Restyled Nissan 370Z roadster brings more power, more fun

Special to the Star-Telegram

Fall usually is good top-down touring weather in Texas and other Sun Belt states, so the arrival of the 2010 Nissan 370Z roadster seems to be just in time.

Those in the colder climates might have to wait until spring to enjoy this beautiful new ragtop, at least with the top down.

The new roadster joins the Z lineup that also includes the redesigned coupe, which went on sale earlier this year as a 2009 model.

This is the sixth generation of the iconic Z car that has been in the No. 2 Japanese automaker’s stable off and on for nearly 40 years. After killing off the Z line in 1996, Nissan revived it for 2003, bringing the fifth generation to market.

For 2009, the convertible was the 350Z. The name was changed for 2010 to reflect the size of the engine -- a 3.7-liter V-6 that replaced the previous-generation’s 3.5-liter.

Used in both the coupe and roaster models, this is a version of the award-winning Nissan VQ engine series, featuring 332 horsepower and 270 foot-pounds of torque – up from 306 horsepower and 268 foot-pounds of torque in the previous model.

The car has rear-wheel drive; all-wheel drive is not offered.

Available transmissions are a seven-speed automatic and a close-ratio six-speed manual. Our tester came with the manual, which is the most fun for pure driving, but the automatic would be preferable for most people if they were to use the Z for everyday commuting in stop-and-go traffic.

The engine’s power is quite exhilarating, and one could get in trouble quickly with the traffic cops because the car never seems to be going nearly as fast as it is.

New features include an automatic-latching power top and Nissan’s Intelligent Key system, which lets the car operate without having to put a key into the ignition.

Two models are offered: the base ($36,970, plus $720 freight) and the Touring ($40,520), which we tested.

This car is a two-seater, and can be a bit of a challenge to get into and out of if you’re not petite. But once inside, there is decent head and legroom, and the seats are comfortable.

The dash in front of the driver has analog speedometer and tachometer gauges, and there is a digital readout to show the transmission’s gear position. A driver-information center to the left of the steering column has a small digital screen, and there are also is a digital engine temperature gauge and fuel gauge.

There are three small round gauges to the right of the steering column, featuring analog oil temperature and voltmeter gauges and a digital clock.

Extras with the Touring model include power heated-and-cooled leather net seats, a universal garage/gate opener, Bluetooth phone system, eight-speaker Bose audio system, XM satellite radio and aluminum-trimmed pedals. The speakers include two subwoofers.

Two options packages are available, but only on the Touring model, and were included on our tester.

They are the Sport Package ($2,800), with 19-inch forged-aluminum wheels, Bridgestone Potenza tires, SynchroRev Match for the manual transmission, and viscous limited-slip differential; and a Navigation Package ($1,850), with a 9.3-gigabyte Music Box hard drive, USB connection, XM NavTraffic and NavWeather, and an in-dash DVD player.

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