Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Japan, Nissan, First Drive

The first and possibly most important thing you need to know about the new 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster is that Nissan knew it'd be building a convertible from day one. Over beers and some yummy Asian food with Bruce Campbell, Nissan's VP of design, we learned that the 350Z Roadster was an afterthought - at least from a design standpoint. In other words, when Campbell's team penned the 350Z, they weren't thinking the top would be coming off. Which is why the convertible 350Z was - to be kind - awkward looking.

With the 370Z, however, Campbell's team actually started by sketching the roadster first and the coupe was somewhat of an afterthought. Not totally, of course - they knew there would be a hardtop - but the regular 370Z's creased and angled roof is essentially lifted from the GT-R. It's not bad, per say, and after the Nineties 300ZX and the original 240Z, the new 370Z is probably the best looking Z of them all. Probably, because you could make a strong case for the 280Z, funny bumpers and all. And some folks will argue that the 350Z is actually the best looking of the bunch, even though it's a bit too Audi TT for our tastes.

There is no debate, however, about the best looking convertible Z - that trophy sits squarely on the 370Z Roadster's mantle. The 1993-1996 300ZX convertible was just weird, 99% due to the fact that Nissan left the basket handle B-pillar in place. It also came with an MSRP of $44,678 - over a decade ago. Comparing the 370Z to its forebearer, the last model looked painfully hemorrhoidal. Junk in the trunk and then some. Top up it looked like the car was wearing an ill-fitting wig. The "design" didn't work because, as Campbell it explained, it was more marketed than designed. This time out, all one has to do is take in the deeply curved mainline to grok the essence of Z.


Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading First Drive: 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster shrugs off the convertible stigma

First Drive: 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster shrugs off the convertible stigma originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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