Incidentally, the 370Z is also available with a 7-speed automatic transmission featuring a manual shift mode, paddle shifters and Downshift Rev Matching.
A driver’s car
Nissan engineers did the impossible by making the roadster almost as light as the coupe despite a number of structural reinforcements both up front and in the back (the new chassis is 60-percent more rigid than the previous one). As a result, the 2010 370Z has become a pure driver’s car.
On the winding roads of the San Jose area, the Z kept attacking corners without flinching or hesitating. Every time, I felt it crouching before pouncing on the next corner.
I did notice some heaviness in the steering and a slightly excessive understeer tendency in the tightest turns, but overall, the machine handles like a charm.
I should mention that the wheelbase has been shortened by a little over 10 centimetres which, along with other body modifications, has made the Z more balanced and easier to control with your fingertips.
Last but not least is pricing: while the first-generation roadster retailed for $61,400 somewhere in the 1990s, the new 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring will position itself between $45,000 and $55,000 (official prices have yet to be announced).
So, do I prefer the coupe or the convertible? Well, these amazingly-gifted performers have different aspirations. Unless you plan to race on weekends or use it as your only car, the 370Z Roadster offers more fun and roughly the same technical potential, not to mention that your friends and neighbors will be able to see you behind the wheel with the top down. Case closed!
photo:Marc bouchard
A driver’s car
Nissan engineers did the impossible by making the roadster almost as light as the coupe despite a number of structural reinforcements both up front and in the back (the new chassis is 60-percent more rigid than the previous one). As a result, the 2010 370Z has become a pure driver’s car.
On the winding roads of the San Jose area, the Z kept attacking corners without flinching or hesitating. Every time, I felt it crouching before pouncing on the next corner.
 |
| The new 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring will position itself between $45,000 and $55,000. |
I did notice some heaviness in the steering and a slightly excessive understeer tendency in the tightest turns, but overall, the machine handles like a charm.
I should mention that the wheelbase has been shortened by a little over 10 centimetres which, along with other body modifications, has made the Z more balanced and easier to control with your fingertips.
Last but not least is pricing: while the first-generation roadster retailed for $61,400 somewhere in the 1990s, the new 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring will position itself between $45,000 and $55,000 (official prices have yet to be announced).
So, do I prefer the coupe or the convertible? Well, these amazingly-gifted performers have different aspirations. Unless you plan to race on weekends or use it as your only car, the 370Z Roadster offers more fun and roughly the same technical potential, not to mention that your friends and neighbors will be able to see you behind the wheel with the top down. Case closed!
photo:Marc bouchard
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