Suppose you are into sports cars like the Teutonic pair in the preceding pages but happens to be just around $100K short.
The next best thing will be this, the Nissan 370Z, which comes either as a closed coupe or the drop-top Roadster.
The Nissan 370Z Roadster’s 6 second 0-100km/h timing puts it roughly on par with the lower rung models of the Z4 and Boxster/Cayman range, which isn’t half bad.
It offers plenty of gadgets as standard, more than matching the BMW and Porsche.
As long as you aren’t too picky about the details, the Nissan 370Z Roadster really is pretty well kitted.
While the car is definitely a one-up on its predecessor in terms of perceived quality, the resins and hide used in the cabin won’t provoke envy from BMW or Porsche.
The handles feel a bit light and loose while the fabric top, which takes around 20 seconds to do its thing, stop short of putting the windows back in place when it’s done.
So, it may only need a push of a button to take the roof down (no latch to undo like in the 350Z Roadster), restoring maximum protection against the elements takes three steps because you have to operate the windows individually.
Insulation against noise in the Nissan 370Z Roadster is obviously no match for the retractable hardtop of the Z4 but it’s actually easier on the ears than the Nissan 370Z coupe because there’s less drumming from the tyres.
Roof down, the Nissan 370Z Roadster delivers the pleasures of drop-top motoring as it should.
Nissan 370Z Roadster’s SynchroRev Match feature will be even more fun if the V6 had a better voice.
There’s more feedback through every channel, making the drive that much more visceral.
Rather pleasantly, the car rides over undulations with a bit more pliancy than the coupe.
But with the heightened sensations, it’s not possible to overlook the powertrain lurking under that long bonnet.
The engine obviously has quite a lot of poke to propel the car to 100km/h in 6 seconds but the 3.7-litre lump never seems as engrossed in the proceedings as it should.
The exhaust note is a bit distant, leaving the driver feeling similarly remote.
Chrome button pops roof in a single push but won’t put the windows back when it’s done.
Even driving in the KPE tunnel deliberately at a lower gear, the Nissan 370Z Roadster can’t make the kind of sound that paints a smile on the driver’s face.
The car is certainly better on windier roads where the engine’s strong low-end grunt impresses more than the noises it makes.
The Roadster seems just as precise and responsive to driver inputs as the coupe, which is something of an achievement for this type of car.
Now if only they will tweak the engine a bit, let it rev more freely and give it a better voice, the Nissan 370Z Roadster won’t just be a rough proxy to the Z4 or Boxster/Cayman.
It’ll be a real contender.
Nissan 370Z 3.7
ENGINE 3696cc, 24-valves, V6
MAX POWER 333bhp at 7000rpm
MAX TORQUE 363Nm at 5200rpm
GEARBOX 6-speed manual
0-100KM/H 6 seconds
TOP SPEED 250km/h
CONSUMPTION 9.1km/L (combined)
PRICE INCL. COE $205,800 (as of September 2010)
Check out the latest Nissan GT-R
