Published: Monday, 27th July, 2009 10:11am

The Nissan 370Z drops its top

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If there's one thing that's been missing from the Nissan 370Z it's the option of a drop top. But that's all set to change this summer with the arrival of a roadster version of the firm's popular sports car.

Unsurprisingly, it's called the Nissan 370Z Roadster, and has been equipped with a whole host of features designed to ensure that (regardless of whether the top's down or not) the driving experience is nothing less than a pleasure.

"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," explains Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager of Nissan North America.

"But perhaps unexpected for a car this sporty is its greatly enhanced refinement and quality - a seen in features such as its one- touch, auto-locking convertible top and beautifully crafted interior."

And he's not wrong there, as the car's designers appear to have worked tirelessly to see off any criticism that could be aimed at their newest addition.

For example, excessive cabin noise is often a problem in soft top convertibles, and it's an issue that Nissan have tackled by equipping the car's black cloth convertible top with a fabric inner liner to keep out the worst of it.

Getting the top down can sometimes prove a frustrating experience when it comes to owning a convertible, but it's not something drivers of the 370Z will have to worry about.

To take the top down on the 370Z Roadster all drivers have to do is flip a switch on the centre console and within 20 seconds the roof will be down. And it takes the same amount of time to put it back up again.

To make getting out and about in the car even easier, it's also been equipped with an in-built satelite navigation system as well as raft of safety features - including front, side and curtain air bags, seat belt sensors, active head restraints and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

If you're in the market for a sports car, the chances are you've probably got a bit of disposable income. This will come in handy when it comes to re-fuelling the 370Z as you're only going to get around 18mpg when driving in the city and 25mpg on the motorway. But, what do you expect from a car that's powered by a 3.7-litre engine?

To find out more, visit www.nissan.co.uk.