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Old 08-21-2013, 01:20 PM   #1
AVANTI R5
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Join Date: Nov 2004
Default Some Cars Are Better With A Roof This Is One

Quote:
Slideshow: 2014 Nissan 370Z

It takes roughly 21 seconds to raise the 2014 Nissan 370Z Roadster’s top from its lair under the back tonneau to its rightful place behind the windshield. This seems like an entirely reasonable amount of time until you find yourself pulled off into a side parking lot, mashing the top mechanism control button in impatient fury as the entire volume of the Pacific Ocean dumps into the cabin courtesy of a surprise thunderstorm. It’s also just long enough to coax you to the same realization that’s splayed across the face of every bemused onlooker: You’re the jackass who should have bought the coupe.

The Nissan Z family doesn’t have a very successful history in convertible guise, and like its forbearers before it, the 370 is at its best when its long, dramatic roof and hatchback derriere are in place. But that doesn’t mean the 370Z Roadster is a completely neutered version of its hardtop twin. Far from it.

There’s no avoiding the fact that with the canvas top up, the car looks a bit ungainly. Like the 350Z Roadster, the 370Z Roadster’s roof ends in an abrupt bustle, shearing the machine of the hardtop’s menacing profile. The top goes down in a bit of clunky ballet as the fiberglass tonneau opens its maw, revealing the deep storage well. With the folding roof stowed, the Roadster shows itself to be plenty attractive. Big, bold rear hips define the shape, and the long axle-to-dash ratio helps give the machine the classic proportions of some of my favorite European roadsters.

Amazingly, putting the top down doesn’t do the 370Z any visibility favors inside. The rear bulkhead sits at approximately ear level, which means the driver gets stuck with a mirror full of seats, roll hoops, and little else. It’s like the Roadster’s wearing substantial shoulder pads. The view ahead remains as good as it’s ever been. The big, tachometer-centric gauges are easy to read and appropriately sporty, if a bit down-market, and the mesh-and-leather seats in this tester look as good as they feel.



Zach Bowman Yes, that’s a big automatic shift lever sticking from the transmission tunnel. Nissan graced this particular Roadster with the company’s seven-speed automatic transmission. The gearbox isn’t the millstone I expected it to be, thanks in part to spot-on shift logic and very quick gear changes. Think dual-clutch speed. Is it as good as the six-speed manual and its rev-match trickery? Of course not, but it won’t get in your way should you decide to wring the car’s neck, and it’s substantially more refined than the dual-clutch gearbox in the company’s GT-R.

Bump around town, and the Roadster’s too-stiff suspension will do its best to remove your molars by force. Every encounter with broken pavement or an expansion joint is an exercise in potential spinal injury, complete with a healthy helping of cowl shake. But point the nose toward and uninterrupted stretch of undulating asphalt and the car starts to come alive. That venerable 3.7-liter VQ V6 under the hood abandons the uninspired drone of low rpm once the tach swings past 4500 rpm, opening up into a brawny chorus. With the top down, the sound’s magical.

There are 332 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque on hand, and the grunt on tap is good enough to hustle the 3510 pounds of convertible around without too much effort. That’s nearly 200 pounds more than the hard top, and as such, it takes a bit longer for the Roadster to get up to speed. Expect sprints to 60 mph in around 4.7 seconds.


Zach Bowman Despite the extra heft, the Roadster feels good and light on its feet. Turn in is quick, and those stiff springs and aggressive dampers come into their own with a little fast action on the steering wheel. The handling is surprisingly neutral, and the optional big brake kit does a great job of keeping the party from getting too out of control. There’s a pair of 14-inch rotors up front pressed by four piston calipers, and two-piston calipers squeeze 13.8-inch discs out back.

For those buyers looking for a quick weekend tourer capable of carving up and down a good mountain pass, the 370Z Roadster scratches most of the right itches. That is, except what is possibly the most important one of them all: price.

While the 2014 Nissan 370Z Roadster starts at an already steep $41,470, this tester, in kitted-up touring trim and with the optional Sport package, will set you back $51,365. Like the hardtop iteration, the 370Z Roadster is easily outclassed by younger blood worth similar coin or less. Buyers can fetch a Mustang GT Convertible Premium for around $40,000, and while that car’s chassis may not be as taught as the Z, the heady 420-hp 5.0-liter V8 engine makes up for a stack of woes. It also returns fuel economy identical to the 370Z Roadster’s 18 mpg city and 25 mpg highway when both are equipped with their respective automatic gearboxes.

Technically, you can also buy a stripper Porsche Boxster for the gussied up Roadster’s asking price, and I likely don’t need to tell you how glad I’d be to give up fanciness like leather heated and cooled seats, satellite radio and the like for the kind of driving bliss the Boxster delivers. Turn your eye toward the BMW stable, and options like the Z4 or 135is make strong arguments against the Z.

The 370Z finds itself in a sea of damn impressive competition, and hacking the roof off adds more compromise and expense to a vehicle that doesn’t need any help convincing buyers to look elsewhere for their jollies.
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