December 10, 2004 - Let's go back in time, way back. The year is 1999 and a nearly-comatose Nissan unveils a Z concept. Everyone hates it, we definitely did--let's stop there as the dog of a design looked terrible. About a year later, out of nowhere, Nissan shows another Z concept, this time it's totally different than the first attempt. Let's just say that it was an informal apology for the first design. It was good, so good that the design is, more or less, the car we see on the streets and showrooms to this day.

Nissan did quite the number with the 350Z; the carmaker turned a classic icon into a modern-day sports car at a ridiculously affordable price point. But the company promised that the Z would also appear as a convertible soon after its well-received introduction. True to its word, Nissan did indeed release a convertible Z, the Nissan 350Z Roadster.

While not as instantly sexy as the hardtop, all it takes to convince anyone that this the Z to have is a push of a button. Within second the all-power top drops and the Roadster's true lines shine through.

Aside from a switch that locks the cover down, the top is fully-powered. The top goes up or down in less than half a minute and the only thing of note is that the passenger will have to lean forward slightly while the automated cover does its deal. With the off-color top up the Z Roadster looks a bit, well, like a convertible.

The softop bubbles over the vehicle and detracts from the exterior of the Roadster. But once that top goes down, the Z is one of the best convertibles around. Wide and tough its stance is further assisted by the lack of a roofline, making the Roadster look even lower and shorter than the hardtop coupe.

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