Shamaz Majid

Hi all, Has anyone driven to Switzerland (e.g. Geneva or Zurich) in late December? What was it like? Is it possible or does the weather make it a no-no? Also, has anyone driven in Switzerland in December? We are thinking of going there but I am not sure whether to: a) fly there and use trains; b) fly there and hire a car; c) drive there and use the car everywhere. Using trains seems sensible except with 2 kids and lots of luggage, cars seem far more convenient. Any advice much appreciated.

I had the same problem. This was the only site not opening this morning.

For those not in the know, it's impossible to figure out what mine is. The badge at the front is "Z", the steering wheel is adorned with "momo" and there is no labelling on the rear apart from the hardly visible 300ZX between the lights. It could therefore easily be an Italian exotic...or a kit car!

In it's day, it had a pseudo mid-engined look and was definitely in the "exotica" department as far as looks were concerned. It retains that look today, and certainly holds its own against the many coupes based on saloons with 2 doors removed. The "ignoring" still baffles me though.

That's so true. The "ignoring like it's not there" is really annoying, yet the same people don't ignore other great cars. What could it be? Baffles me to be honest. Can't say jealousy etc. as they are quite happy to complement my S-Type and other cars in the car park, which includes various Porsches, BMWs and Mercs, as well as the 350/370Z.

Thanks. Really looking forward to tomorrow. Look out for an ice white Z!

I've been trying to get to the Isle of Wight all year, but a combination of trashy weather and other commitments has not made this possible. However, summer has finally arrived (October?) and I'm planning to go this Saturday. Does anyone know of any great spots for car photos? I know it sounds sad but I'd love to take photos of the Z in a perfect spot with the sea in the background, great elevation etc. I'm hoping some of you guys will know where to go! Thanks.

Jeff, I work in the telecommunications industry (for a major network infrastructure supplier) and there is little doubt that we are at least a decade if not "decades" behind most of the world (not just the "developed" world). There are 2 key reasons: 1. UK Operators are unwilling to spend much, if anything, on upgrading the network. Certainly significantly less than many other countries. 2. The building laws of the country combined with prohibitive Health & Safety regulations and costs make it almost impossible to upgrade the existing legacy network. BT Infinity (known as FTTx in the industry) is perhaps the boldest move that anyone has taken in a long, long time. At some stage, I hope you'll benefit but as with many things, they are focusing on the densely populated areas. Your best bet will be LTE (4G), but the licence auction will not take place until sometime next year, with services available in 2013/14. Again, LTE is now available in many European and Far-Eastern countries, providing 100Mbps over the air...

I've been wondering this for a while and then thought it best to post on here as I'm sure one of you clever chaps will know. Nissan has recently fielded a GT-R in the GT3 series. Upon closer reading, it seems that the only thing that is "GT-R" about it is the body. Everything else (engine, transmission, suspension etc.) has nothing to do with the GT-R so why is it allowed to be called a GT-R? I can see the benefits for Nissan (image, brand value etc. if it's successful) but from a legal viewpoint, is it not misleading for end customer's of GT-Rs?

For what it is, the Z is actually embarrassingly and obscenely cheap. I believe the main reasons are: - too many grey imports; - too many in poor condition having been in the "wrong" hands; - too many used and abused, with ugly, down-market modifications. Would people make such mods to a NSX, 911 etc? If only a handful of Zs had been in the country, loved and cared for by the "right" type of owners then they would be worth 3-4 times today. The obvious upside is that more of us get to own this fantastic car.

Hi - I must update my photos and thanks for the advice. My Z is now ice white, or should I say Audi Ibis white as I had it re-sprayed last November. As the paint is new and still squeaky clean, it looks fantastic after it's been washed and waxed. However, the 'wet' look is even more amazing, hence the question. Lots of good advice on here so thanks to everyone.

Does anyone know if there is a polish that is super glossy, i.e.gives the kind of shine you get when a layer of water is on the car and the sum is shining. Kind of like a sheet of glass. I always use Autoglym Super Resin Polish, which is very good, but was wondering if there is something even better.

Good question and I would love to know as the current one is pathetic (my 14 year old Micra has a nicer one!) and is also not in very good condition. A chunkier and better looking mirror would be most welcome.

Mine's an NA.

Surely vegetable oil is no cheaper than diesel these days?

You have my full sympathy but at the same time your attitude and approach is truly admirable and I wish you all the best. Time and time again we are all reminded of what really matters in life and moreover how much else is atually going on in people's lives, and it really humbling. Can't say much on the medical advice front except do what's best for you. All the best.

I love the Z, don't get me wrong, but if you've had an NSX then you are definitely going to be hugely disappointed with a Z32 NA. Apart from all of the other differences between a Z32 and NSX (which I won't go in to here), the NSX has close to 300bhp compared to around 220-230 for the Z NA. And then there's the NSX engine... ...why are you moving from an NSX to a Z?

I have an NA and a Turbo is significantly quicker in almost all scenarios, and the fuel economy is about the same overall (when driven "normally"). That said, it has been just as reliable as my wife's Micra, which is apparently not the case for the majority of TTs, mainly due to age and abuse having a negative impact on the added complexity of the TT.

Of course I have no idea what you're suggesting (:wink:) but if you watch the TV footage, you will find rioters representing both ends of the visual spectrum. Not that that matters. As per my previous post, all of these rioters are criminals and should be shot...with live ammunition.

ZERO TOLERANCE...that's what we need. Shoot on sight and ask no questions. No point in arresting them or locking them up as that will just waste yet more tax payer's money. Shoot them and dump them at sea...or use for land fill. Trainers and all. The tragic thing is that a gangster will be made a hero after this. Very badly handled by the police. They should have made a clear statement on Thu night, explaining what happened and why. That would have nipped the whole thing in the bud. Instead they created a mystery, which gave certain people the perfect excuse to start conspiracy theories and rile the masses. Why do we never learn?

Good luck mate and sorry to hear about the redundancy.

Thanks to everyone for your responses. I think the general consensus is that in the majority, this is not a good car to buy and seems to have rather a lot of failings for many owners. Worse, when things go wrong, they are prohibitively expensive to resolve. That also seems to be the general view of the experts. It's a pity as the concept is great and the mark 2 version is actually very good, but the 1st release (1997-2002/3) is a bit of a disaster. On that basis, I'll look elsewhere.

Thanks for that. Have you had any of the other issues stated by Paul? He works for MB so clearly they are very real issues, but it would be nice to know how many of them you have had.

You've almost put me off...as I was reading, I thought: - OK, a manual it is, until you mentioned the clutch. - OK, a diesel it is, until you mentioned the injectors. Not a good car then! The Golf seems much larger than an A-class; it's the size that I like. I think we'll stick to a Micra then.

That's what attracted me! On a serious note, that issue was sorted in 97...