Pants in Motion

I have no reason to like convertibles. My genes conspired to make me too tall, oddly-proportioned, short-sighted and bald. I am not the sort of person you want to spot out of the corner of your eye while waiting for the light to change. I am not James Dean or Steve McQueen. Hell, I’m not even Ferris Bueller.

So why do I like convertibles so much?

Ever since I was young I’ve looked at convertibles on the street or in pages of magazines. I don’t think I was conscious of it at first, but there’s something really liberating about the idea of having no roof above your head. As the government continues to crack down on what we’re allowed to do and think, the roadster becomes more and more a symbol of rebellion to me. Maybe I can’t drive more than 2kph above the speed limit without getting a massive fine but by God, I can fold the roof down and shout, “BEHOLD MY INTERESTING CAR AND UNFORTUNATE FEATURES!”

The first convertible I ever rode in was a Californian Fiat Spyder, imported by a friend of a friend, then wrapped around a tree several months afterwards. It had approximately the interior space of a jam jar and the power of an enthusiastic squirrel, but I was besotted. With the weather just so, the light at exactly the right angle and the traffic as sparse as my hair, I felt like a rock star.

My friend Liss gave me the opportunity to drive the Porsche Boxster PDK a while ago and it’s fair to say that I loved it. Ignore what the haters say (“Oh, it’s a poor man’s 911″, “It’s a girl’s car”).  The Boxster is a stunningly well-rounded beast, the likes of which I have not seen since.

Which leads me rather nicely to this 370Z. Nissan made it quite clear early on that the target they were chasing when designing the model was the Porsche Cayman. I haven’t driven a Cayman but mechanically it’s based on the Boxster so I think I have enough experience to draw broad comparisons. As the Cayman is to the Boxster, so much the 370Z be to this 370Z Roadster. And frankly, I think something’s gone a bit wrong.

On paper everything seems reasonable. The Nissan has plenty of power, looks decent (if you can get past the aggressive styling) and the price is naturally a lot lower than you’d pay for the Porsche.

Let’s start with the good aspects, because there are several. I liked the seats and managed to fit into the Roadster a lot better than I could in the coupé. The body feels nice and stiff – no annoying scuttle shake. I also liked the weighty steering, even if I didn’t get as much feedback as I would have liked. The engine is pretty willing too, even if it sounds harsh at high revs.

Time for the negatives.

Okay – so Nissan targeted Porsche. Why, then, does this roadster weigh 250kg more than the Boxster S? It’s certainly not because it has a much bigger engine – it only gets another 20kW or so. It’s not because the interior is more luxurious; in fact the Nissan feels cheaper inside than my Golf. Why, when the Boxster’s soft-top folds as gently and reassuringly as your mother tucking you into bed at night, does the Nissan sound like you’ve reversed into a woodchipper? The roof on the 370Z actually failed the very first time I tried it, making a horrible clanking, groaning noise and stalling half way through. Perhaps we got a dud unit? When we did get it to fold down, the Z allowed a lot more wind into the cabin than I was expecting. It forced Liss into an impromptu Axl Rose impersonation as she strapped on a bandana. No such windswept issues for me, of course.

The real killer for me is the weight. I argue with friends about weight all the time – it destroys handling. Power is nothing without finesse. Chirping this car into second gear is like trying to push a fat labrador off your bed. It’ll do it, but there’s a lot of shuddering and carrying on. The same happens when you try to pitch into a corner – the weight creeps up on you from behind like an amorous zombie.

So it’s a pup, then? Maybe so, but like any convertible I still enjoyed the hell out of driving it. Take it for what it is and you’ll have a good time. But don’t, whatever you do, think that this is a Porsche beater. Nissan still have a long way to go.