Strike one up for the good guys. Most top down vehicles these days are increasingly of the hardtop variety. These vehicles try to look like coupes, and can seal up tighter than a can of tuna.
The new 2010 Nissan 370Z on the other hand proudly flaunts old-school roadster stylings and a fabric roof.
And unlike past versions of the Z ragtop, this generation was designed and engineered from a clean sheet of paper, and not as a modified version of the existing coupe.
With a starting price of $46,998 the new car is also cheaper than previous Z roadsters. (The previous 350Z roadster was $51,498, while the 300ZX of 1995 was $61,400.)
The Quick Walk-Around
The new roadster obviously has a new visual personality, and one that is more curvy and shorter than the coupe. Unlike the past Z cars, and the current coupe, the profile of the roadster is more stubby than wedge-like, with a high, flat belt line.
The prominent rear haunches are distinctive and attractive, and proportionally dominate the vehicle’s profile. Basically a visual way of saying, “Dude, a big rubber-to-road contact patch is very important to me.”
Compared to the coupe, the roadster is 100 mm shorter in wheelbase, and 66 mm longer overall, and about 90 kg heavier.
Other than that, things are pretty much the same as the 370Z Coupe, which debuted in 2009. Both feature the 332 hp 3.7-litre V6, hooked up to the rear wheels, via a 6-speed manual or 7-speed auto with paddle shifters. Both also feature a very modern chassis, with all the stiffness you could ask for, as well as 18-inch wheels, four-wheel independent suspension and stability control.
A simple model hierarchy. The base car is Touring. To move up one rung, select the Sport Package, which throws on rev-matching (on the manual tranny), 19-inch wheels, and bigger brakes. Then go to Sport Package with Navigation, which also nets you a bigger and louder stereo with all the trimmings.
20 Seconds to Freedom
The Z waiting for us at Nissan Canada has the Sport Package with Nav, the 7-speed automatic, and a very flattering “electric blue” paint job. She is nice to look at.
The top is up, so we leave it there… for a bit.
The cabin felt and sounded well sealed. The roof mounts to the top of the windshield at two points, and features a rear window of “real” glass.
Sure, not as quiet as a tin top, but a very small price to pay for having the real roadster thing.
 |
| Compared to the coupe, the roadster is 100 mm shorter in wheelbase, and 66 mm longer overall, and about 90 kg heavier. |
The new 2010 Nissan 370Z on the other hand proudly flaunts old-school roadster stylings and a fabric roof.
And unlike past versions of the Z ragtop, this generation was designed and engineered from a clean sheet of paper, and not as a modified version of the existing coupe.
With a starting price of $46,998 the new car is also cheaper than previous Z roadsters. (The previous 350Z roadster was $51,498, while the 300ZX of 1995 was $61,400.)
The Quick Walk-Around
The new roadster obviously has a new visual personality, and one that is more curvy and shorter than the coupe. Unlike the past Z cars, and the current coupe, the profile of the roadster is more stubby than wedge-like, with a high, flat belt line.
The prominent rear haunches are distinctive and attractive, and proportionally dominate the vehicle’s profile. Basically a visual way of saying, “Dude, a big rubber-to-road contact patch is very important to me.”
Compared to the coupe, the roadster is 100 mm shorter in wheelbase, and 66 mm longer overall, and about 90 kg heavier.
Other than that, things are pretty much the same as the 370Z Coupe, which debuted in 2009. Both feature the 332 hp 3.7-litre V6, hooked up to the rear wheels, via a 6-speed manual or 7-speed auto with paddle shifters. Both also feature a very modern chassis, with all the stiffness you could ask for, as well as 18-inch wheels, four-wheel independent suspension and stability control.
A simple model hierarchy. The base car is Touring. To move up one rung, select the Sport Package, which throws on rev-matching (on the manual tranny), 19-inch wheels, and bigger brakes. Then go to Sport Package with Navigation, which also nets you a bigger and louder stereo with all the trimmings.
20 Seconds to Freedom
The Z waiting for us at Nissan Canada has the Sport Package with Nav, the 7-speed automatic, and a very flattering “electric blue” paint job. She is nice to look at.
The top is up, so we leave it there… for a bit.
The cabin felt and sounded well sealed. The roof mounts to the top of the windshield at two points, and features a rear window of “real” glass.
Sure, not as quiet as a tin top, but a very small price to pay for having the real roadster thing.
 |
| The Z waiting for us at Nissan Canada has the Sport Package with Nav and the 7-speed automatic. |