IN the 2003 350Z Roadster it seemed like Nissan hurriedly hacked off the lovely Coupe’s lines, found a bunch of leftover unused canvas rooves from an old Datsun 2000 Fairlady, and thrust this topless mutant upon an unsuspecting public. With that car’s all-new successor, though, the Roadster feels like it was meant to go alfresco from the outset, highlighting the many and varied improvements that the company has developed for its rugged little ragtop. There still are issues though, but we think that the 370Z Roadster makes for a unique performance convertible proposition.
![](/assets/contents/f87ed256a0af0f9e3ac159953a789d616ce0c493.jpg)
350Z Roadster
Released: Oct 2003
Ended: Apr 2009
Family Tree: 370ZNISSAN’S reborn Zed car went one better than its predecessors by being offered in two-seater convertible guise. Using a an electrically operated (but manually latched) fabric top with a glass rear window, the 350Z Roadster was initially offered in base Touring five-speed auto or more focussed Track six-speed manual with the 206kW/363Nm version of the award winning VQ35 V6 powerplant. A significant engine upgrade in May ’05 brought a more powerful version for the manual Track version (221kW/353Nm) while a major mechanical revamp in April ’07 ushered in 230kW/358Nm engine for all Z33 variants. ESC stability control and Brembo performance brakes were only ever offered in the Track manual ragtop versions.
Facebook Twitter Instagram