• List price: $33,850 • Price as driven: $34,470 • MPG - 20 city/ 26 highway

Likes:

• Lots of bang for the buck • Performance-handling characteristics • “Can’t beat” for top down fun

Dislikes:

• Poor top-up visibility • Economy looking interior • Too low seat position

First Z car Roadster roars to life

Back in April when I first tested the new Nissan 350 Z sports coupe plans were already well under way for a convertible offering. The addition of the eagerly awaited and first ever Z Roadster came shortly after in late summer.

Cars beginning life as a hardtop turned convertible seldom works aesthetically and the new Z is no exception. The Z is immensely handsome as a hatchback coupe but the with the top up the Roadster looks heavy and bulky almost tortoise-like resembling the Lexus SC with it’s high beltline and large rear-end. The looks improve with the top down and that’s a good thing.

But two seat convertibles are about dropping the top and heading out for a drive. With a twist of a single-latch the three-lock power-operated soft-top with a glass rear window completely lowers in 20-seconds with a press of the button on the lower dash. So the top won’t bump the head of a taller passenger their seatback powers forward to make certain an accident doesn’t occur.

Unlike most sports cars the Z incorporates a hard boot cover, which first rises while the top folds and neatly covers the lowered top in one smooth mechanical motion. No need to pull, stretch and curse a soft cover boot into place with buttons and snaps. Even the $75,000 Jaguar doesn’t have that feature.

With the top up I found myself being on alert more so than ever. Rearward visibility and blind spots made driving difficult. There are continual lean-forward over-the-shoulder visual checks. The small mirrors alone won’t get the job done. Adding to visibility difficulties, the deep-seating position and high beltline will have shorter drivers looking for a seat cushion to prop them up. The instrument cluster does travel with the tilt-steering adjustment, which will help though.

The car we drove was the Enthusiast model ($33,850) with the six-speed manual transmission. A five-speed automatic transmission is available for an extra $970. There’s also a Touring model ($36,760) which adds heated leather seats, driver and passenger power seats, side air bags, 18” wheels and Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC). Unlike the coupe versions of the Z there’s no base, Performance or Track models.

The same 3.5-liter, 287-horsepower V6 engine powers the rear-wheel drive Roadster, as all Z models. Mated with the 6-speed manual transmission, our tester made for effortless performance power whether from dead stops or passing on the highway. It’s easily the quickest performer in its class when compared to the BMW Z4, Honda S2000 or Porsche Boxter.

The Z Roadster has a solid feel with no cowl shake or vibration when subjected to bumpy road surfaces or uneven pavement. Nothing flexing here. This solid construction makes it one of the quietest convertibles with the top up that I have tested. But who wants the top up when you can listen to the sweet sounds of the dual exhausts under full acceleration?

With a starting price under $34,000 the Z Roadster is a bargain for a high-performance convertible sports car but I’d recommend bumping up to the Touring model if for no other reason than to get the classy looking Silverstone exterior color with the Burnt Orange leather interior package. The Z turns heads wherever you drive and the fun factor is about as high as you can get.

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