Car Reviews > Nissan > 370Z Roadster > Nissan 370Z Roadster Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Prices: £35,750
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Gearbox: 7-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power/torque: 324 bhp/ 362 Nm
0-62 mph: 5.8 seconds
Top Speed: 155 miles per hour
Economy: 25.9 miles per gallon
Emissions: 254g per kilometre
Equipment: 19-inch RAYS alloy wheels, auto lights, GPS, reversing camera, electric windows, heated electric leather seats, ESP, Bluetooth, climate control, cruise control
On Sale: Now

The revamped drop top proves to be the finest 370Z so far

The Nissan 370Z has so far failed to really live up to expectations. Even the recently revamped GT Edition just did not live up to the hype surrounding the line, and Nissan seem to be well aware of the shortcomings and as a consequence have now come up with the 370Z Roadster, which has been specifically fine-tuned to suit the driving conditions on roads in the United Kingdom rather better than its predecessors, in what is a deliberate update for 2011.

In terms of visual aesthetics, it looks the part in much the same way as its predecessors did. The loss of the roof only serves to enhance the dramatic proportions of the standard car, while the styling remains exactly the same as before. The big changes to the Nissan 370Z are the ones you cannot see this time around.

Engineers from Nissan’s Bedfordshire-based Cranfield Technical Centre have slightly altered both the damper settings and the suspension, and have also added additional sound insulation to the under-tray. These changes have resulted in a much more refined vehicle, and one that has a much softer ride as well as considerably less tyre noise than was previously the case.

The ride remains firm, and yet there are far less jarring intrusions into the cabin than before, which also results in a noticeable improvement to mid-corner stability.

When this newfound suppleness is added to the optional 7-speed automatic gearbox, the Nissan 370Z Roadster starts to feel like a very civilised vehicle indeed. That additional ratio means than even when at motorway speeds it is much quieter than was ever the case before, while being almost exactly as quick yet much more efficient and cleaner.

Those who might fear that all these upgrades might blunt the potent performance of the 3.7-litre V6 engine need have no worries either, as both throttle response and acceleration can only be described as impressive.

When it is time to change gears, a flashing red light indicates to the driver that it is time to use the long paddles that are mounted on the steering wheel, while downshifts also result in a very satisfying throttle blip.

On the downside however, it must be said that the exhaust note ultimately turns out to be not quite as exciting and throaty as the car’s eye-catching looks tend to suggest that it will be. Because of that, the 370Z is still less satisfying a drive than many of its rivals in the field.

Also disappointing is the fact that the new reversing camera is absolutely essential given that rearward visibility tends to be very low indeed whenever the roof is in place, and that the load bay is a very low 140 litres, meaning that there is really only enough room for a few small items of baggage.

Nonetheless, even with the above limitations, there is little doubt that with just a few clever tweaks to the design, the 370Z has been vastly improved and while still trailing some of its rivals – most notably the BMW 74 – in some ways, this is definitely the most convincing and creditable 370Z to date.

by Autoweb