The interior is pretty well 350Z coupe, with the only change other than the seats being a power folding lid for the optional navigational package, also available in the 2004 hard top. The only other exception is a rather slick color choice. The seats are covered with perforated black leather inserts surrounded by burnt orange leather outer bolsters that match the metallic orange exterior paint scheme perfectly. Additionally, a blue cloth top is optional to the standard black, only with blue, white and silver exterior colors.
 |
| Even at high speeds wind noise is kept to a minimum, making the 350Z Roadster one of the most serene convertible rides available. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
Pull that top down and the roadsters superb aerodynamics - a 0.34 Cd compared to the coupe's 0.30 - make for one of the most serene convertible rides I've had in a long while. A little breeze is still capable of tossing the coif, a must for a roadster, but wind noise is kept so low that conversation is easy even at get-there-yesterday speeds. Only the throaty exhaust note, particularly appreciated in a car that promotes sport above all other attributes, brings silence to driver and passenger, alternatively causing smiles and girlish giggles of adrenaline induced excitement.
 |
| The 287-hp 3.5-L V6 in the 350Z Roadster is a personal favorite, second only to BMW's M3 engine. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
And that's for good reason of course. The aforementioned 287-hp 3.5-L V6 is one of my personal favorites, second only to BMW's M3 engine - lofty company indeed. It revs with such abandon that I found myself shifting up and down through the gears just for the fun of it, paying little attention to the fact it makes the majority of its horsepower at 6,200 rpm and optimizes its 274 lb-ft of torque at a much lower 4,800 rpm. A viscous limited-slip differential and traction control system with dash-mounted defeat button are standard.
The Z Roadster's official fuel economy is the same as the coupe, which delivers 11.9 L/100km (24 mpg) in the city and 8.2 L/100km (34 mpg) on the highway in manual form, and 12.8 / 8.5 L/100km (22 / 33 mpg) respectively as an automatic. It's also LEV certified.