Nissan just announced that its all-new drop-top roadster goes on sale in September 2009 and will start at $37,960. While it is still unclear as to what options will come standard on the drop-top, it comes in significantly higher than the base 370Z coupe, which starts at $30,650. It’s possible that the Roadster will include many more standard options.

We do know that the $38 large will get you a convertible with a six-speed manual transmission. The 7-speed automatic can be added in for a base price of $38,990 including destination.

The new Z Roadster adds 26 horsepower and 2 lb-ft of torque to the outgoing model. The new 3.7 liter VQ engine will push out 332 hp at 7,000 rpm and 270 lb-ft at 5,200 rpm. Also noteworthy is that this added power comes with cleaner emissions that the previous 3.5 liter V6. Like the coupe, the droptop’s standard six-speed manual will feature Nissan’s new SynchroRev Match downshifting technology.

The convertible top operation takes approximately 20 seconds and will be controlled by a center mounted switch. The top will automatically latch and unlatch without driver intervention and will feature a fabric inner liner and a glass rear window with defroster, a much better option than a cheap plastic window.

The convertible will hit dealerships in September, when the weather is perfect in the South. Customers in the Northern states may not want to delay too long, since Nissan’s September launch missed out on summer.

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