So, what makes a convertible sports car hot?
Yep, definitely the look or styling. For any new ride that’s typically the first thing you notice and even more so with a convertible sports car. That’s a given, right? Talk of a convertible without any street appeal is like living on the beach, but never getting in the water. Doable, but why bother paying the extra cash for just the view?
An OK looking convertible doesn’t do much for stirring the senses, especially when the top’s up. Not that you can actually say that about the new convertible Z. Nissan went to great lengths to make sure its roadster didn’t lose any of its appeal when it’s time to put the top up. That’s good news if you’re stuck in a region like the Midwest or East Coast where sunny days are limited. After all, Californians shouldn’t get to have all the fun when it comes driving cool cars right?
Still, the true defining element of a sports car convertible is how well it performs and handles because typically you have to give up something for “going topless.”
Nissan engineers went to great lengths to make sure that the give and take ratio on the new Z Roadster vs. the coupe model was minimum at best and that the new roadster lived up to all of the “Zness” that’s come to define the sports car.
In fact, whether or not you’re giving up anything at all if considering the roadster really boils down to a matter of personal taste.
COUPE VS. ROADSTER?
You still get most of those performance attributes when behind the wheel of the roadster that you get with the coupe. The roadster’s body stiffness or the feeling you get in telling how solid a car is on the road has been improved 40 percent for front body torsion, 10 percent for front body lateral bending, 45 percent for rear body torsion, and 60 percent for rear body lateral bending.
The roadster also has a lighter and more rigid aluminum front suspension and is available with 14” front/13.8” rear sport brakes and improved steering response. The standard wheel and tire package are 18-inch alloys with Bridgestone Potenza tires.
My model tested featured the 19-inch RAYS lightweight forged alloys with Bridgestone Potenza tires.
HANG ON
And the designated location for our media test drive of the Z Roadster, San Jose, California, definitely has the roads to test it. In fact, there were a few stretches where I’d be concerned about who’s behind the wheel going anywhere over 20 mph. They’re the type of roads true performance buffs live for and the Z Roadster as well.
Even at some fairly high speeds on some of the more challenging roads, the Z lived up to expectations and actually exceeded in some cases.
The new Z Roadster is 150 pounds lighter than the outgoing roadster, but only 200 pounds heavier than the coupe, which also improves its performance capabilities over the previous model.
Nissan opted for a cloth top vs. a hard top to help keep the weight down.
The new roadster also pumps out 332 horsepower, 26 more than the previous model, and features the other improvements found in the new 3.7-liter V6 coupe compared to the previous 3.5-liter model.
The transmission options include a 6-speed manual transmission with SynchroRev Match shifting that blips throttle to smooth out shifts with a goal of helping even the average driver pull off professional like behind the wheel. It’s also available with a sports package.
The available 7-speed automatic transmission features adaptive shift control, manual mode and paddle shifters.
Gas mileage for both transmissions is 18 city/25 highway.
IT GETS BETTER
Nissan’s made several improvements with the roadster’s convertible top, including a power-folding and one touch top operation with automatic roof lock. The top can also be operated via the Nissan Intelligent Key from outside the car on the driver’s side by pushing the button on the door handle. The top can be opened/closed while moving up to 3 mph.
The new Z Roadster’s cockpit features performance seats, an improved steering wheel grip and an available Bose audio system with 6CD autochanger and 8 speakers. Ventilated heated and cooled seats are standard on the 370Z Roadster Touring model. Other available options include Nissan’s navigation with XM NavTraffic, XM NavWeather and DVD playback.
The Nissan 370Z Roadster’s list of standard safety features includes an advanced air bag system with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt and occupant classification sensors; front seat-mounted side impact supplemental air bags; door-mounted curtain air bags; and seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters.
What’s most impressive is that the base price for the new Z Roadster ($36, 970) is only an increase of $100 compared to the base 2009 model with all of the improvements and new features added to the car.
HIGHLIGHTS
Sticker: $36,970 (base)
MPG: 18 city/25 hwy
One-touch top operation
Standard 18” wheels
Available Bose audio