There is something to be said about the beauty surrounding a prized fighter. Even though their bodies have been purpose-built into a machine for speed, strength, agility, stamina and all-out power, they exert a certain level of elegance that can’t be matched. Lean and mean, athletes of this caliber float on the ground they traverse in a polished and graceful fashion. If standing still, these competitors could easily be misconstrued for something delicate or even gentle. It isn’t until they become provoked or pushed that their true worth is revealed. They were in fact built to fight, take out opponents and decimate obstacles and leave nothing behind. The 2011 Nissan 370Z Roadster is one of these fighters.
Riding on Nissan’s FM front engine rear wheel drive platform, the 370Z shares its bones with the coupe as well as the Infiniti G cars. The convertible version showed its face in 2010 and is the sixth version to carry the “Z-Car” name. Like its hardtop brother, the Roadster managed to do something most sports cars stopped doing: lose weight. The last generation Z roadster (2006-2009) weighed about 2,600 lbs while the new car tips the scales at 3,495 lbs. Nissan engineers achieved this through not only the use of lighter weight materials but smaller overall dimensions. Compared to the 350Z, the 370 is 2.7 inches shorter with a 4 inch smaller wheelbase. Combined with a 1.3 inch wider track, the 370Z in all its forms is one tidy car.
All Z cars have been built to be fast in all situations and comfortable at all speeds. There isn’t really one special place where they are better honed as most serve duty as a driver’s only car. For that reason, our Monterey Blue Touring tester came equipped with features such as leather seats, Bose supplied stereo, XM satellite radio, bluetooth phone pairing and push button start. Added to the base MSRP of $42,200 was the $2,150 navigation package which includes the same seven inch touchscreen display found on the upper class Infiniti G cars we tested earlier in the year. Turn-by-turn directions, real-time weather and traffic updates, DVD playback, bluetooth audio streaming and a Zagat-rated point of interest guide are all included to create one of the best navigation systems on the market today. Final MSRP of our six speed manual test car: $45,110 including destination charge.
The 370Z Roadster manages to undercut its Infiniti sibling by more than $10 grand. What a Nissan driver misses compared to an Infiniti owner is the power retractable hardtop. With the cloth top up, the Z finally looks complete, unlike the last generation car. The rear bulges ever so slightly to meet the narrow roof so not to create a flat and odd looking trunk. Unlike the Infiniti however, the Z Roadster looks like a convertible when the top is up. When the roof disappears is when things become attractive. The Nissan is so muscular and toned that it looks like if it punched you, it would hurt. The wide fenders and short overhangs mean this car is all business and wants nothing more than to be pitched into a corner entirely too fast. Subtle little features like the cut headlamps and chrome handles add to the strength discharged from the car. The 370Z is finally a good looking convertible and is easily one the most attractive roadsters on the market today.
Looking good is one thing but just because there is beauty doesn’t mean there isn’t dynamic poise. The Z Roadster can cruise in majesty, but if the hammer gets dropped the road can be left behind in ruins. Once the excellently weighted clutch is let out and the throttle gets closer to the firewall, the unmistakable howl of Nissan’s VQ37 is let loose. In the convertible, the 3.7 liter DOHC V6 uses variable valve timing to produce 332 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque. A relatively high (11:1) compression ratio and direct injection mean that the VQ builds revs at a ferocious pace. The engine has enough gusto that thrust can be found at any rpm and downshifting isn’t really a necessity. Of course, any one with a soul can’t deny the satisfaction made from flicking the short throw shifter down a few gears to turn cruising speed into outright fast. Nissan has done a fantastic job with this interpretation of the VQ as it is very versatile and smooth. It is however still loud and a little rough at certain speeds. In the Infiniti G, this is seen as a disappointment but it almost seems to fit the Z’s personality. After all, the Nissan is marketed more as a sports car than a grand touring machine.
It may prefer attacking quarter miles and a corner’s apex, but the Roadster isn’t entirely out-of-place holding highway speeds. With the top up, the cloth does a fine job at subduing wind noise but it isn’t completely absent. Not nearly as quiet as the Infinit G37 Convertible, the Z isn’t as intrusive as say the Chevrolet Camaro Convertible. And unlike its American competitor, the Nissan can actually be backed out of a spot without the act being dangerous. Included in the navigation package is a rearview monitor which is a must in modern-day convertibles. Bounding around town isn’t horrible, but the suspension tuning is better suited for sideways tire shredding than city driving. The quivers and shakes usually associated with convertibles do show their faces but not often enough that the Z is annoying to drive slow. It’s a solid compromise that creates a car that can be a daily driven.
History is usually against most sport convertibles. Past ragtops are often praised for their pure, unadulterated driving pleasure and most modern-day roadsters are chastised for being fat, bloated and uninspiring. When Nissan pulled the covers off their current Z Roadster, they managed to do something not too many manufactures can do: prove those critics wrong. When the 370Z ditches its top, it doesn’t wallow and it isn’t so fat that it becomes slow. If anything, the Z brings those daydreams of past roadsters into the modern world. It packs all the amenities of a 2011 into the soul of a car nearly 40 years old. When behind the wheel of a 370Z, a driver can find that special something that makes a sports car a sports car: connection. But unlike a 1970’s roadster, the Z can actually be driven everyday without worry of overheating, electrical gremlins or simply giving up. The 2011 Nissan 370Z Roadster will be light, strong, fast and beautiful for years on end.
Photos: © Copyright 2011 Ossamah Shabbir
