Driving the Nissan 370Z Roadster last week, I experienced every joy and all of the handicaps that come with a two-seat, open-top sports car.
Late summer's alluring atmosphere and brilliant sunshine made those joys abundant. I flipped open the top at the start of every excursion. I left the cockpit exposed at all of my various visits and stops, popping up buoyantly to exit and then, when I returned, sliding down comfortably into the seat like I was slipping my feet into flip flops — the epitome of summertime ease.
But sometimes, you just need sturdier shoes. Last week, an unexpected bit of personal business called me away for a quick, 500-mile trip. Five-year-old John wanted to come along. Like every eager and enthusiastic little boy, John enjoys jaunts in life-sized automobiles that are as playful as his Hot Wheel toys. But Sonya, a 3-year-old mongrel, had to come along. The trip came up too quickly for me to make dog-care arrangements. They wouldn't both fit in the 370Z. I had to disappoint John.
Yet even traveling with just the dog, equipped for only a quick overnighter, I had to leave behind some of the gear I would have otherwise carried in a larger trunk. Repeatedly during the drive, Sonya tried to climb into the back seat to stretch out, discovering each time that there was no back seat. John would have grown fidgety too. And in either case, for canine or 5-year-old kid, the passenger side of a two-seat roadster is not particularly safe.
Such practical limitations most often make the Nissan Z a second car, serving as fun-time backup alongside a larger vehicle. That's true with every sports car.
But Eric Campbell, Nissan sales manager at Rockingham Toyota Scion Nissan Honda, has seen exceptions with the Z.
"It's very rare, but I have had somebody buy it for an all-purpose car. He put snow tires on it in the winter and he did just fine," Campbell said. "For the diehard fan who knows how to drive a rear-wheel-drive car, they can drive it winter, spring, summer and fall."
The rear-drive set up of the Nissan 370Z — available as either a soft-top Roadster, which I drove, or a lower-priced, fixed-top Coupe — distinguishes it as a legitimate sports car among the people who care about such matters. Front-wheel drive is still much preferred by most motorists, in our snowy climate especially. That's because front drive is inherently easier to handle when traction gets tough.
But rear-wheel drive provides the greater sense of precision and control that is preferred by fully engaged, hard charging drivers. It distributes more weight to the back, creating an even, 50/50 balance that doesn't burden either the front or rear axles. Rear drive frees the front wheels for steering alone, rather than encumbering them with steering and propulsion. That produces more steering precision and gives drivers greater, fine-grained feedback when cornering. Finally, rear drive creates a powerful push — rather than a pull — that skillful drivers can manipulate during maneuvers.
You'll find other sporting two-seat models with rear-wheel drive. But the Nissan Z distinguishes itself as a purists' car. The model's firmly planted stance and its muscular, compressed styling project a serious image rather than the pixie-like, playful demeanor that can rub off from, say, the Mazda Mata. And the Z isn't tied up with status and prestige like high-priced, luxury sports cars from Porsche and BMW, for instance.
Uniquely, the Nissan 370Z inspires a single-minded devotion that can cause some enthusiasts to sacrifice, to live with practical limitations, in order to own a car that rewards them with exhilarating driving.
"It's a car for somebody who just wants a nice sports car that will give them a lot for the money," said Campbell. "It's for a person with a particular attitude, whether they're young or young spirited at any age."
Typically, the youngest buyers go for the hard-top coupe version of the 370Z, the sales manager said. They find it more affordable. With a list price starting at $31,150, the Z Coupe sells for about $7,000 less than the drop-top Roadster, which starts at $38,150. Roadster buyers tend be older, with greater purchasing power.
Both versions come with an amply muscled, 332-horsepower V6 engine. The standard, six-speed manual transmission will please the most uncompromising purists, who demand complete control of the car. A seven-speed automatic is available for an additional $1,300. With either transmission, the 370Z earns a fuel-economy rating of 18 miles per gallon in city driving, and 25 mpg on the highway. That's respectable economy for a car in this class. But I still beat it during my two-day journey, averaging 27 mpg for predominantly freeway driving.
Because the 370Z is a uniquely positioned car, the shoppers it brings to Rockingham generally don't compare it to other, similar models, Campbell said.
"It's their main focus," he said. "The 370Z shopper is looking for just that car."
The convertible version of the 370Z is a new model, introduced by Nissan at the start of this year. It joined the solid-roofed, 370Z Coupe, which was introduced a year earlier as the replacement to the auto maker's prior-generation, 350Z.
Campbell explained that Nissan is currently expanding its vehicle offerings to attract a more diverse group of drivers. That campaign shows most clearly in the company's soon-to-be-released Leaf all-electric car, the ultimate green machine.
But fundamentally, Nissan has sold itself as a manufacturer of automobiles that bring an athletic, sporting edge to mainstream motoring. As a dedicated, no-nonsense sports car, the 370Z gives the company a credible claim to that image, Campbell said.
It also gives serious-minded sports drivers a model that fulfills their desires.
Jeffrey Zygmont has written about automobiles since 1982. Based in Salem, N.H., he writes books and articles about innovation, technology and culture. He can be contacted through the Web site jeffreyzygmont.com
2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster
Vehicle type: 2-door, 2-passenger, rear-wheel-drive, convertible sports car
Price range: $38,060 to $42,910 (plus options)
Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles basic warranty; 5 years/60,000 miles powertrain warranty
Engine: 3.7-liter V6
Power: 332 horsepower at 7,000 rpm; 270 lb.-ft. torque at 5,200 rpm
Base transmission: 6-speed manual
Fuel economy: 18 mpg city; 25 mpg highway
Wheelbase: 100 inches
Length: 167 inches
Width: 73 inches
Height: 52 inches
Weight: 3,426 pounds
Fuel capacity: 19.0 gallons
Turning Circle: 32.8 feet
