Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

2013 Nissan 370Z Roadster Touring

Gallery:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-...photo-5289348/

Convertibles are a highly specialized tool that come with compromises. They require a warm climate and sunshine to achieve their promise, but at the same time stick you with sacrificed rigidity and extra weight all year round. Many droptop drivers happily accept those trade-offs, but the deal-killer for me is privacy. I just don't like everyone at the intersection knowing what's in my iPod, or that Ira Flatow and Science Friday are about to take a short break.

So I am not a convertible person, but with days becoming shorter and summertime temperatures fading from the five-day forecast, I certainly didn't mind setting aside my predilection for closed quarters to enjoy this 2013 Nissan 370Z Roadster.

Driving Notes:
This thing is expensive! $50,055 as-tested including a $780 destination charge. The starting price of a base 370 Roadster is $41,470, which is over $8,000 more than the coupe's base price. For comparison's sake, the base price of a 2013 Ford Mustang GT Convertible with a 420-horsepower V8 is $35,300.

Nissan is lauded for its V6 engines, but in this guise, the 3.7-liter isn't one of my favorites. Here it produces 332 hp at 7,000 RPM and 270 pound-feet of torque at 5,200 RPM. The torque isn't there to push you into the seat at any speed. Rather, the engine needs to be worked to find the power higher in the rev range, which is fine because...

This transmission is excellent. Nissan's six-speed manual is terrifically precise and feels stout enough to handle much more power than it's being asked to divide here. The Touring model gets SynchroRev Match as part of the $2,380 sport package, which, with S-Mode engaged, blips the throttle on every downshift to match the engine's RPMs to the transmission. It's great to enter a gear with the engine already waiting for you and the sound it makes has you feeling like a race car driver who knows what he's doing.

While Nissan recommends that you operate the convertible top with the parking brake engaged and the brake pedal depressed, the car can just be left in Neutral (or any other gear except Reverse, for that matter) in order to flip its lid. That said, if the car is moving, the top won't budge. It's also slow, clunky and loud in its operation. With the roof up, the car's silhouette is different than the coupe's and not as flattering in my eyes. Lastly, when putting the roof down after it rained, I noticed the roof itself leaves dirt marks on the cover under which it's stowed.

This is strictly a two-seater that I suspect wouldn't be very comfortable for drivers and passengers over six-feet tall. The trunk is also miniscule (4.2 cubic feet) and there's only a couple of small parcel shelves behind the seats. A practical vehicle this is not.

It looks like the (smaller) Miata in terms of size, though from behind the wheel it's more like the larger, heavier Mustang to drive (the Mustang GT Convertible weighs only 122 pounds more, while the Miata – with a retractable hardtop – weighs 886 pounds less).

The EPA estimates the 370Z Roadster will return 17 miles per gallon in the city and 24 mpg on the highway. I spent most of my time with the car off the highway, and my right foot was certainly having fun. That translated into 16-17 mpg for the week it spent with me. Oh, and premium fuel is recommended.

The 370Z Roadster's price has it competing with cars like the Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class, BMW Z4 and even Porsche Boxster, while cars like the Mustang and Camaro Convertible offer much more power and practicality for far less money. There just isn't an equation that adds up to the 370Z Roadster being a good bargain. The hardtop, on the other hand...

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/09/18/2...k-spin-review/

bagwell

$50K for the roadster? do they even sell any at that price?!?!?

I'd take the coupe any day over the roadster...now if it was a hardtop...nah...just keep the price low!!

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Yeah there's better sports car deals to be had. Perhaps they should consider a turbo 4 next

Bean

iTrader: (1)

$50k? LOL. We got quoted $37k out the door for a sport-packaged roadster. We took the coupe instead, but $50k? LMAO.

I'm 6'1, almost 6'2 and there's TONS of room in these cars. Fix your seat positioning maybe?

This is a MUCH larger car than the Miata; I can't even begin to understand how you'd think they'd even be close to the same. There's less trunk room than the coupe because the top is fully powered and retracts INTO the car; more leg room, more storage spaces, etc. Wow.

We daily a coupe just fine. I can't imagine the roadster is any different outside of smaller trunk space. The driving dynamics and handling in this car are second to none in this price range. You compare the car to a Mustang GT, and while the Mustang has more power, it cannot touch the Z in the handling department. Go ahead and go drive them back to back or even vs a Camaro or Genesis Coupe.

Brian@Vossen

50k is a lot for it. We like it

speedflex

SHWEET! The facelifted one will probably look even better. But I like the coupe better than the vert all the way around, price no object.

I8ABMR

damn I didnt know that the V8 mustang has 420 HP. The new 5.0 is a beast

Bean

iTrader: (1)

Most dynos show it makes a bit more than that actually. The Boss 302 is rated at 444hp. Simple boltons and a tune for both cars will push them over 500hp. Sounds amazing too, I can't wait until they add DI and put it in a non-ugly, non-bus car