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Sacramento, California – There are not many cars out there that folks can identify when someone utters a single letter from the alphabet.
The Z is the exception.
Saying you drive a Z to even a casual motorist tells the tale: Nissan sports car, hot-looking, hot-performing.
The 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring that joins the Z coupe updated for 2009 lives up to the billing. This Nissan droptop looks great and delivers performance decidedly on the high side.
I remember having fun in the 2004 350Z with its comparatively humble 3.5-liter V-6 with 287 horsepower. The power curve is has been upped with 3.7-liters of brute force dishing up 332 horses, with variable-valve technology enhancing the power plant’s precision.
You’d be hard-pressed to find more sporty fun for a starting price of $41,820. Yes, you certainly could find cheaper transportation, but the level of fine engineering will lag. Yes, you can pay a lot more, but why would you with the 2010 Z droptop on the Nissan lots?
Given the current weather in Northern California – and that would be foggy, dreary and bone-creaking cold – I spent little time with the tested Roadster’s top down. Forgive me that, but I get the idea. This Z is fun in the sun, and happily, the Golden State has plenty of sunshine most of the time.
I’m not sure you’d want this Z if you lived in, say, Alaska. Or Northern Minnesota. Just saying.
Likewise, the Z won’t be your cup of tea if you want more than two seats or carry luggage bigger than a standard briefcase. But you knew that already.
What I like about the Z is driving it solo, sans worry about passengers or packages. This level of performance is meant to be enjoyed, and the tester scored high on that report card.
A super-stiff suspension enabled me to put my right foot deep into the accelerator on tight corners. The Z didn’t wiggle an inch in any of these maneuvers. It’s a world-class slalom runner, and its uphill climbing ability is exceptional. The Z Roadster took on Sierra Nevada foothills and flatland twisty roads with an effortless grace.
For all its oomph, the 3.7-liter engine does not dump its power in your lap. It’s sort of ladled out, providing a stronger feeling of control. With precise steering and a stellar gearbox – you can do seven speeds via the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters – you always feel in control with the Z.
Your sense of security is bolstered by an over-the-top list of standard safety and security features. Nice touch.
Be forewarned that the stiff suspension pays you back on rough pavement. On bumpy freeway surfaces, I felt road imperfections right up to my eyeballs – the price one pays for monorail stability at high speed.
One other gripe is the convertible top, which, for some reason, functions like a world-class eardrum. An amazing level of exterior noise penetrates the closed surface, which can be jarring during lane changes or dicing in heavy traffic.
Kudos to Nissan for keeping the interior controls simple. The easily managed center stack of controls is uncomplicated, and key gauges centered above the dash can be taken in with a quick glance. A nice perk on the tester included seats that could be heated or cooled – an important feature on a convertible.
Fuel mileage is OK at 18 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. That’s better than you might expect for a muscular two-seater.
I guess the best thing you can say about the 370Z Roadster is that Nissan took a good thing and made it better, resisting the various temptations to mess it up.
A letter-perfect sports car? Well, pretty darn close.
The Z is the exception.
Saying you drive a Z to even a casual motorist tells the tale: Nissan sports car, hot-looking, hot-performing.
The 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring that joins the Z coupe updated for 2009 lives up to the billing. This Nissan droptop looks great and delivers performance decidedly on the high side.
I remember having fun in the 2004 350Z with its comparatively humble 3.5-liter V-6 with 287 horsepower. The power curve is has been upped with 3.7-liters of brute force dishing up 332 horses, with variable-valve technology enhancing the power plant’s precision.
You’d be hard-pressed to find more sporty fun for a starting price of $41,820. Yes, you certainly could find cheaper transportation, but the level of fine engineering will lag. Yes, you can pay a lot more, but why would you with the 2010 Z droptop on the Nissan lots?
Given the current weather in Northern California – and that would be foggy, dreary and bone-creaking cold – I spent little time with the tested Roadster’s top down. Forgive me that, but I get the idea. This Z is fun in the sun, and happily, the Golden State has plenty of sunshine most of the time.
I’m not sure you’d want this Z if you lived in, say, Alaska. Or Northern Minnesota. Just saying.
Likewise, the Z won’t be your cup of tea if you want more than two seats or carry luggage bigger than a standard briefcase. But you knew that already.
What I like about the Z is driving it solo, sans worry about passengers or packages. This level of performance is meant to be enjoyed, and the tester scored high on that report card.
A super-stiff suspension enabled me to put my right foot deep into the accelerator on tight corners. The Z didn’t wiggle an inch in any of these maneuvers. It’s a world-class slalom runner, and its uphill climbing ability is exceptional. The Z Roadster took on Sierra Nevada foothills and flatland twisty roads with an effortless grace.
For all its oomph, the 3.7-liter engine does not dump its power in your lap. It’s sort of ladled out, providing a stronger feeling of control. With precise steering and a stellar gearbox – you can do seven speeds via the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters – you always feel in control with the Z.
Your sense of security is bolstered by an over-the-top list of standard safety and security features. Nice touch.
Be forewarned that the stiff suspension pays you back on rough pavement. On bumpy freeway surfaces, I felt road imperfections right up to my eyeballs – the price one pays for monorail stability at high speed.
One other gripe is the convertible top, which, for some reason, functions like a world-class eardrum. An amazing level of exterior noise penetrates the closed surface, which can be jarring during lane changes or dicing in heavy traffic.
Kudos to Nissan for keeping the interior controls simple. The easily managed center stack of controls is uncomplicated, and key gauges centered above the dash can be taken in with a quick glance. A nice perk on the tester included seats that could be heated or cooled – an important feature on a convertible.
Fuel mileage is OK at 18 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. That’s better than you might expect for a muscular two-seater.
I guess the best thing you can say about the 370Z Roadster is that Nissan took a good thing and made it better, resisting the various temptations to mess it up.
A letter-perfect sports car? Well, pretty darn close.
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