Nissan 370Z Roadster: World Premiere in New York

Ahead of the New York International Auto Show, Nissan dropped the cover (and the top) on the roadster version of its new 370Z. Normally convertible versions of coupes aren’t all the different from their hard-top cousins, and while that is mostly true here we have to hand it to Nissan on the design of the new model – especially after the 350Z Roadster was, from a design point of view, an automotive hack job.

The new 370Z Roadster looks purposefully designed and is as elegant as the Coupe is sporty. To achieve this, Nissan designers used a shorter windshield and a new deck, which, by the way, completely covers the convertible roof when in the down position. This “tonneau” cover also incorporates the two-seater design with sculpting behind each of the seats.

The top itself is a material unit (in keeping with Nissan’s commitment to reduce the weight of the new Z cars), which raises or lowers in roughly 20 seconds. The operation is completely automated and can be done by the flick of a switch on the center console or by a button located on the door.

The soft-top also features a larger rear window (over the 350Z Roadster) for improved visibility.

“As expected, the 370Z Roadster delivers an exhilarating connetion to the air, wind and environment on top of the new Z Coupe’s exceptinal levels of performance,” said Nissan North America general manager Al Castignetti. “But perhaps unexpected for a car this sporty is its greatly enhanced refinement and quality – as seen in features such as its one-touch auto-locking convertible top and beautifully crafted interior.”

The interior comes standard with cloth seats, as well as the Nissan Intelligent Key with a push button ignition and power windows and locks, with Touring models getting power seats and “net” leather seating, with both heating and cooling functions. Touring models have three color choices for the leather seats: Gray, Black or Wine. Other Touring model features include HomeLink, Bluetooth compatability, an 8-speaker Bose audio system and aluminum pedals.

The Z Roadster comes with 18-inch factory wheels with an option to upgrade to a Sport Package that includes light weight 19-inch RAYS wheels with Bridgestone Potenza RE050A P245/40R19 front/P275/35R19 tires. This upgrade also includes the NISMO brakes with four-piston front calipers and 14-inch rotors and rear two-piston calipers with 13.8-inch rotors.

All models come with Nissan’s new 3.7-liter V6 engine with 332hp and 270 ft-lbs of torque, an increase of 26hp and 2 ft-lbs over the past Z Roadster.

“The new 370Z Roadster lives in the same sweet spot of performance, style and value that the Z Coupe does,” said Castignetti. “Open air diriving just begs for open riads and the new 370Z Convertible is the perfect companion.

The 2010 370Z Roadster will be available late this summer in six colors (Solid Red, Magnetic Black, Brilliant Silver, Platinum Graphite, Pearl White, Monterey Blue), as well as a special Black Cherry.

More on the 370Z Roadster after the jump:

For Release April 7, 2009

All-New 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster Adds Open-Air

Excitement; Features Power Auto-Lock Top Design

– Nissan Z® Roadster Joins 370Z Coupe in Nissan Showrooms In Late Summer 2009 –

Less than a year after the introduction of the all-new 2009 Nissan 370Z Coupe – a

vehicle that reset the bar for affordable sports car design and performance – comes

its dramatic new stablemate, the 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster. The seductively styled

Z® Roadster offers everything the hardtop Z® Coupe does – and more. As in more

classic open-air sports car driving excitement. More sun, moon and stars. And more

refinement than any Z convertible that has ever come before – including a standard

automatic latching power top and Nissan Intelligent KeyTM. Also offered are an array

of technology and convenience features, including the first-ever Z Roadster-

available heating and cooling ventilated net seats, Bluetooth Hands-free Phone

System, satellite radio and advanced Nissan Navigation System. The 2010 370Z

Roadster is scheduled to go on sale at Nissan retailers nationwide in late summer.

“As expected, the 370Z Roadster delivers an exhilarating connection to the air, wind

and environment on top of the new Z Coupe’s exceptional levels of performance,”

said Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan

North America, Inc. (NNA). “But perhaps unexpected for a car this sporty is its

greatly enhanced refinement and quality – as seen in features such as its one-touch,

auto-locking convertible top and beautifully crafted interior.”

A Truly Authentic Roadster

The 370Z Roadster’s most obvious departure from the 370Z Coupe is its convertible

top. The soft-top roof was designed with an emphasis on three key areas: to provide

a sleek silhouette matching the new Z’s stunning styling with the top up or down, to

offer easy single-action open-close operation, and to provide an enjoyable top-down

experience with reduced wind turbulence and all-climate driver/passenger comfort.

With convertible top in the closed position, the design provides a sophisticated

sloped-back appearance, the perfect balance between the soft top and the Z body

design. The shortened windshield and aerodynamically rounded rear deck enhance

the Z®’s kinetic and dynamic character lines. When in the down position, the

convertible top is concealed beneath a full body-color hard tonneau cover, which

extends forward to help create the Z® Roadster’s classic “double cockpit” style

interior.

The standard black cloth convertible top features a fabric inner liner, which provides

a quality appearance and helps reduce noise intrusion into the cabin, along with an

enlarged (versus the previous generation Z Roadster) glass rear window with an

integrated electric rear window defroster. The top operation takes approximately 20

seconds start-to-finish and is controlled by either a center console-mounted switch or

by a button located on the doors. The automatic latch system secures the top to –

or releases it from – the windshield header without driver intervention. The shape

and position of the glass wind deflector, located between the fixed headrest bars, has

been optimized to reduce turbulence into the cabin.

Like the new 370Z Coupe, the Z Roadster’s new exterior is more aggressive in

appearance and lighter and tighter in structure than the previous generation. The

wheelbase is nearly four inches shorter (100.4 inches versus 104.3 inches) and

overall length is reduced by 2.6 inches (167.2 inches versus 169.8 inches). The new

Z® Roadster features an aluminum hood, door panels and trunk for reduced weight.

At the same time, the body structure was extensively revised, improving rigidity and

stability. The 370Z Roadster includes additional structural reinforcement (over the

370Z Coupe), including in the A-pillars and side sills.

The Z Roadster’s exterior design incorporates the look and feel of the new Z

Coupe, including its signature long nose/short cockpit proportions, vertical door

handles and distinctive new headlight/taillight treatment, which features a fierce

“boomerang” shape. High Intensity Discharge (HID) bi-functional xenon headlights

with auto on/off feature are standard.

The 370Z Roadster is offered in seven exterior colors: Solid Red, Magnetic Black,

Brilliant Silver, Platinum Graphite, Pearl White, Monterey Blue and a special premium

color, Black Cherry.

Inside the stunning exterior, true to its sports car heritage, the Z Roadster’s interior

is completely driver-centric, with its three-layer design grouping items by how a

driver sees information, operates the controls and is held in place – so drivers feel

completely connected and engaged whenever and wherever they drive, top up or

down.

The Z Roadster features high back black woven “Carbon” cloth seats with 8-way

manual driver’s/4-way manual passenger’s seat adjustments. Touring models

include unique leather-appointed “net” seats with 4-way power/4-way manual

operation on the driver’s seat (4-way power on the passenger’s seat). These

second-generation net seats are exclusive to the Z Roadster and have integrated

heating and cooling functions – ideal for open air driving no matter what the outside

temperature. Adjustable front seat Active Head Restraints are also standard.

The Z Roadster’s 2-seat layout includes a deeply scooped instrument panel with a

full-length center console separating the driver and passenger’s seat. The

instrument panel retains the traditional Z 3-pod cluster with oil temperature,

voltmeter and clock, while the speedometer and tachometer now include an “initial

sweep” function, coming alive when the car is first started.

The sporty steering wheel is a new “oval” 3-spoke design, which offers baseball-style

stitching, improved thumb grips and palm rest areas for improved feel on long

drives. The surface of the leather-wrapped wheel is “shaved” to provide a more

kidney-like shape to better fit in the hand. The manual transmission shifter is

specially padded to improve the accuracy of diagonal shifts and to feel softer in the

hand for forward and backward motions.

Standard interior comfort and convenience features include Nissan Intelligent KeyTM

with Push Button Ignition, power windows with one-touch auto up/down feature,

power door locks with auto-lock feature and a center console box with a non-

intrusive cover design.

Other features include automatic climate control, two 12-volt power outlets, three

cupholders (two in door panels, one in center console) and an AM/FM/CD/AUX 4-

speaker audio system with illuminated steering wheel-mounted controls.

The Touring model adds a 6CD Bose audio system with eight speakers (includes

dual subwoofer) and MP3/WMA playback, XM Satellite Radio (XM subscription

required, sold separately), Bluetooth Hands-free Phone System, HomeLink

Universal Transceiver and aluminum-trimmed pedals. This is the first time

Bluetooth and satellite radio have been available on a Z convertible.

The optional Navigation Package includes the touch-screen Nissan Hard Drive

Navigation System with XM NavTraffic real-time traffic information (XM

subscription required, sold separately), 9.3GB Music Box hard drive for digital music

storage and playback and a USB fort for iPod connectivity. The new navigation

system offers a number of enhancements (versus previous Nissan Navigation System

designs), including four times higher screen resolution, wireless music player audio

streaming capability (via Bluetooth), on-board Zagat restaurant ratings database,

an in-dash DVD player and XM NavWeather weather information display (XM

subscription required, sold separately).

The 370Z Roadster interior is available in Black cloth or for 370Z Touring Roadster

models, a choice of Gray, Black or Wine leather-appointed net seating.

Open Air, Open Roads – An Unbeatable Combination

Roadster or Coupe, the new Zs share one of the most advanced drivetrains

available for affordable sports cars today. The Z Roadster’s long list of cutting edge

performance-focused technologies includes a standard 332-horsepower 3.7-liter

DOHC V6 engine with Variable Valve Event and Lift Control (VVEL), choice of 7-speed

automatic transmission or close-ratio 6-speed manual with available “SynchroRev

Match” (the world’s first synchronized downshift rev matching manual transmission),

refined 4-wheel independent suspension and 4-wheel vented disc brakes (with

available Nissan Sport Brakes).

“The new 370Z Roadster lives in the same sweet spot of performance, style and

value that the Z Coupe does,” said Castignetti. “Open air driving just begs for open

roads and the new 370Z Convertible is the perfect companion.”

Compared to the previous generation 350Z Roadster, the new Z convertible picks

up 26 horsepower and 2 lb-ft of torque (332 horsepower @ 7,000 rpm and 270 lb-ft

of torque @ 5,200 rpm, compared with the previous 3.5-liter V6’s 306 horsepower @

6,800 rpm and 268 lb-ft of toque @ 4,800 rpm).

Along with its larger displacement, the 3.7-liter engine gives better power delivery all

the way to the 7,500 rpm redline, improved low-end power and more high-end

torque, creating an entirely new driving experience. Key to the enhanced

performance is the VVEL system, which is able to optimize intake valve open/close

movements, allowing the needed air to be sent promptly to the combustion chamber

at the precisely optimized time. Since the VVEL system can adjust to open the

valves slightly, it improves fuel efficiency by reducing camshaft friction and fuel

waste. It also provides cleaner emissions by allowing for quicker warm-up of the

catalyst and by stabilizing combustion when the engine is cool.

The 2010 Z Roadster is offered with a choice of two new advanced transmissions –

a close-ratio 6-speed manual or 7-speed automatic. The 6-speed manual is available

with SynchroRev MatchTM (included in the optional Sport Package), which allows

drivers of any skill level to experience professional-like gear shift performance. The

SynchroRev MatchTM function automatically controls and adjusts engine speed when

shifting to the exact speed of the next gear position, essentially “blipping” the

throttle to smooth out any up/down shifts. This not only allows the driver to focus

more on braking and steering, it improves vehicle balance and smoothness by

reducing the typical “shock” when the clutch is engaged. The system can be

deactivated with a button next to the shifter for drivers who prefer less vehicle

intervention.

The available 7-speed automatic includes Downshift Rev Matching (DRM) and

Adaptive Shift Control (ASC) and is designed to offer quick, manual-like shifting

when operated in manual mode.

Drivers can use the standard paddle shifters or the shift lever. The 7-speed’s wide

gear ratios offer improved fuel efficiency, while the Adaptive Shift Control is designed

to adjust to the driver’s driving style.

Estimated fuel economy for the 370Z Roadster is 18 mpg City/25 mpg Highway for

both the 7-speed automatic and 6-speed manual transmissions – increases of 1 mpg

City/2 mpg Highway for the automatic and 1 mpg City/1 mpg Highway for the

manual transmission versus the 2009 350Z Roadster.

The Z Roadster also utilizes the Z Coupe’s advanced 4-wheel independent

suspension. The double-wishbone front suspension (which replaces the lower multi-

link setup in the 350Z) uses lighter forged aluminum arms and a lightweight rigid

aluminum-alloy cradle, along with a lighter stabilizer bar with a 35 percent improved

lever ratio. The 4-link rear suspension is also stiffer and lighter, with the rear cradle

entirely integrated into a single part. “High response” shock absorbers are utilized

on each corner for improved ride comfort.

The standard 370Z Roadster wheel and tire package features 18×8.0-inch

front/18×9.0-inch lightweight aluminum-alloy wheels with P225/50R18

front/P245/45R18 rear Bridgestone Potenza RE050A summer tires. Available as part

of the optional Sport Package are 19-inch RAYS forged lightweight aluminum-alloy

wheels with Bridgestone Potenza RE050A P245/40R19 front/P275/35R19 tires.

The Z’s standard 4-wheel vented disc brake system includes Anti-Lock Braking

System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA).

The optional Sport Package includes Nissan Sport Brakes with large diameter 14.0-

inch front and 13.8-inch rear rotors (versus 12.6-inch front/rear standard rotors)

with 4-piston front and 2-piston rear aluminum calipers.

Steering is provided by a vehicle-speed-sensitive power-assisted rack-and-pinion

design. Unwanted steering kickback and vibrations are reduced with the addition of

a solenoid valve that acts like a damper when there is a harsh impact load. A

Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system is standard.

The Nissan 370Z Roadster’s list of standard safety features includes the Nissan

Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual-stage supplemental front air bags with

seat belt and occupant classification sensors; front seat-mounted side impact

supplemental air bags; door-mounted curtain air bags; and seat belts with

pretensioners and load limiters.

Other standard equipment includes Active Head Restraints, Zone Body Construction

with front and rear crumple zones, Nissan Vehicle Immobilizer System, Vehicle

Security System and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Two Well-Equipped Models

The new Z Roaster is offered in two well-equipped models – 370Z Roadster and the

370Z Touring Roadster. The Touring model includes the heated and cooling leather-

appointed power net seats, HomeLink Universal Transceiver, Bluetooth® Hands-free

Phone System, 8-speaker Bose® audio system, XM® Satellite Radio (XM®

subscription, sold separately) and aluminum-trimmed pedals.

Only two option packages are offered (Touring model only): the Sport Package, with

19-inch RAYS forged wheels and Bridgestone Potenza tires, Nissan Sport Brakes,

SynchroRev Match (6-speed manual transmission only) and Viscous Limited Slip

Differential; and the Navigation Package, with Hard Drive-based Nissan Navigation

System, 9.3GB Music Box Hard Drive and USB connectivity.