The Most Affordable 400 HP Sports Car On Sale In The USA

In automotive terms, it’s largely accepted that more horsepower equals more fun. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, such is the case with some hot hatchbacks, but generally speaking, more horsepower is an easier way to increase both performance and the size of the smile on your face. But with more power often comes a higher price, and for those looking for horsepower on a budget, few cars deliver that sweet balance we’re after.

The question of how much is enough power is one you’ll never find a fixed answer to, but we like to think of 400 horsepower as a pretty good figure when it comes to dedicated sports cars – Miata and GR86 excluded, of course. So what’s the cheapest 400-hp sports car on sale right now? There are two in very close contention, but the one that will give you 400 hp for the least initial outlay is the 2024 Nissan Z.

2024 Nissan Z

Base MSRP

$42,970

Engine

3.0L Twin-Turbo V6 Gas

Horsepower

400 hp

Torque

350 lb-ft

Transmission

6-Speed Manual/9-Speed Automatic

Drivetrain

Rear-Wheel Drive

0-60 MPH

4.3 Seconds

Top Speed

155 mph

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America’s Cheapest 400-HP Sports Car By A Slim Margin

With a starting MSRP of $42,970, the 2024 Nissan Z doesn’t have the lowest MSRP for a 400-hp sports car. Technically, that honor goes to the 2024 Ford Mustang GT at $42,860 – $110 less than the Z. However, Ford’s $1,595 destination charge takes the as-delivered price to $44,455. Comparatively, the Nissan Z only incurs $1,140 in delivery fees, with an as-delivered price of $44,110. Game. Set. Match.

Nissan Z Key Points

• Starting MSRP of $42,970
• Nissan’s Z car has been produced since 1969
• The current, seventh-gen Nissan Z debuted in 2023
• Utilizes a modified version of the 370Z’s platform

The 7th-generation Z car dropped the numerical prefix of its predecessors, now simply known as the Z. But despite an all-new appearance and a twin-turbo V6 replacing the last two generations of naturally aspirated horsepower, it’s not an all-new sports car. Instead, it leverages an upgraded version of the 370Z’s chassis, itself an evolution of the 350Z.

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According to Nissan, the seventh-gen Z uses roughly 80 percent new parts over the 370Z. However, the 20 percent carried over was done to keep development costs to a minimum, translating to a more affordable starting price.

Why The Bargain Nissan Z Isn’t The One You Want

With the introduction of the newest Nissan Z, the Z-car gained an all-new engine: the VR30DDTT twin-turbo V6. Right off the bat, the Nissan Z makes 68 more horsepower and 80 lb-ft more torque than the 370Z’s naturally aspirated 3.7-liter V6 did. Its 400 hp and 350 lb-ft are big improvements, but there’s a catch – while you’re able to get 400 hp at a cheap price with the base Nissan Z, it doesn’t feature a limited slip differential or the best available brakes, meaning you’ve got a lot of power but not the mechanical ability to utilize it all.

For the benefits of the Performance trim above, and a few other extras inside and out, you have to pay an additional $10,000, so it’s only the base Z that represents value from a pure horsepower-per-dollar perspective.

The Nissan Z-Car Has A History Of Democratizing Power

Decades before the current Nissan Z’s debut, Nissan introduced the first iteration of the storied sports car in 1969 for the 1970 model year. The reason for its birth was two-fold, and the first part was Nissan’s then-desire to become more well-known among American buyers. Back then, Nissan lived in the wide-reaching shadow of Toyota and Honda, and it wanted to do something about this.

So Nissan teamed up with Yamaha to design a sports car. The first prototype was produced in 1961, although it would still be another eight years until the production model would be released. During those eight years, Nissan dropped Yamaha, who then went on to help Toyota build the iconic 2000GT. But Nissan pushed on, and the first Z-car, the Datsun 240Z, was released and became an instant success.

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Over the years, the Nissan Z evolved to rival Japanese sports car legends like the Mitsubishi 3000GT, Toyota Supra, and Mazda RX-7; not every iteration was as big a hit as the first one was, but there was always a thread of passion and a desire to empower the common person with an attainable sports car.

This was particularly the case when the Z-car embraced turbocharging, a move that happened as early as the second generation when the 280ZX got a 180-hp engine for the US market. Turbocharged power became a regular fixture right until the 300ZX (Z32) generation, with Nissan only going back to natural aspiration with the 350Z.

Will The Z Maintain Its Affordable 400-Horsepower Crown?

At the outset, we touched on the Ford Mustang GT’s base MSRP being $110 cheaper than that of the Nissan Z, only losing out due to its higher delivery charges. But as we head into 2025, how likely is the Z to retain its crown as the cheapest sports car with 400 hp?

Nissan hasn’t yet put out pricing for the 2025 model year, but it’s fair to expect some increase. The Z range has also increased over the last 12 months, with a Z Nismo variant and a Z Heritage Edition, both of which are the opposite of affordable. But the base Z Sport is unlikely to go anywhere, and we expect Nissan will try to cling to the affordability factor.

The Ford Mustang GT isn’t doing that, though. Ford may have kept the base EcoBoost engine’s pricing relatively affordable, but without any V8 competition from Chevrolet or Dodge anymore, the Blue Oval has taken full advantage of the desire for a V8 sports car, jacking up the prices of the GT and Dark Horse variants by nearly $4,000 for 2025. That means unless Nissan loses the plot entirely, it’s likely to retain its title of the cheapest 400-hp sports car in America.

Long live the Z.

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Sources:
Nissan
,
Car And Driver