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The Nissan 370z roadster offers an immensely enjoyable drive with a balance and composure that can be had in other marques - but usually for a considerably higher ticket price Photo Gallery
Kevin Hepworth road tests and reviews the Nissan 370Z Roadster at its launch in New Zealand.
Nissan has dipped its lid to desirability with the arrival of the 370Z Roadster. Built around the same mechanical package as the Coupe launched last year but with convertible-specific chassis and body stiffening the new Roadster has hit showrooms priced at $74,990 for the six-speed manual and $77,990 for the seven-speed automatic.
That is a $7000 premium over the Coupe. "There is only one specification level for the car ... and that is all-inclusive," Nissan Australia CEO Dan Thompson says. "It has always been our policy to tick all the boxes when we plan a car like this and the 370Z Roadster is no different."
Thompson says that while sales expectations for the Roadster are not huge -- around 15 a month on top of the 50 a month the Coupe has been selling -- the halo effect of the car is crucial to the brand. "These are not a volume model, like the GT-R is not a volume model, but as a hero for the Nissan brand its importance can't be overstated. It is a desirable, dynamic car and offers great value for what it delivers."
Drivetrain and equipment
Powered by the same 245kW 3.7-litre V6 debuted in the Coupe, the Roadster features a fully-automatic cloth folding roof. The electro-hydraulic mechanism takes 20 seconds to fold or deploy and while it works efficiently it is one of the noisiest on the market with all of the test vehicles displaying a solid ‘thunk’ as the hard tonneau cover under which the folded roof is stored drops into place.
The advantage of the more traditional cloth roof over a folding metal version is a claimed boot storage which doesn't change whether the roof is up or down. Standard equipment includes touch-screen satellite navigation, eight-speaker Bose audio system, remote key with push-button start, automatic climate control and Bluetooth hands-free phone system.
The safety component is rich with six airbags, including door-mounted curtain bags, a switchable VDC stability control, and a strong brake package consisting of 355mm ventilated front and 350mm ventilated rear discs served by ABS, EBD and brake assist. The car rides on lightweight 19-inch alloys shod with 245/40R (front) and 275/35R (rear) rubber.
Driving
On the road the most impressive feature of the Roadster is not what is different from the Coupe but rather what is the same. The dynamics of the Roadster lose almost nothing to those of its tin-lidded sibling, and that is an achievement to be proud of.
If you are going to present a car like the 370Z to a prospective buyer it is compulsory to have curves ... lots of curves, both on the road and in the car. That becomes even more imperative if the car you are showing can go topless. Traditionally, increasingly less-so but still common enough, gaining access to the open air in a car -- particularly a sports car meant giving up a varying degree of connection with the road.
Cutting the top off any half-way stable coupe is going to have a detrimental effect on the driving dynamics. The degree of that diminishment is determined by two key factors how much engineering work was done on the original chassis and structure in anticipation of a convertible future and, equally as important, what steps are taken during the beheading process.
In the case of the 370Z it takes only a couple of South Island corners to confirm that the company engineers were thinking ahead. The superb torsional stiffness and focussed steering architecture in the Coupe has been seamlessly transferred to the Roadster by virtue of additional bracing through the A-pillars, side sills and doors with a high-strength hoop frame laid horizontally around the boot.
The result is one of the rare examples of open-top motoring without the fear that torsional twisting through the chassis is fighting to overcome balance and grip. The ride on the low profile tyres and sports suspension package -- double wishbone front and four-link rear -- is firm without being harsh but the comfort trade-off is well worthwhile as the Roadster tips willingly into corners, glides through the apex and utilises all the benefits of the viscous limited slip diff to get power down early and efficiently in search of the next challenge.
The steering feel is excellent, linear and with a pleasant meatiness to the feedback. The call to enthusiasm is backed by a brake package which is strong, repeatable and with a comforting firmness to the pedal.
The car offers an immensely enjoyable drive with a balance and composure that can be had in other marques -- but usually for a considerably higher ticket price and all of it at a claimed fuel economy of 11.2L/100km for the manual and 10.9L/100km in the auto. The cabin is well sorted, the high-backed sports seats comfortable and supportive with the non-slip insert adding to the feeling of stability.
The twin cockpit cabin designer is, pleasingly, focussed on the driver with good adjustment of the seats and a very nice pedal arrangement that comes into its own in the manual. The one jarring note is that the steering wheel is adjustable only for rake, not reach. While the $3000 premium for the automatic is stiff, the seven-speed shifter is a treat.
The ratios are very well sorted and the computer controlled ‘rev matching’ produces an audible and satisfying blip on downshifts. The downside of the manual in itself a nice box with precise shifts and its own version of rev matching for that professional heel-toe "pop" on changes is the overly aggressive minder program that will shut the clutch down into a limp-home mode if it detects a certain level of temperature in the transmission.
That, in itself, is not a bad safety net but in the 370Z the parameters are such that as little as two moderate launches -- 3500-4000rpm will see the clutch close up shop and an enforced rev limit take over. In a car being promoted as a ‘genuine’ sports car for driving enthusiasts it seems to be a mixed message.
Nissan's official answer to a question on what the system means to any owner who plans on using their car for club days or motorkhanas was along the lines of: That's tough. They will have to upgrade the clutch pack.
Nissan 370Z Roadster
Price: $74,990 (manual), $77,990 (automatic)
Engine: 3.7L/V6, 245kW/363Nm Transmission: 6-speed manual, 7-speed automatic; rear-wheel drive
Economy: 11.2L/100km (manual), 10.9L/100km (automatic)
We like: Spanking drive dynamics; stylish design; comfortable interior
We don't like: No reach adjustment; clutch limp home settings; noisy roof mechanism
Rivals
BMW Z4 from $89,500
Porsche Boxster from $114,800
Mazda MX-5 from $42,460
