So we got a 2011 Nissan 370Z Roadster

We never even touched the 350Z. We didn’t drive the 370Z Coupe either. And we never asked for the 370Z Roadster. However, we never say no when we get offered a car, so we took this Nissan drop-top you see here for a spin. Trouble is, with 16,000 km on the clock, everybody and their mother has already test-abused this car, so we’re guessing it wasn’t the most ideal representation of what a “Z” car is supposed to be.

Cosmetically, the car was perfect though. It looks great whether the top is up or down.

It ticks all the right boxes when it comes to focussed sports cars, with its wide butt, fat tyres, short wheelbase and long bonnet. But check out that rear window. The rearward view is nearly non-existent.

The cabin materials are nicely premium, with soft-touch, alcantara and leather everywhere. The only thing is the application seems a bit random, as are the colours.

Only the powered seats are red in this black interior. But they were perfect seats, very comfortable and supportive. There were even storage shelves behind the seats.

Boot space is limited, though still pretty decent, as evidenced by all this stuff that was already there in the back of our car. We found a 10-kilo box of Nissan “SHIFT” magazines printed by our competitor, a roll-up banner with heavy metal stand, and a bar of “Lifebuoy” soap. That soap really killed our 0-100 kph time.

It is unfortunate that we didn’t get to drive a fresh example of this stunning car. It showed a lot of promise during our test, but we were left wondering how it would’ve been with new brake pads, fresher tyres and unmolested engine. Because our test car wasn’t up to scratch on those fronts. More in the full review.