First Drives, Nissan

First Drive: 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster

Favorite Save article | View favourites

September 14, 2009

2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster. Click image to enlarge

Manufacturer’s web site
Nissan Canada

Join Autos’s Facebook group
Follow Autos on Twitter

Review and photos by Paul Williams

Find this vehicle in Autos’s Classified Ads

Photo Gallery:
2010 Nissan 370Z roadster

San Jose, California – Here’s a test for Nissan Z-Car fans. As you know, the new 2010 370Z Roadster was preceded in 2004 by the 350Z Roadster – but before that? Put your thinking cap on; it was the 1993-1996 300ZX, an aftermarket convertible-of-sorts done for Nissan by the American Sunroof Company, better known as ASC.

That car cost over $60,000 in the mid-1990s, and since then, the price for a Nissan convertible has done nothing but come down. True, Canadian dollar and Japanese yen values have changed over the years, but at a starting price of $46,998 for the “Touring” edition, the 2010 370Z Roadster is still a lot of car for the money.

As the Roadster version of the new 370Z Coupe, it features a redesigned convertible top that is 100 millimetres longer than that found on the 350Z Roadster, and frankly, it resolves all kinds of esthetic and operational issues found on the drop-top 350Z. Besides its increased length, other distinguishing features of the top are that it is cloth as opposed to vinyl, and is now hydraulically, rather than electrically, operated. The result is a better integrated fit that looks good when the car is open or closed.

2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster. Click image to enlarge

The new top and its more compact automatic mechanism also means the trunk is usable with the top down. It’ll fit a couple of travel bags and even a golf bag of modest proportions. The top is also fully automatic, with no latches to manually release or secure; just press the console-mounted button, wait about 20 seconds, and it’s done.

Like the Coupe, the new Roadster has a wheelbase that is 100 mm shorter than the outgoing model, while overall length is reduced by 66 mm. Weight is controlled by using aluminum sills, hood, trunk lid and lightweight aluminum brake and suspension components, but 66 kilograms are added due to stiffness enhancements to the body structure (typical for a convertible car). At 1,586 kg (3,487 pounds) in 6MT form, the 370Z Roadster is 59 kg (130 lbs) lighter than the comparable 350Z Roadster.

Motive power for this two-seat, rear-drive car is the same as the Coupe: an all-aluminum 3.7-litre V6 engine that makes 332-horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 270 pound-feet of torque at 5,200 rpm. An evolution of the VQ engine from the 350Z, it contains 35 per cent new parts, is taller (cylinder block height is increased), and sits lower in the car, slightly lowering the 370Z’s centre of gravity.

2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster. Click image to enlarge

Transmission choices are six-speed manual with available “SynchroRev Match” (part of an optional Sport Pack), and seven-speed automatic ($1,500) with paddle shifters.

The 370Z Roadster Touring features 18-inch alloy wheels, full power group, Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity, satellite radio, air conditioning, eight-speaker Bose sound system, Intelligent Key with push-button start, rear windblock, aluminum-trimmed pedals, Homelink, and power leather-upholstered seats that are also heated and ventilated. The seats, specific to the 370Z Roadster, use a fabric mesh insert in the seat backs and squab to diffuse warm or cool air more effectively than similar seats from other manufacturers, Nissan says.

Enhanced handling performance is available for the 370Z Roadster in the form of the $4,000 Sport Pack that includes RAYS 19-inch forged wheels, SportRev Match on manual transmission models, wider 245/40 front and 275/25 rear tires, and Nissan-branded Sport Brakes (four-piston front calipers; two-piston rear; 14-inch front and 13.8-inch rear rotors). The suspension is unchanged, however.

2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster. Click image to enlarge

A hard disk-based Navigation Pack is available with a 9.3-gigabyte music box and USB connectivity for $2,500, but is available only as an add-on to the Sport Pack. The fully loaded car, therefore, is $53,498 with the manual transmission and $54,998 with the automatic.

In my opinion, the exterior styling of the 370Z Roadster is more appealing than the previous model, especially with the top up. Looking right at home parked on San Jose’s tony Santana Way, rubbing fenders (not literally…) with Lamborghinis and Porsches, the design turns heads, flowing smoothly from the front to a rather substantial rear. In that context, it looks like it should cost the same $60,000-plus as its 300ZX ancestor.

The heated/ventilated seats work very well, although the fan for seat ventilation is audible at low vehicle speeds (but an air-conditioned seat is so nice on a hot day with the top down…). The side bolsters are not too hard, but give excellent lateral support, while the overall seat design is comfortable and multi-adjustable.

Pages: 1 2