figures for the R34 GT-R aren’t available.

(Gas Mileage Figures Sourced From The EPA)

The 2JZ Could Easily Make More Power

Of both engines, the 2JZ is the one most favorable for making the most power with ease. Since the block is so strong, it wasn’t uncommon to see Supras making 600 horsepower with little modifications. Modern efficient tuning and aftermarket parts have awoken the Supra even more. Today most Supras could easily make horsepower before needing stronger parts but once that’s done, 1000+ horsepower seems to be the playground for these cars.

The GT-R on the other hand is yet to see as much extensive mods done to it as the Supra since it was never officially sold in the United States. Toyota was able to sell the Supra in the U.S. when new so just like the Chevy LS engine, the aftermarket tuners knew this engine very well and how to extract even more power. But due to the 25-year import rule, GT-Rs are still illegal except for a few cars that were federalized early and some under the show and display clause.

However, older RBs are being built and 600 horsepower seems to be the peak before necessary modifications are needed. Older GT-Rs have been making 1000+ horsepower but it takes more work to get there compared to the Supra. But most R34s are prized possessions so they mostly stay around 600 horsepower.

All-Wheel Drive Vs. Rear-Wheel Drive

The driven wheels were one of the major differences between the GT-R and the Supra. While the Supra sent power to the rear wheels only the GT-R sent power to an all-wheel drive system which is the GT-R’s biggest advantage. If the 2JZ is the Supra’s highlight, then the clever all-wheel drive is the GT-R’s highlight.

The Innovative ATTESA-ETS System

• ATTESA: Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain
• ETS: Electronic Torque Split
• HICAS: High Capacity Actively Controlled Steering

The GT-Rs up to this point have been all-wheel drive and manual only but this is not your regular all-wheel drive system. The ATTESA system is a conventional all-wheel drive system but adding the ETS allows the car to send 100 percent power to the rear wheels under full acceleration but also sends a maximum of 50 percent to the front when slip is detected. This was why early R32s were so dominant on track and were unbeatable no matter where they raced. In any condition and any weather, the GT-R always had traction but the R34 had a more advanced version of this system.

The ETS pro was the advanced version of this system, the R32s system monitored the cars’ movement 10 times per second and adjusted the power accordingly. The pro monitored 100 times per second in the R33 and was doing it 1000 times per second in the R34. Combining Nissan’s rear-wheel steering technology (HICAS), the GT-Rs were almost unbeatable on the road and racetrack.

Interior Design And Technology

These are both 90s sports cars and can not match up to even some economy cars of today.

The R34 Had A More Advanced Interior

For a sports car, it had bucket seats to help keep the driver in place and a center console which is where the most advanced tech is in this car. The Multi-Function Display (MFD) screen was an option for the R34, it was a 5.8-inch color display screen that was used to measure some vital functions which included:

• Boost pressure
• Oil pressure
• Injector duty cycles
• Oil temperature
• Water temperature
• Exhaust temperature and
• Intercooler temperature

One of the fascinating things about this system was that it updated in real-time and had almost no lag which was uncommon as tech features at this time were really slow. You could also adjust the parameters to your preference and allow it to display only what you want to see. Apart from this, the R34 GT-R had a regular interior like the lower trim skylines. Other features included:

• A lap timer
• G-Force meter
• Shift light
• Navigation

Driver-Focused Interior In The Supra

The Supra had no lower trims so its interior was the same in every vehicle. But while the R34 had a center console slightly tilted towards the driver, the Supra had separate compartments for the driver and passenger. The driver’s side has a wrap-around layout like its own cockpit with everything focused towards the driver. The body styles while similar also had a few differences.

GT-Rs were two-door coupes and this didn’t change with the R34 but the Supra also had a sport roof option. This option gives you a removable roof that is not so easy to take off and can be stored in the trunk. This was another difference as the GT-R had a regular trunk, whereas the Supra was a hatchback.

Cargo Space Comparison R34 GT-R Vs MK4 Supra

(Source: Nissan, Toyota)

Safety Features

Safety equipment at this time is nowhere near what modern cars offer today, but with all that power you need something to at least keep you safe in the event of a crash. Both cars had some safety features which included:

• Dual airbags
• Traction control
• ABS
• Bigger brakes

Pricing And Availability

Following movie fame and high-tuning potential, both cars have become icons in the automotive space. Each car is highly sought after since most people who saw these cars as kids now have the means to afford them. About four years ago, Supras could be found for $20,000 or a bit less for the non-turbo versions. But today the prices are closer to $100,000 and pristine ones fetch over $200,000. You had a much easier since you had to pick from, it was either an NA or turbo engine, manual or auto, and finally coupe or targa.

Nissan R34 GT-R Variants

The R34 however, is a much more complicated car to buy. First off, it was never officially sold here and they just became legal for import to the US. Adding to this predicament is that there are so many variants to choose from with some truly special cars among them. There aren’t much comparable cars in the U.S. since there aren’t many and they don’t change hands often. But prices start around $112,000 at the low end and upwards of more than $400,000 for late special variants:

• GT-R
• GT-R Midnight Purple II
• GT-R V Spec
• GT-R V Spec Midnight Purple II
• GT-R V Spec N1
• GT-R Midnight Purple III
• GT-R V Spec II
• GT-R V Spec Midnight Purple III
• GT-R V Spec II N1
• GT-R M Spec
• GT-R V Spec II Nur
• GT-R M Spec Nur
• GT-R Z-Tune

Trim Pricing Comparison

(Prices Sourced from classic.com)

The average value shown above for both models includes every variant available, including Non-Turbo Supras and special edition R34 GT-Rs.