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• Coupe or Roadster dilemma
While the last generation 350Z Coupe was praised by both the press and
public, chop top version was never quite welcomed as much. By cutting off
the roof, the key things about the 350Z ...its poise, its thrill, it's style
were deadened by the roadster's added weight and lack of added stiffness.
Nissan made it very clear that the new Z Roadster would be a big departure
from the last car, especially since the 370 Coupe was designed and engineered
with the droptop in mind.
• More style and stiffness
Even before releasing the actual car, Nissan bombarded the automotive media
with numbers and facts about how they have worked so hard to make the Z
Roadster's driving feel more akin to the hardtop. Versus the 350, the
new car's body stiffness enhancements are impressive. Front body torsion
is up by 40 percent, rear torsion by 45; and body lateral bending stiffness
is up by 10 percent, and 60 percent, respectively. What's more, all of this
was done in a way that still saves weight—the 370 Roadster is actually 150
pounds (appx 68kg) lighter than the outgoing 350.
And then there is the style. It's no big secret that the 350Z Roadster
looks painfully tragic with the top up, and even with the top removed, the
lines just didn't show off. The long, flat back end and oddly shaped butt
were not really fitting for the sexy Z line. The new car, however, is really
pretty. Nissan moved the latching point for the roof more towards the rear,
which gives the car a more coupe-like shape with the top up. On top of that,
the Z's hind quarters have a nice arch, and when combined with the wide stance
and flared-our rear wheel wells, it looks very good.
• Test results are promising
The test syllabus of activities involved maneuvering the 370 through some
of the finest mountain roads and then shooting down onto the highway. The
test drivers pummeled their way through the forests in a fashion that the
Z would be accustomed to, running through second, third, and fourth gears;
chirping a tire every once in a while on a particularly tight bend. It is on
these roads that chassis flexibility really shows itself, and the 370Z Roadster
was nothing short of solid through and through. The added weight of the
convertible (about 200 pounds - 100kg - over the coupe) never made the car
feel portly or hard to maneuver through the tough turns, and because most of
this added weight falls just behind the driver compartment, the go-wheels have
a bit more stability built on top of them.
There is much less of a tendency for the back end to come out when you're really
pushing the car through a corner, but the rear wheels are still lively and eager
to spin when provoked, especially with the traction control turned off. This car
really hugs corners in a way that Z Coupe drivers will appreciate. It's not skittish
or unwilling to be pushed hard, the wide track and sticky tires make for lots of
available grip, and though the suspension is a bit stiff over rough pavement,
its bedroom antics through the twisties are confident, playful, and downright fun.
• All of the standard 370Z characteristics are still on hand.
The engine loves to rev high in order to get the full 332 horsepower sent to the
back tyres, but we still think the mill sounds a bit coarse in the upper range of
each gear. However, having an open roof allows us to better hear the exhaust note,
and it's a very pleasing sound. The turning is crisp and gives the driver a good
feeling of confidence. The wheel itself is easy to shuffle—a Godsend on our drive
where we literally had no time to straighten out the wheel before the next tight
bend approached—and the front/side sight lines are good. We like the low-sunk yet
high-feeling driver position, as it allows us to see nearly all the way down
the Z's snout, and the windshield top is high enough that the A-pillar was never
directly in our line of view.
• There are some fauls too
The one fault that comes up each and every time we talk about the 370Z is the awful
tyre noise at speed. Sure, it's a bit more muffled in the case of the roadster,
since top-down driving allows for a whole 'nother slew of sounds to pour into the
cabin; but the tyre harshness is still there. The worst part, too, is when you are
forced to drive with the roof in place—there's quite a bit of wind noise inside the
cabin (as is expected with most convertibles), and combined with the tires, it
gets very loud. You'll have to use your outdoor voice to talk with your passenger
But let's talk about that roof for a minute. It is a fully automatic operation—no
latches or levers, and the top is neatly stowed in just under twenty seconds. In
addition, Nissan ditched the vinyl for 2010 and the new cloth top is made out of
honest-to-goodness fabric, giving it a much more upscale appearance.
Interior amenities are nothing too drastically different from the coupe, save the
perforated leather seats (available on Touring models) with optional heating and
cooling. Like the coupe, storage space is extremely lacking, but the Z's interior
proves to be a rather nice place to spend time.
• Sporting convertible again where is no sacrifice.
In the end, the little differences between the 370Z Roadster and Coupe are so minimal
that it isn't worth grinding your teeth over. And because these two cars are so similar,
consumers must remember that the roadster isn't going to be the toned-down, relaxed
version of a sports car like other examples in the marketplace.
Nissan has built a very strong sports coupe, it is hardcore, loud, stiff, and for an
additional "couple of baks", a wonderful roadster.
It's safe to buy a sporting convertible again-with the 370Z, there's no sacrifice.
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Sporting convertible where is no sacrifice
