From the November 1992 issue of Car and Driver.

It is difficult to stay impartial about a sports car when the weather feels pleasant, the pavement twists and turns, and the calendar shows no commitments for the rest of the day. Add a convertible roof and even a Supreme Court justice might set aside professional detachment after just a short distance.

That situation explains the difficulty we faced while evaluating Nissan's appealing new Limited Edition 240SX SE Convertible.

The phrase Limited Edition may not fit this model exactly, since Nissan intends to build as many as 20,000 examples before production ends. Attractive certainly describes the car. Built on the sleek two-plus-two 240SX coupe, the SE convertible sits low and trim, looking sharp in Super Black paint that also helps mask the black fabric roof.

JEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver

Nissan and convertible specialist ASC Incorporated worked together on the transformation. Nissan adds structural reinforcements to the bodies in Japan before the cars travel to California. There ASC removes the roof, installs extra bracing, and fits an ASC-designed fabric top.

The finished product looks clean and factory produced. The only visible quirks are the two seatbelt posts that rise from the doors, though they improve belt placement compared with lower mounts.

The top itself shows careful construction. The driver releases two latches on the headliner, drops the power windows, and presses a console button to lower the top electrically into the storage area behind the seats. After that step the process requires more effort: a soft boot stored in the trunk must be fitted with several snaps, taking roughly thirty seconds. Many owners will likely skip the boot and drive without it.

JEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver

Although it shares roots with the lively 240SX coupe, the convertible focuses on relaxed cruising. A four-speed automatic is the sole transmission choice, and the car weighs more than two hundred pounds above the manual coupe we tested earlier. Acceleration to 60 mph therefore requires 9.1 seconds instead of 7.9. Skidpad grip falls from 0.85 g to 0.80 g, and 70-to-0 mph braking distance grows from 164 feet to 198 feet, largely because of the narrower all-season tires.

The 2.4-liter four-cylinder and the automatic transmission do not form an ideal match. The gearbox shifts often to keep the engine in its stronger range, and even at wide-open throttle the upshifts happen well before redline.

Structural stiffness leaves room for improvement. Despite the added bracing, the car flexes noticeably on uneven pavement, the kind of rough surfaces common on Michigan roads.

JEFFREY G. RUSSELL|Car and Driver

The base price of $22,295 covers power windows and locks, an AM/FM/cassette stereo, and cruise control. Air conditioning and a Sony CD player cost extra. That figure sits well above a comparably equipped Mazda Miata, which undercuts it by more than $4,000, and also exceeds the price of a Ford Mustang LX V-8 convertible that delivers stronger performance.

Those points may matter little once the top comes down and the 240 rolls into a pleasant summer evening.

Specifications

Specifications

Year Make Model Trim
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door convertible

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $22,295/$23,215

ENGINE
DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 145 in³, 2389 cm³
Power: 155 hp @ 5600 rpm

TRANSMISSION
4-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 97.4 in
Length: 178.0 in
Curb Weight: 3158 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 9.1 sec
1/4-Mile: 17.2 sec @ 81 mph
100 mph: 29.5 sec
Rolling Start, 5-60 mph: 9.3 sec
Top Speed: 124 mph
Braking, 70-0 mph: 198 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.80 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 22 mpg

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
City: 21 mpg

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED