Shamaz Majid

Hi all, Thinking of getting my wife an A-Class. Anybody have any experience of them and what to watch out for? I know there were many issues in the early days. Looking at a 2000/2001, and either the 1.4 petrol or 1.7 diesel. Thanks, Shamaz

Your updates are superbly written and I wish you all the best.

Thanks Rob. Have read up more on this, it's definitely a requirement and apparently they have a zero tolerance attitude...if you're caught! I'll see what I can do otherwise I'll take the risk as well.

Hi, I'm due to be driving to Germany in 7 days time (not in the Z!) and have just been advised that all cars have to have a LEZ sticker in the windscreen before entering the city centres. Apart from not knowing anything about this until an hour ago and frantically scouring the net to find out as much as possible, it seems that it is indeed true and that the stickers have to be ordered on line following submission of the car's registration documents etc. As this is simply not possible by next Friday, can anyone shed light on this and does anyone have any experience? In a bit of a panic so all help much appreciated. Shamaz

Wikipedia definition: "A sports car is a small, usually two seat automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability. Sports cars have been either spartan or luxurious, but good handling, minimum weight, and high performance are requisite."

Here's a controversial one for a Friday afternoon... It's not meant to offend and is more tongue in cheek, but I look forward to the reaction! ------------------------------- So what is a sports car and what isn't? Is it just me who thinks that the majority of people have no idea at all? Do all these people driving 2 door saloons (thinking that they're "sports cars") make you laugh...or sick? Any Porsche (except the Cayenne), Ferrari, Lambourghini, NSX, GT-R, Z32/Z33/Z34, RX-7, Z4, SL, R8 etc. is most definitely a sports car. An Audi A5 Coupe, 3-series coupe etc. most definitely is not! Even the much vaunted M3 is simply a souped up 2-door saloon with stiff suspension and a powerful engine. Here goes...

Not wishing to tempt fate, but in 2 years of ownership, my Z has been absolutely faultless. In fact, it's even more reliable than my wife's Micra, and there isn't much in life that's more reliable than a Micra. I put fuel in and get it serviced...that's all.

I did mine ice white (Audi Ibis White) last year and it turned out to be a brilliant decision. The car looks fresh, modern and oh so cool. And when the sun is out, it simply shimmers. As for your concerns about it not standing out...how many Z32's do you see in a typical month...and how many are ice white?

Lovely...looks like mine!

Just a thought...why can't we accept that the Z32 is almost 22 years old? Why try to make it look like a 2011 model? Easy and simple refreshes yes (like clear side lenses, rear lights (questionable for the money IMO), remove the side stripe etc.) but no matter what else we do, no-one will accept that it's a brand new car. And why should that matter anyway?

Excellent point and something that most of us often lose sight of, which in itself is a huge compliment. There are perhaps only a handful of cars in the world which have aged so well, and most if not all of them were very, very expensive when new. The fact that we are even having this discussion is ample evidence of how great the original Z32 design was. Only time will tell, but will the Z33/Z34/Audi TT etc. look even half as good when they are 20 years old? The original TT already looks dated (not that I ever liked it anyway).

Tell me this doesn't look fresh and modern...not to mention cool. [ATTACH]60119[/ATTACH]

Just have and it's even older than the one I was thinking of...there we have the "old" phrase again! More personality that the newer models but not something I would particularly notice (unless it sped past me in racing livery). Like you said, everyone has their own taste and opinions.

On the matter of subjectivity and strange people, my Jag S-Type gets lots of admiring glances and people often make very complimentary remarks...yet they look at the Z in silence. Jealousy or madness? My Z is at least 100 times better looking than the S-Type...

Beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. I would NEVER look at any 3 series and an RX-7 would get a second glance only because it's rare. The Corvette might get a 3rd glance...because it's rarer.

An excellent topic and one I'd been meaning to start for a long time! Yes, I think we're definitely biased. In my case, I was 16 when the Z32 was first announced to the world (yes, I'm 37!) and I fell in love instantly. At the time, I thought it was the best looking car in the world. When I finally bought one 2 years ago, it was a dream come true (although having one in the 90s would have been a different matter all together). To me, it is still a stunner however I'm sure that my emotions from 20 years ago influence my view heavily. My wife on the other hand, thinks it's ugly and can't understand what I see in it. Similarly, a friend of mine made the comment "what's that old American crap?" when he first saw it. We are still friends...just...but I almost decked him and I am not a violent person! A few other people have also referred to it as "old", which has raised my blood pressure somewhat and made me genuinely angry. The 240Z and E-Type are beautiful but there is no question that they definitely look old...very old. In my opinion however, the Z32 does not look "old" at all. As Yowser states, a few subtle changes would certainly bring it in to the 2000s, if not 2011. When modded or trashed however (sadly there are too many of those around), it does look OLD. Colour also makes a huge difference. I had mine re-sprayed last year from a dull and utterly boring pearl white (cream to my eyes) to Audi Ibis White (ice white). The transformation was amazing and the car now looks far more modern and fresh. I understand what Coolq is saying although regarding the Z I disgree with him. However, acknowledging that there is a difference between "new" and "beautiful", there is no doubt that "new" cars are generally very curvy and have a certain look. On that basis, the Z32 can be singled out as not the most modern looking car. However, I think it is similar to the Lotus Esprit in many terms. The Esprit looked amazing when it was released and despite being very old now (older than the Z32), still looks stunning and modern from certain angles whilst other areas give away its age. A difficult topic and I suspect there is no correct answer as it's very subjective.

A friend of mine bought a plate directly off their web-site and he had the plates on his car within 10 days of purchase. The DVLA fee is £80. As Daz said, complete a form, send to the DVLA and they will then send you a confirmation form + new tax disc + new MOT certificate. Take the form to Halfords for them to make the plates. Stick 'em on and don't forget to tell the insurance company that your number has changed. The new V5 will arrive within another 1-2 weeks. I was surprised how simple it was. Try the following link: http://dvlaregistrations.direct.gov.uk/

After the pads were replaced today, it PASSED! All is well for another year...what a relief!

Thanks mate. That's priceless!

Thanks guys. Is it easily fixable and how long should it take?

Had the MOT today and despite failing, quite pleased overall. It failed on the front brakes being "unbalanced", whatever that means. It's going in next week for an investigation, but to ensure that I'm not ripped off, what could the nature of the problem be? Sticking caliper, worn pads? Any advice most welcome.

Sadly most of these people are not real "Z" owners. For them it's just a sports car. A real Z owner/lover will always acknowledge another Z, even if it's with a friendly/knowing smile.

I had the (dis)-pleasure of dealing with Chris/Mick in July 2009, soon after I bought my Z. After I bought the car, I found that it was not running smoothly and lacked power. Although both seemed decent at the time, they told me: 1. There was a possible problem with the ECU; 2. The timing belt had been installed wrongly, which needed to be re-done. 3. My rear springs were broken, and the shocks also needed replacing. A week later, a visit to Jeff resolved all of the problems: 1. Jeff found the timing to be wrong, and corrected it within minutes. 2. Springs were fine, but the shocks were replaced. Since then, the car has driven brilliantly for the last 2 years. Summary : Chris and/or Mick were either hugely incompetent (which I doubt) or were ripping me off. They also took £80 for the privilege of spending 2 hours giving me bs.

SL is one of my all time favourites but alas no rear seats. The Porsche for me; it's a real sports car...not a 2 door version of a 5-series.

I suspect most people will never believe that he is really dead. Unlike Saddam, Bin Laden's body has been mysteriously whisked away...so how can we believe that he is really dead? Surely to bring closure to the whole thing, his body should have been displayed to the world's media. Crazy not to conclude the thing properly. And if they knew of his where abouts for the last 2 years, why did they leave it so long?