COUPE OR ROADSTER?

[GriffGTV]

....I accept the roadster is shackled by extra weight, dulling performance slightly, however how does the ride and noise compare - particularly with the HR

 

Is the exhaust a lot louder (sometimes the sound gets 'left behind') - is ther much in the way of dash shimmy, bangs, rattles?

 

Is the roadster more comfortable on b roads (I understand it is heavier and softer dampers)

 

Any common problems with auto top? - I see replacement canvas cropping up alarmingly often

 

Sooo, votes for and against (driven experience) for HR and its forbear - roadster v coupe

 

I like looks of both - the presumed extra clarity of exhaust with fabric top (up or down) over metal coupe I suppose is the main pull - a covertible top down + auto top obviously appeals too - if the dash shakes like a jelly (I cant believe how bad a 944 cab was compared to rigid coupe for instance) it would spoil it for me, especially if it thumps at same time when hitting minor potholes (I try and avoid major ones!)

[hairyman68]

I've had my roadster for 3mths... Love it... Just fitted new roof but had budgeted for that. But you can't beat the noise of my cobra exhaust with the roof open.... No issues on A or B roads.. Just down to what you want....

[san marino blue]

Roadster is fine on long journeys

It's actually quite comfortable especially the 313

I'm a short arse at 5'9" but there's loads of head room and my seats nowhere near all the way back

 

Did Le Mans this year from North Wales, top down all the time.

Perfectly comfortable top up or down A, B or motorways

Top is easy to drop and put up, and is really water tight

The only time my hood plays up is if it's really cold

It can be a bit of a pain to get it to fold, but it's an 07 car on 90,000miles and original hood

i find if I flick it as it is opening it folds up much better

Above 5 degrees C it's fine

A bit noisy and blowy with windows and hood down, but windows up, it's fine

Heater is killer hot and very fast, so even on sub zero days the tops off

Performance is virtually the same and it was designed as a roadster, so it maybe slightly worse in the bends, but mine still sticks like glue, so there's no real gain there either

Tyres make more of a difference,

If it's your only car then the boots crap on a roadster, but mines a toy I have a pick up when I need to shift stuff

Some people like roadsters, some don't, it's personal I guess

Neither are bad, just different

Best thing is to have a go in both, that'll make your mind up

I love the back on the Coupes, but I love the top down and you can't have both.

[Ekona]

To be perfectly honest, you know whether you want a convertible or not. Some want it to enhance the driving experience, which is what I bought mine for, or some want the coupe because it handles much better.

 

However, to answer your questions:

 

1. Ride and noise are much of a muchness. The coupe isn't the quietest place to be, but if it's raining the ragtop is a fair bit louder.

2. The ragtop has the benefit of not needing to worry too much about resonant drone: I ran the K1 on mine and it was perfect, I've heard it on coupes though and it's horrendous.

3. Comfort is the same. Trust me, if I can't tell, then it's not worth worrying about.

4. Ragtops left out in the open can have issues. Mine was always garaged and I never had a problem, even in very cold temps. That's the only pattern I've noticed on here in over 7 years of being here, but even then it's not fool proof. As a rule, they're solid enough.

 

In terms of driving dynamics, my ragtop that was fully braced, aggressive geo, good tyres and excellent brakes was slower on circuit than a boggo coupe. That was what made me switch from having had 3 convertibles in a row to buying coupes. That said, on a hot summer night or a freezing cold winter day, I do miss the thrill of dropping the roof.

[Juggalo]

Can't comment on the hard top, not owned one. But I love my roadster. solid, no squeaks or rattles. clings to the road almost as good as my Fez ST did.

[Wayne370Z]

For me the choice is an easy one;

 

We live in the UK where the weather is always crap.

The coupe looks so much better and has a proper roof for all the bad weather .......

[350zroadsterGT]

I wanted my car for long gt runs down to the Alps rather than all out track day speeds, drove both and loved the extra sound and sensations of the roadster with the roof and windows down (especially in tunnels) and thought is it worth the extra costs?

It came down to me thinking I would probably be out one day in the sunshine and a roadster would go past with its roof down and I'd regret not getting one.

I havent regretted the decision so far...

[Will370z]

One thing I would comment is look for any wear, tears ( which can be common) or leaks before you buy. I loved my 350 roadster but got so fed up with leaks I ended up selling.

 

Make sure you get a gem of a car and if there are any issues walk away or accommodate this into the purchase price.

[The Big Miester]

Got to agree with every one here with a roadster had mine nearly twelve months and love it I do only use as a toy ,but saying that I enjoy when I do use and especially with the roof down but I have enjoyable days with it up as well ,comes down to personal choice at the end of the day

[chrisday1990]

Free to offend and your free to be offended... I think the 350z convertible is a car that Ken and barbie would drive, everytime I see a bloke driving one I think he defiantly shaves his legs. Fabric roofs look terrible in a country that only has 2 weeks good weather and the only convertabke I would buy is a hard top e90 m3 or a. S2000. The car is is just to bulky looking to drop the top

Edited July 8, 2015 by chrisday1990

[nowhereboy]

The coupe look's so much better! The roadster kills the nice lines of the Z in my opinion.

 

As above, if I was going to buy a convertible I'd go with an s2000.

[MIGWEL]

I agree with the above. The convertibles are a great looking car in my opinion but somehow they lose the sleek swept lines that the coupe has .. But each to themselves

[Ekona]

Free to offend and your free to be offended... I think the 350z convertible is a car that Ken and barbie would drive, everytime I see a bloke driving one I think he defiantly shaves his legs. Fabric roofs look terrible in a country that only has 2 weeks good weather and the only convertabke I would buy is a hard top e90 m3 or a. S2000. The car is is just to bulky looking to drop the top

And you've missed the point of a convertible completely.

 

Yeah, it's a pretty ugly car with the roof up, but the extra sensations you get from dropping the roof in all weathers adds so much to the driving experience. Where this nonsense comes from that you only put the roof down if it's sunny I've no idea: One of the best drives I ever had in mine was in the Highlands in February, with the snow falling down whilst the heater was on full whack. Magical experience. The looks of a car are pretty irrelevant really unless you're one of these people that stare at their car more than drive it, as you only ever see the interior when driving anyway and it's not like any Zed is blessed with the looks in that department!

 

While we're on the offending bit, I'd say that I'd rather be Ken and Barbie in a convertible than a council chav in a coupe :p

[djb55]

And you can fit a set off Golf Clubs in a Roadster

[rabbitstew]

I went for the HR Roadster over the coupe.

 

The noise of the engine & exhaust with the roof down are incredible. Even so, I fitted an after-market exhaust and that made it even better. Boot space on the HR is huge. Sure, the actual "boot" is smaller (can still get golf clubs in if you are into that), but the hidden "locker" space between the boot & the cabin, where the hood folds into can be used also for storage if you have the hood up. Its amazing what you can fit in there.

 

Handling, the car actually handles the same, if not better than the coupe. The shocks are the same. The roadster has loads of bracing underneath and a lower centre of gravity. Performance wise, i believe there is something like 0.4 seconds difference in 0-60 between the coupe & roadster, certainly nothing you would notice on the road.

 

Really its about what do you want. Some think the roadster looks ugly with the roof up, but I think it looks fine, it looks like the car was actually made as a roadster from its looks. When I bought mine, the roadster was at a large premium money wise, over the normal coupe.

 

The roof itself is fairly reliable. The handbook recommends not using the roof when the weather is below something like 8 degrees if i remember correctly. This is because the roof material gets stiffer and the motors can struggle. This showed up on mine when it used to "stick" at the half way point on cold days. A swift "tap" with the hand, or clicking the switch from "down" to "up" then back to "down" used to resolve the problem. I remember buying my car in the March time and even through the weather was cold id still have the roof down. With windows up & heaters on, you just drive along in a bubble off nice warm air. I think pretty much 9 times out of 10 when I was driving mine I had the roof down, regardless of the weather.

 

The only problem I had with the hood other than the known cold weather stick was that the metal support over the drivers head in the roof started pealing back from the roof frame. I think this was the tension the big elastic straps put on this cross beam. Nissan just re-riveted the bit of metal back on to "resolve" the problem.

 

The whole experience of driving an HR Roadster for me was brilliant. I remember when I bought mine, it was one of only 3 for sale in about 120miles of my house. I rang up all 3, one was sold, one was midnight blue, the other was the one I bought and I had to travel about 70 miles to look at it. I looked at it and bought it there & then. They didnt make many of them, something like 140 or whatever the figure was, so they were pretty rare compared to the coupe. In 18 months of ownership I only ever saw 1 other on the road.

 

With regards to general public`s opinion of the roadster, pretty much 99.9% of people thought it was brilliant. I had total strangers say to me "nice car". Even popping down to the local co-op to get a pint of milk would end up taking an hour or so as someone or another would usually say "wow nice car mate" and end up talking to me about what car it was etc. I had the same from the local MOT place and even the local car parts place - pop in for a bulb and come out to find the manager drooling over my car. I remember a couple of times just driving along with the roof down and bunch of kids on side of road just shouting out "nice car mate!".

 

Only "negative" comment I ever had was from one mate who despite him having a Peugeot 206 Convertible claimed that my 350z Roadster was a "hair dressers car" and used to rib me about "where do you keep your scissors". As his car at the time was worth about £1500 and mine was worth £16,000 I assumed it was just jealously.

[Alex350z]

Not a fan of the roadster, coupe looks far nicer

[zzzzz]

As others have stated it depends on whether you want the wind in the hair experience or not. I think the Roadster looks great with the roof down.

 

I really enjoy the roof down whether it a hot or cold day, the aircon sorts out the temperature so it can be used roof down for more than the 2 weeks a lot of people state

 

You should look and carefully test the roofs of any Roadster you are viewing. I know that many have had new and better roofs fitted, my oid 56 Roadster included. This cost me £760.

 

I recommend trying both and see which you prefer.

 

A picture is worth a thousand words...

 

[GriffGTV]

wow....i am brand new to the site and it would seem there is a lot of enthusiasm - perhaps polarised between 2 extremes - I have seen some disastrous body mods...

 

Not seen the roadster in the metal for a longtime and yet to drive either (difficult when no longer stocked by Nissan dealers) - however despite the slightly awkward look, it appear characterful (as did the BMW M 'bread-van') and i enjoy being a maverick (get to fly some...err...Top planes!)

 

So no real scuttle shake or shimmy on backroads / potholes?

 

Do these cars feel really fast accelerating, or just fast? - I imagine the linear power delivery and car weight disguise the generous power available? - Do you know of anyone re-mapping to re-introduce a power step midway in revband to make it feel more oldtime cammy or turbo - I am not looking for radical (had a Prodrive Sti which was simply awesome mainly due to steep boost curve and short sprint gears)

 

Only heard the Zs flat out on youtube where they sound truly manic (and epic) - does this get wearing? - what do they sound like tootling along at 1/3rd throttle through gears and not exceeding say 3.5k (midrange exhaust upgrade, not too loud)

 

Not worried about roadster being less 'macho' - present car is a GTV which is a little feline perhaps

[GriffGTV]

..and of course the roadster is a much rarer site with no apparent premium, price wise - I am targeting c £8k for a nice Hr when the weather turns more wintry and hopefully prices drop a little

[Ekona]

No noticeable scuttle shake really, maybe the odd bit but you don't really notice it at all due to the weight of the car.

 

They don't feel as fast as you would think, but a quick glance at the speedo will confirm that you can do serious pace in one. Plenty of grunt from low down though, and the midrange is excellent.

 

Stock exhaust is rubbish, tbh. A good intake will free up some lovely induction noise, and then a replacement exhaust makes it sound a bit better still.

[GriffGTV]

which induction mod retains cold air properties, enhances warble and doesnt do a hissy gulp every time you apply the throttle?

 

What minor mods enhances exhaust character without becoming cheap / overly loud? (Like the Nismo S sound on youtube but not the volume or cost!)

[djb55]

I drive a Roadster 313 HR and went for a Scorpion exhaust, just the right amount off noise for me. As others have said nice (ish) day roof down and turn the sounds off and listen to that noise from the exhaust as you accelerate through the gears.

 

The heating system and heated seats mean you get get the roof down on Autumn days and still enjoy it.

 

Theres also the pose factor Sitting at the lights on a hot day and operte the roof down, it looks the bollox.

[Floydbax]

I have always, pretty much, had coupes over the years and when my V6 FTO died a rusty chassis death I was going to replace it with a Zed coupe. I read the advice here to try a few first to get to know what to look for, then a roadster came up locally. So I thought why not go look at it to get a little experience of the car ....... and came home with it I never thought about, or intended to get a 'vert but it was so freakin' awesome Still love the coupe tho' and miss the hardtop for carrying windsurf gear but I'll get a cheap Golf runabout smoker for that Almost every time/day I'm complimented on what a cool/beautiful/awesome car I have, from allsorts of people, kids, teens, 20's-50's and even OAP's male, female and other

[rabbitstew]

Do these cars feel really fast accelerating, or just fast? - I imagine the linear power delivery and car weight disguise the generous power available? -

 

Depends really upon what you are used to. I have to say initially I was a bit disappointed with mine. Coming from mad turbo cars, which would throw you back in the seat when the turbo kicked in, I felt the zed really didnt feel like it had 309bhp under your right foot. But, once you get used to driving it, it is fairly quick. It still doesnt seem to "feel" as quick as it is if you see what I mean.

 

which induction mod retains cold air properties, enhances warble and doesnt do a hissy gulp every time you apply the throttle?

 

What minor mods enhances exhaust character without becoming cheap / overly loud? (Like the Nismo S sound on youtube but not the volume or cost!)

 

The problem you will have with the HR model is that the engine & car in general was overhauled. The engine in particular is 80% new. NIssan basically did everything they could to improve the engine & get as much power out of it whilst keeping it reliable. So, they added twin air boxes, with a ram air effect, which gives you something like 6bhp more when doing 60mph, they improved the water cooling on the block to keep things reliable,the engine has a longer stroke to improve torque, 7500rpm rev limit etc etc. they even "tuned" the exhaust system to make it sound better. The engine was mounted lower in the chasis to improve handling. Suspension was altered etc. So a lot of the mods people do to the older cars, such as induction system, pendulum, exhaust & a remap just wont give you the gains you see on the older cars.

 

The general consensus is that the standard air filter & induction system is the best. You can fit HKS or Cosworth filters to the stock airbox, but they dont really make any difference. What Ekona is referring to is that if you fit cone filters or something like that, you will increase the induction noise - which can make it sound pretty good, but I am not sure if that will reduce power slightly?

[Ekona]

If you lose 3bhp, you'll gain that in enjoyment. It's absolutely worth the sacrifice, and for me induction noise is better than exhaust noise on the 350.