Cyder Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 (edited) So I've had the 350Z a few weeks now and I'm slowly getting used to the car and the differences between a lightweight mx5 and a big heavy girl with lots of grunt. What's fascinating is the reactions I get driving it most notably:- -Nobody will let me out of a junction now. (Always used to in mx5) -Nobody says thanks when I let them out of a junction/past a line of parked cars. (Always used to in mx5) -People turn and look at the car (not so much in mx5) -Some kids shouted 'awesome car' at me earlier, so as I was in 1st gear I said thanks in a suitable fashion... (That definitely never happened in the mx5) Does anyone else get funny reactions when driving the zed? I can only assume the junction and thanks things are because people who don't know cars think I'm a flashy bastard in an expensive sports car without realising it cost me less than 1/3 the cost of their 1.4 Focus/Astra/yawnbox. Of course kids saying it's awesome is clearly just because the zed is an awesome car! Edited September 28, 2015 by Cyder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adam_350z Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 (edited) Yeah the kids thing is very true! Had a good few wee boys comment, how many cars can you pay as little as 5/6k for and get that reaction from them. And yeah i think oldies get jelous when their 12k astra gets zero attention. Or at least I would if i spent 12k on something that gets no looks! Edited September 28, 2015 by adam_350z Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Been a few threads like this over the years, have a search and you can read all the stories! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeppoJeff Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Yeah all the time. Constantly get people just staring at it as it passes. Also had some kid ask me to roll down my window and asked if it was a gtr I was driving...bahaha Some people have pity on my we though and let me crawl over the speedbumps Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arran Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 (edited) Simple solutions to solve it lol push out of a junction, don't say thank you when let go and carry on enjoying the looks and comments the Z gets. Hardly anyone ever says thanks anymore which is why I don't bother now tbh and at junctions it's go or sit there! But then I have zero tolerance or patience when driving so you may differ Edited September 28, 2015 by Arran Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano94 Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 I always get thanked when giving way or letting people out at junctions. Never really noticed any more attention until i got a new exhaust though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeppoJeff Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 (edited) Yeah I'm thinking the fact I've got the invidia and my car is purple may cause for that extra attention...haha 🙈 Edited September 28, 2015 by ZeppoJeff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HEADPHONES Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 To the bystanding public who spot you in your Zed it's probably as rare a sight now as in the early days when first released. So the reactions would still be similar to almost a decade ago. I bet no E46 330ci owner can muster the same attention as a 350z :wink: In fact I think the reactions are MORE positive now than when mine was new 10 yrs ago. Back then there was some jealousy as people knew it was a £30k motor, whereas now people know it's within MOST driver's budget it's more admiration for what is and not what it's worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Miester Posted September 28, 2015 Share Posted September 28, 2015 Lol I have people look at mine and the kids like the sound and as mine is the roadster not everbody for the looks but with the roof down it looks great in my opinion ..! But I did have a strange one yesterday as I use mine at weekends then a daily drive but this was well strange but funny after I was travelling down this country road by me in the oppsite direction a chap looked to be mid fortys to fifties and out of no were he flicks the Vees and calls me a P***k I could not believe it then down the road I had a right laugh with myself :lol: Its amazing what the zed can do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TT350 Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I find I get let out of junctions etc more in the Z. Kids love it like others have said. And general admiration from the public. Thumbs up etc. The Z has a lot of road presence. It's big and wide and very pretty which are attributes that usually only very expensive sports cars have. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juggalo Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 More hostility I've found. Only owned it three months and I've had three people make seriously dangerous manoeuvres just to get in front of me. And yeah, it's rare I'm let out of a junction, so I usually have to bully my way out. Z owners wave. And kids seem to like it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I find I get let out of junctions etc more in the Z. Kids love it like others have said. And general admiration from the public. Thumbs up etc. The Z has a lot of road presence. It's big and wide and very pretty which are attributes that usually only very expensive sports cars have. Actually 350Zs aren't wide at all they are quite narrow in the grand scheme of things, your bog standard Ford Focus is wider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shenley Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Had my black 350 for over six years, never a problem. Only had my 'red nismo' over a month, I think it's because it's red, not a chance of anyone offering me any courtesy. Leave it parked up in a car park, and when you return....... it's surrounded by a large crowd staring at a dead body, like they've never seen one before...... Strange thing was that parked close by was an F-type and an i8, not a glance! (Of course this was the far end of the car park where it's quiet with lots of spaces...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyder Posted September 29, 2015 Author Share Posted September 29, 2015 Interesting that others get let out of junctions, there must just be a bunch of miserable sods living near me then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S7nny Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I enjoy the looks it gets when I drive by groups (especially kids). It's even better when I bump into someone I haven't seen for quite a while and they stare at the car and say 'Your business MUST be going well' when in actual fact it's a fraction of the cost of their Golf. As far as traffic courtesy goes; I haven't noticed any real difference between this and the (SUPERCHARGED TWIN-TURBO ROCKET) Peugeot I was in before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colesl4w Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I've had mine for about 6 months. Nismo v1 kit on it. It definitely is a car that gets strong opinions one way or another. I would say mostly positive opinions, though it's always the negatives that you remember most. Positive: - I've had kids run alongside and shout "awesome car!!" quite a few times - I've had another Z driver frantically wave and give the thumbs up on the way past - I've had it parked at my parents for short visits, and their butcher weeks later commented on how jealous he was! - I've had random people just come over to me and ask how I'm liking it - I've overheard someone in a car beside me talking to their passenger saying "now THAT is a 350z" - I've had a truck full of guys beside me start revving their engine at traffic lights. I turn around expecting them to be knobs but they were actually started shouting "PLEEASE REV IT!!" - Catching people stop and turn as I drive past. Negatives - BIG downside - attention from mostly the wrong crowd. The things mentioned above are massively outweighed by the amount of attention the car gets from groups of chavs. Every. Single. group of rough teens will stop and stare and point or shout SOMETHING, "YEEEO", "WOOOP WOOOP", etc. as it drives past. Sure, it may be their way of complimenting, but it makes me paranoid as hell when I need to park it somewhere slightly rough. I do over think things, but i am 100% convinced that it'll be keyed at some point in the not so far future. - Had kids playing football in a car park I was parked in. They purposefully got closer and closer to my car, and one shouted "I hope this ball doesnt hit that guy's nice car!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I've had mine for about 6 months. Nismo v1 kit on it. It definitely is a car that gets strong opinions one way or another. I would say mostly positive opinions, though it's always the negatives that you remember most. Positive: - I've had kids run alongside and shout "awesome car!!" quite a few times - I've had another Z driver frantically wave and give the thumbs up on the way past - I've had it parked at my parents for short visits, and their butcher weeks later commented on how jealous he was! - I've had random people just come over to me and ask how I'm liking it - I've overheard someone in a car beside me talking to their passenger saying "now THAT is a 350z" - I've had a truck full of guys beside me start revving their engine at traffic lights. I turn around expecting them to be knobs but they were actually started shouting "PLEEASE REV IT!!" - Catching people stop and turn as I drive past. Negatives - BIG downside - attention from mostly the wrong crowd. The things mentioned above are massively outweighed by the amount of attention the car gets from groups of chavs. Every. Single. group of rough teens will stop and stare and point or shout SOMETHING, "YEEEO", "WOOOP WOOOP", etc. as it drives past. Sure, it may be their way of complimenting, but it makes me paranoid as hell when I need to park it somewhere slightly rough. I do over think things, but i am 100% convinced that it'll be keyed at some point in the not so far future. - Had kids playing football in a car park I was parked in. They purposefully got closer and closer to my car, and one shouted "I hope this ball doesnt hit that guy's nice car!" Had my celica keyed twice this year, although that can be put down to the change in crowd at our local pub (was just for local people who would have dinner and a couple of drinks but it seems to have gotten filled up with hammered young toffs now who stagger out at 11pm) - but noticed other cars around mine worth multiples more do not get the same attention. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colesl4w Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Had my celica keyed twice this year, although that can be put down to the change in crowd at our local pub (was just for local people who would have dinner and a couple of drinks but it seems to have gotten filled up with hammered young toffs now who stagger out at 11pm) - but noticed other cars around mine worth multiples more do not get the same attention. I love Celicas! Had one before the Z. It's the one downside of owning any car you love. It does get a bit tiring needing to think about where I'll be parking, how long it'll be there, whether we should take my gf's car instead etc. I constantly swing between worrying about it or thinking "well that's why I pay so much in insurance". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Its two or three hundred quid each time out of my pocket though, not worth going via insurance for the 12 inch key marks that have been laid on it. I have been jinxed with the GT4 though, a month after buying it a load of tiles flew off a neighbours house which was undergoing work and landing on my bonnet - £700 later although I didn't pay that one. I do get unwanted attention though from pedestrians, it is a LOUD car and looks outlandish, I accelerated quite briskly up to 30mph and went past a pedestrian glaring at me waving his hand up and down in that 'slow down' motion the other day. Even though the white SUV in front of me drove off into the distance he ignored that and gestured at me just because in his little prejudiced mind he felt as my car was loud and aggressive I was the one speeding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colesl4w Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 (edited) Its two or three hundred quid each time out of my pocket though, not worth going via insurance for the 12 inch key marks that have been laid on it. I have been jinxed with the GT4 though, a month after buying it a load of tiles flew off a neighbours house which was undergoing work and landing on my bonnet - £700 later although I didn't pay that one. I do get unwanted attention though from pedestrians, it is a LOUD car and looks outlandish, I accelerated quite briskly up to 30mph and went past a pedestrian glaring at me waving his hand up and down in that 'slow down' motion the other day. Even though the white SUV in front of me drove off into the distance he ignored that and gestured at me just because in his little prejudiced mind he felt as my car was loud and aggressive I was the one speeding. It's funny though when you say about people paying these sorts of cars loads of attention and ignoring cars which cost much more. As you say, absolutely bog standard cars are typically much more expensive than Celicas or Z's are these days. Edited January 16, 2016 by colesl4w 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdunbar Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I owned a Zed back in 2004 and got the feeling of disdain from other road users, despite whoever you talked to saying they loved it. I put that down to the negative British jealousy attitude. I'd hate to own something truly exotic like a Lambo as it would just get damaged where ever it was left. It is pathetic people can't just appreciate nice stuff and live and let live... we can't all be poor. Different now. Less disdain but more unwanted attention from people wanting to prove their cars against mine when I am just minding my own business. I try to be a courteous driver, as well as a person in general, but you see less of it on the roads nowadays. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S7nny Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I owned a Zed back in 2004 and got the feeling of disdain from other road users, despite whoever you talked to saying they loved it. I put that down to the negative British jealousy attitude. I'd hate to own something truly exotic like a Lambo as it would just get damaged where ever it was left. It is pathetic people can't just appreciate nice stuff and live and let live... we can't all be poor. Different now. Less disdain but more unwanted attention from people wanting to prove their cars against mine when I am just minding my own business. I try to be a courteous driver, as well as a person in general, but you see less of it on the roads nowadays. Shut up and race me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPod Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Not sure why but my black 350z also attracts ersehole lorry/van drivers who try to run me off the road its crazy happens all the time and when I drive normally other people drive right up the back end expecting me do drive fast but just go slower to **** them off. Oh and when parking in the mutli story car park next too Buchanan galleries I get the usual"what a fanny or look at this tool". Not my fault the exhaust is loud came like that lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rabbitstew Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 I found my 350z seemed to get one extreme or the other reaction from people. There was no middle ground. Driving through local towns, I very often had kids shouting out the "awesome car" or "nice car mate" comments. I guess its cos they know of the 350z from fast & furious or gran turismo type games they play. I remember going to buy a pint of milk once and as I came out of the shop to get in my car, some complete random stranger said what a nice car the 350z was. Also, people who knew cars used to always say about it. My old neighbour loved it and was gutted when I sold it. Taking the car for an MOT was a major event. The whole garage came out to look at the car and said how they hadnt many of them. Even buying some stuff from the local car accessory shop, I came out and found the manager already outside drooling over my car saying how he`d never seen a roadster one. On the negative side, I had some old biddy shout abuse at me after she crossed the road in front of me and caused me to slow down. God knows why as I didnt beep her or rev my engine. I also had some old man wave his walking stick at me in anger after I drove past him at 15mph in a 30mph zone. I assumed that was due to the loud exhaust. Stranger still, was as I turned down some road on the way to work one morning, 2 chavs shouted out "w@nker" at me. Strange! TBH whilst it was fun having a lot of attention in the zed I was quite relieved when I switched to my beemer, as its much more subtle. Those who know what a 123d coupe is appreciate it, others just assume its another one of many bmw`s on the road. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jetpilot Posted September 29, 2015 Share Posted September 29, 2015 Only ever had one bad reaction to the 350, which was a bunch of youths who strutted onto a garage forecourt and one uttered as they went past, where did you get that, the scrappy they were wearing tracksuits and baseball caps at a jaunty angle so knew the world was against their kind. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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