2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster

Nissan North America announced it will begin sales of the new 370Z Roadster in late summer this year. Two versions of the sports car are to be sold, namely a normal Roadster and a Touring Roadster. Differences are in the extras received by owners of the Touring such as heated and cooled leather seats for open-top driving in any weather, Bluetooth cell phone connectivity, an 8-speaker Bose sound system and XM satellite radio - excluding the XM subscription.

Both models still feature the folding soft roof which operates either through a button at the centre console or buttons on the doors. It will open/ close in about 20 seconds and when down it is hidden under a hard tonneau cover.

The 370Z Roadster has the same 3.7-litre naturally aspirated engine from the coupe. Maximum power is rated at 332hp (244kW) and 270 lb-ft (366Nm) of torque. Transmission options are a 6-speed manual or a 7-speed automatic. Both are said to return fuel economy figures of 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

Interestingly this car has a shorter wheelbase than the 350Z Roadster it replaces. Standard aluminium wheels come with P225/50R18 front and P245/45R18 rear Bridgestone Potenza tyres.

The Touring range will be offered with two different trim packages that will have potential customers deciding on, among other features, whether to trade a limited slip differential for a 9.3GB Music Box Hard Drive with USB connectivity or not. They will also have a choice of 7 exterior colours to choose from.