I'd like to do a quick poll of opinion.

 

Someone told me this week that they didn't think the zed was the 'right image for me'. (!!)

 

This comment was based upon the following facts/opinions:-

[*] I am the director of an architectural practice that specialises in designing houses for the MEGA-rich (ie £2M upwards)

[*] the Zed is an old design which looks dated.

[*] it's a very fast and very LOUD car (this offends some people apparently :D )

[*] you'd only run a zed if you couldn't afford a 'quality sports car' (ie Porche, Aston, Ferrari etc)

 

They went on to say that I ought to drive a BMW or, if I had to have a fast 2+2 (which I DO!) maybe a DB7?

 

When I appeared insulted (!!!) he suggested that there wouldn't be many successful professionals out there driving zeds.

 

So come on, tell me, what do you all think. Are any of you old enough, sensible enough and wealthy enough to know better, but still drive a zed BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE CHOICE?

 

or am I the only one????????

The average 300ZX driver would have liked a Supra but had to settle for the Z as a much cheaper alternative. :D

Only trouble was they could have bought a Supra with all the money they wasted on keeping a 300ZX on the road. :D :p :D :p

Well my wife has a Supra TT and I prefer the ZX - more dramatic in it's looks, more dramatic in the way it accelerates and much more fun to drive.

 

Geoff.

I posted this once before, but it's worth saying again.

 

Before I bought the zed, I was out in my mate's race-tuned Saab 900, we stopped at a set of lights and a burgundy red Supra pulled up next to us. It was THE sterotype car - couple of black dudes, blackout windows, huge spoiler, GOLD alloys ! and thumping R+B. Despite knowing with some certainty that he could take it (420BHP in a Saab is quite a lot!), he just let it go and turned to me saying

 

"you just wouldn't, though, would you!?"

 

(buy a Supra that is!)

I had to say something about the part with Jewish people may be funny about German cars, for starters, why? And secondly, isnt Land Rover owned by a German car company now?

 

Stuart

Originally posted by NigelBoyd

Yes, my partner has a similar problem with image in fact, as he drives a CL500 - which he doesn't like to use when he visits Jewish clients in case they're a bit sensitive about a german car! (In those cases he takes his Range Rover Vogue 4.6 HSE !)

 

your partner? and i thought you were married.... shocking... and your partner is a bloke. Michael Barrymore is that you?

;)

Could be a business partner.

About Jewish people and German cars, may I say as a Jewish person, that those days have long past when lots of Jews wouldn't drive German cars. In fact most love the BMWs Mercs and Porches. So really and truly there's nothing to worry about your partner going to Jewish clients in the Merc SL500.

 

Geoff.

i dont think the image of zed drivers is stereotyped into a particular bracket most people dont even know what it is when they see it, unlike some other cars for example

 

supra - macho chestwig etc

Audi TT - hairdresser gay icon etc

BMW - flash get bass mobile

scoobs - the new xr3i

evo - rice mobile

porshe - manhood extension

 

there are countless others i could mention.

its sad that we live in a world were people are constantly keeping up with the jones' and image is more a factor of purchase rather than your own personal choice,

 

i got a zed cos its fast cheap and looks like no other car, who cares if its old and environmentally unfriendly, who cares what people think, im passionate enough to spend half my wages on a 14 years old peice of metal that still turns heads.

I've got some American article somewhere that states that the zed was the most aesthetically important car of the 90's.

 

I agree.

 

nuff said.

 

soon be 3 years with it and not bored at all.

 

Dont care who thinks I'm having a mid life crisis.

 

Been havin it since I was 17!

Originally posted by WillieO

I've got some American article somewhere that states that the zed was the most aesthetically important car of the 90's.

 

 

Yes but dont most yanks drive pickup trucks, Lincoln towncars and think football is called soccer?

:D :D

Originally posted by pork928

Yes but dont most yanks drive pickup trucks, Lincoln towncars and think football is called soccer?

:D :D

 

Very true!

Originally posted by pork928

The average 300ZX driver would have liked a Supra

 

 

Mate, I am taking that as a joke! I AM right, right?:)

Originally posted by scoops

your partner? and i thought you were married.... shocking... and your partner is a bloke. Michael Barrymore is that you?

;)

 

At least it was'nt "Adam said..........";) :D

if you spend loads on the zed and look after it it will cost you, but u will have a much better car than if you bought a beemer, and you will be an INDIVIDUAL, free thinker - unafraid to stray away from the herd.;)

 

A modded, well looked after Zed is beautiful - classic aerodynamic lines which will never be out of fashion. IF u got money, mod it to buggery with top notch sound system and it will be awesome.;)

I work as a PA to 2 Directors in our Company... all the office staff and the directors were all hanging out the windows shouting and clapping when I did the lap of honour round the block when I got my zed,

 

The Ops director he had just spent 40k on a Merc and was miserable, and still is ( we both bought cars at the same time.)

 

I've also been seen by my boss, roaring round town.(as he put it)

 

Virtually the whole company had a good look at my car on our company day

 

they never looked at his once teehee

 

other directors, clients etc comment and ask what it is when they visit,

 

My boss has all the latest gismo's in his car, i still have to give him maps :rolleyes:

 

Be original they will always remember you:D :D :D

i find also being a tw@t gets me remembered quite well too

Works for me mate!:D :D

I realised while I was driving back from Poole last night, that the BMW is the new Ford Escort..

 

Theres flippin millions of them on the road.. In fact, anything other than a BMW started to look like the oddball..

 

So there you have it, if you want to disappear and be unnoticed.. buy a BMW :D

 

 

(Disappears off to the BMW dealer)

Well, if I ever return to earth after death, I'll be looking for a ZED!

But really, I just picked up my ZX after almost a weeks absence having the zorst done. And whow - the Zed looks gorgous!!!

We love it!!!

Geoff.

A couple of interesting points been made on here.

 

I dont think its fair to call an evo=rice mobile..........evo=rally weapon and everyday supercar is nearer the truth.

 

Nigel,

 

Why not save yourself 25 grand compared to a DB7 and get yourself an R34GTT....rear wheelk drive, circa 300bhp, quite aggro/different styling and is available in tiptronic auto or manual. Running costs will prbably be lower than the zed, loads lower then an aston, but you wouldnt have to have such mega exhaust and other bits because you could still afford to keep the zed for weekends :D :D

 

Just another option.

 

James.

 

PS Did you know that the bmw 3 series sold more cars last month than the focus :eek:

Interesting discussion this...

 

At the time of purchase I'd just sold first house and paid off ALL debts, I'm single, no kids, and an IT consultant - so I could pretty much have afforded anything.

 

I went for the Z because it WASN'T a Porsche / BMW / Merc. Everyone has those. I wanted something unique and tweakable and something suitable to learn the perils of owning and driving performance cars.

 

(Plus I've driven several BMWs and I actually find my Leon TDI considerably more exciting!)

 

I'm obsessed with anything Japanese since a holiday there in '99...

 

The Z is sh!t on toast and it looks great. The only other car I would have considered was a Tuscan for similar reasons - nobody has one and they look fantastically space age. BUT, it would have cost four times as much to buy and God knows how much more to run. I might still convert one day but it didn't seem sensible to have one as a first performance car.

 

In fact, we were discussing fantasy garages in the pub the other night and decided you'd have to have one of a few categories...

 

RWD NA of some sort (maybe even a girlie MX5!) for pootling round the Lakes

 

Lunatic RWD turbo (Z, of course)

 

Hi-tech AWD street machine (Scooby, Skyline, Evo)

 

Silly FWD for wet days and the shopping (205 GTi 1.9 or Coupe Turbo Plus for me)

 

Note the Audi TT does not appear in the above list!

 

The other thing I like about the Z is that it's a well-kept secret - petrolheads know about them, but the general public don't. Great for showing your mate in the passenger seat what happens at 3000 revs without letting them in on it first. :)

Originally posted by bladerider

PS Did you know that the bmw 3 series sold more cars last month than the focus :eek:

 

I knew they were turning into the new Escort (Focus, whatever ;))..

 

 

 

Be honest James - you're here coz you're bored now Cem has taken GTROC down? :D (I'm down to one forum now! What am I gonna do till 5.30!?)

Apart from laughing out loud at Scoops 'TW*T" refernce (nice one matey!) I have to say this hase beena really interesting thread to read and I congratulate myself on starting it.

 

For those that really need to know - yes reference to Partner was my (extremely wealthy) business partner.

 

The reference to Mercs and Jews is real too! Two of my most influential and likeable clients are Jewish, one drives a merc and the other hasn't bought anything German in his whole life. We're all different and you have to respect peoples beliefs and sensitivities.

 

Finally - a great conclusion to this thred perhaps. The guy that made the original comment about my car got behind the drivers seat yesterday (with 2 adult passengers also in the car) and took it 200 yrds up the road and back, getting it up to about 5000 revs in the process. He stepped out, to let me back in and said just two words.

 

Holy F**K!

 

Case closed I think!

I agree with the others, there's nothing wrong with the Zed's image. It's all about indivuality - after all Porsches are ten-a-penny today and as for BMs, has anyone NOT seen one driven by a tosser who thinks he owns the road........?

How many Zeds do you see on the road? Exactly!!

I was looking to replace my old Supra (single turbo) with a Porsche 928s4. I had just returned from a test drive in one when I saw a low mileage UK Zed for sale. After driving the Zed I completely forgot about the Porsche and bought the Zed. It's better looking (even in red, as mine is - not my first choice in colour but I get more used to it each day), faster and handles better.

Nuff said!!:D :D :D :D

PS

Don't bother with a DB7, my local garage had one in for repair the other day.

The technician said it was "a shit car to drive, your Nissan is a much better car"...........................