Nissan pegs price of fun: $36,970 for new 370Z roadster


If you manage to come up with a mere $36,970 when you dig deep into your pockets, the new 2010 Nissan 370Z roadster can be yours starting in September. The Z droptop, offering 26 more horsepower than the previous version and a new automatically latching top, will come in four models. The fanciest will be the Touring Roadster 7AT at $41,820. (The 7AT refers to a seven-speed automatic transmission.)

By comparison, Audi's well-reviewed TT roadster runs from $35,200 for the 2.0 TFSI FrontTrak S tronic to $46,540 for the 3.2 quattro S tronic. But Nissan officials seem to like their roadster more:

“The new 370Z Roadster offers more refinement, quality, performance and sheer driving pleasure than any Z convertible that has come before – while retaining its great value positioning in the sports car segment,” says Nissan's U.S. marketing chief, Christian Meunier.

To give you an idea of the droptop premium, the 2009 hardtop 370Z went on sale priced from $29,930 to $35,760. The tony tourer has a seven-speed automatic transmission.