4RE Leather Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 The thing is I totally agree with every post so far but im not sure its what i meant. Sorry if im being obtuse here, maybe everyone who has posted will get what i mean. Obviously a Zed has a lot of power and for most of us its a step up from what we have had before. What im trying to ask is does the zed become the norm? At the start of ownership the Zed would have been immense but how long is it before anything less would be seen as a step down? ok bare with me on this one... I just px'd my zed after 2 yrs of ownership for a Saab 9-3 Areo 2.8 v6 Turbo rag top (just one car Ive always liked to try) and tbh quite honest im gutted. I really miss the torque of the zed coz thats what gives you (me) the ultimate buzz. The Saab has enough ummffh to keep up with my old zed, but its the power delivery i miss...ive now had this saab for appox 2 weeks and already looking to get rid of it. Im now looking to get myself Merc slk350 or 55 AMG to try something differant........maybe I just get bored of cars easily lol." ( approx 24 cars in 24 yrs of driving) So I guess the moral of the story is.........you never really get bored of the zeds power ... Could i suggest that you take a look at the 350SLK bhp and 0-60 ect on autotrader and then at least get a decent feel b4 you get one? Scunk works is much more fun:) Thenoname Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted March 9, 2012 Share Posted March 9, 2012 I have driven an S2000, Boxster even an Aston Martin Vantage, none ripped my arms off either in normal driving. As someone said the difference is the torque and its application through the range. If you really want to drive the Zed and 'feel the power' try keeping it in a lower gear than usual and keeping revs at 4k+ and change on the redline - you will notice to a better degree how responsive and powerful it is then - I have taken a few passengers out, one guy who has a Clio 197 and prior to that had a Subaru and he reckoned it felt more powerful and quicker than either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXS Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I have driven an S2000, Boxster even an Aston Martin Vantage, none ripped my arms off either in normal driving. As someone said the difference is the torque and its application through the range. If you really want to drive the Zed and 'feel the power' try keeping it in a lower gear than usual and keeping revs at 4k+ and change on the redline - you will notice to a better degree how responsive and powerful it is then - I have taken a few passengers out, one guy who has a Clio 197 and prior to that had a Subaru and he reckoned it felt more powerful and quicker than either. In fairness if you rev most cars up to the redline they are going to feel either quick or about to self destruct. I guess i was expecting the Z to feel quick (relatively speaking) without having to risk blowing the pistons through the bonnet. Just recently i had a Supercharged Lotus Evora for a week as a courtesy car from the Lotus dealer i bought the Z from. I appreciate that the Evora has about 70bhp over the Z but it would have run rings around the Z even at relatively minor revs. When driven anywhere near the redline it was phenominal. Totally unpractical and i wouldn't buy one but phenominal all the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilogikal1 Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I appreciate that the Evora has about 70bhp over the Z And ~100kg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I have driven an S2000, Boxster even an Aston Martin Vantage, none ripped my arms off either in normal driving. As someone said the difference is the torque and its application through the range. If you really want to drive the Zed and 'feel the power' try keeping it in a lower gear than usual and keeping revs at 4k+ and change on the redline - you will notice to a better degree how responsive and powerful it is then - I have taken a few passengers out, one guy who has a Clio 197 and prior to that had a Subaru and he reckoned it felt more powerful and quicker than either. In fairness if you rev most cars up to the redline they are going to feel either quick or about to self destruct. I guess i was expecting the Z to feel quick (relatively speaking) without having to risk blowing the pistons through the bonnet. Just recently i had a Supercharged Lotus Evora for a week as a courtesy car from the Lotus dealer i bought the Z from. I appreciate that the Evora has about 70bhp over the Z but it would have run rings around the Z even at relatively minor revs. When driven anywhere near the redline it was phenominal. Totally unpractical and i wouldn't buy one but phenominal all the same. 70bhp on a lightweight sports car though! The Zed is meant to be a GT car, not a fizzying popping doughnut car park car. If you are after breakneck straight line speed then buy an Evo. If you want something that munches miles, turns heads, has power all the way through the range then the Zed is fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4RE Leather Posted March 10, 2012 Share Posted March 10, 2012 I have driven an S2000, Boxster even an Aston Martin Vantage, none ripped my arms off either in normal driving. As someone said the difference is the torque and its application through the range. If you really want to drive the Zed and 'feel the power' try keeping it in a lower gear than usual and keeping revs at 4k+ and change on the redline - you will notice to a better degree how responsive and powerful it is then - I have taken a few passengers out, one guy who has a Clio 197 and prior to that had a Subaru and he reckoned it felt more powerful and quicker than either. In fairness if you rev most cars up to the redline they are going to feel either quick or about to self destruct. I guess i was expecting the Z to feel quick (relatively speaking) without having to risk blowing the pistons through the bonnet. Just recently i had a Supercharged Lotus Evora for a week as a courtesy car from the Lotus dealer i bought the Z from. I appreciate that the Evora has about 70bhp over the Z but it would have run rings around the Z even at relatively minor revs. When driven anywhere near the redline it was phenominal. Totally unpractical and i wouldn't buy one but phenominal all the same. 70bhp on a lightweight sports car though! The Zed is meant to be a GT car, not a fizzying popping doughnut car park car. If you are after breakneck straight line speed then buy an Evo. If you want something that munches miles, turns heads, has power all the way through the range then the Zed is fine. Could not have put it better myself:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXS Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Is the Lotus Evora S a doughnut carpark car then ??? Ha ha. Don't get me wrong guys, i was looking for a Z for ages. I am well aware of what it is. Getting back to the point though the original poster asked how long it took to get used to the Z's performance. My reply was 10 minutes. Another 10 minutes after that i was bored and can count the times i've driven it in 5 months on one hand as i never look forward to it. The comparisons i was making were down to bhp and a vehicle feeling as though it stirred the soul and made the best use of its available power. The Z has good horsepower but more importantly is has good torque too. It just doesn't feel like it to me when its on the move. I regularly drive a Skoda Octavia VRS with around 225bhp so it has less bhp and torque than the Z and its a family bloody saloon and a Skoda for goodness sake. Its a more involving and enjoyable drive though but everybodys opinion is different i guess. Maybe there is something wrong with my Z or 276bhp is just not enough to haul its lardy ass about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JetSet Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 You lot should consider yourself lucky , even affording a 100 bhp car when I was growing up was almost impossible and an E-Type Jag (considered to be a super car at the time) with very similar performance figures to the Zed cost about 5 times your average salary. The best I could manage in the 70's was a Triumph GT6, all of 96bhp and yeah that felt fast coming from a 64 bhp Triumph Spitfire Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dblock Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Is the Lotus Evora S a doughnut carpark car then ??? Ha ha. Don't get me wrong guys, i was looking for a Z for ages. I am well aware of what it is. Getting back to the point though the original poster asked how long it took to get used to the Z's performance. My reply was 10 minutes. Another 10 minutes after that i was bored and can count the times i've driven it in 5 months on one hand as i never look forward to it. The comparisons i was making were down to bhp and a vehicle feeling as though it stirred the soul and made the best use of its available power. The Z has good horsepower but more importantly is has good torque too. It just doesn't feel like it to me when its on the move. I regularly drive a Skoda Octavia VRS with around 225bhp so it has less bhp and torque than the Z and its a family bloody saloon and a Skoda for goodness sake. Its a more involving and enjoyable drive though but everybodys opinion is different i guess. Maybe there is something wrong with my Z or 276bhp is just not enough to haul its lardy ass about. You didn't gel with your Zed that's your opinion but some people on here cant hear a bad word being said about it. I brother never got on to well with it either. His opinion. It doesn't make it wrong its just a preference. I personally love mine but we don't all have the same taste, if we did we would the world would be boring Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Is the Lotus Evora S a doughnut carpark car then ??? Ha ha. Don't get me wrong guys, i was looking for a Z for ages. I am well aware of what it is. Getting back to the point though the original poster asked how long it took to get used to the Z's performance. My reply was 10 minutes. Another 10 minutes after that i was bored and can count the times i've driven it in 5 months on one hand as i never look forward to it. The comparisons i was making were down to bhp and a vehicle feeling as though it stirred the soul and made the best use of its available power. The Z has good horsepower but more importantly is has good torque too. It just doesn't feel like it to me when its on the move. I regularly drive a Skoda Octavia VRS with around 225bhp so it has less bhp and torque than the Z and its a family bloody saloon and a Skoda for goodness sake. Its a more involving and enjoyable drive though but everybodys opinion is different i guess. Maybe there is something wrong with my Z or 276bhp is just not enough to haul its lardy ass about. No a Lotus Evora is not a doughnut car either, but it also wasn't designed ten years ago and costs twice as much to buy - not even sure why you are comparing it really? I don't think its a case of people not wanting a bad thing said about the Zed either, like I said I drove other cars and yes they maybe have more agility, better interior etc but for what I wanted the Zed ticked all the boxes. Comfortable enough to use every day, plenty of torque, head turner, some level of exclusivity all work for me. The power wasn't neck breaking but way above the majority of other motorway users, of course once I had the uprev done well it was a different car Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rtbiscuit Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 You didn't gel with your Zed that's your opinion but some people on here cant hear a bad word being said about it. I brother never got on to well with it either. His opinion. It doesn't make it wrong its just a preference. I personally love mine but we don't all have the same taste, if we did we would the world would be boring Ah the old zed tinted glasses RXS your not the only one who wasn't blown away by the zed, i was really excited when i was getting mine, but personally i found it a disappointment. not that it wasn't a good car as it is. but not as good as i thought it was going to be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXS Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 You didn't gel with your Zed that's your opinion but some people on here cant hear a bad word being said about it. I brother never got on to well with it either. His opinion. It doesn't make it wrong its just a preference. I personally love mine but we don't all have the same taste, if we did we would the world would be boring Ah the old zed tinted glasses RXS your not the only one who wasn't blown away by the zed, i was really excited when i was getting mine, but personally i found it a disappointment. not that it wasn't a good car as it is. but not as good as i thought it was going to be. I totally agree with the above. Its not that i dislike the car. Its just not the performance animal i had heard about and for that reason i have been disapointed with it and invariably will leave the keys on the sideboard and probably drive my vectra instead because that doesn't try to be something its not. And in response to some of the above comments, i wasn't comparing the Lotus Evora S to the Z in any way other than by making the point that some cars feel quick just standing still and when on the move they make the best use of their power. After all, the Evora S is in the supercar bracket in some respects which the Z wasn't ever meant to be. It is a good job we are not all the same i totally agree with that. I also respect other peoples opinions and thats all they are at the end of the day, Opinions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HaydnH Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 and invariably will leave the keys on the sideboard and probably drive my vectra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXS Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 Ha Ha, I know, its shameful but she is a good old stick. Despite me not being in love with the Z it didn't stop me spending 5 hours cleaning it today and ordering a heap of service goods from Zmanalex for a service next week though. Maybe i will fall in love with it over the summer ??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4RE Leather Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 When l was a lad we lived in a shoe box and were gratefull etc etc etc:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4RE Leather Posted March 11, 2012 Share Posted March 11, 2012 You didn't gel with your Zed that's your opinion but some people on here cant hear a bad word being said about it. I brother never got on to well with it either. His opinion. It doesn't make it wrong its just a preference. I personally love mine but we don't all have the same taste, if we did we would the world would be boring Ah the old zed tinted glasses RXS your not the only one who wasn't blown away by the zed, i was really excited when i was getting mine, but personally i found it a disappointment. not that it wasn't a good car as it is. but not as good as i thought it was going to be. I totally agree with the above. Its not that i dislike the car. Its just not the performance animal i had heard about and for that reason i have been disapointed with it and invariably will leave the keys on the sideboard and probably drive my vectra instead because that doesn't try to be something its not. And in response to some of the above comments, i wasn't comparing the Lotus Evora S to the Z in any way other than by making the point that some cars feel quick just standing still and when on the move they make the best use of their power. After all, the Evora S is in the supercar bracket in some respects which the Z wasn't ever meant to be. It is a good job we are not all the same i totally agree with that. I also respect other peoples opinions and thats all they are at the end of the day, Opinions. Might l enquire to which article you read that says the Zed is a performance animal and tries to be something it is not? It's just that I have never read anything that says it is? Apart from Vicky Butler Hendison wetting her knickers over a Azure blue one some 6 years ago I have not personnaly heard any boasts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXS Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I didn't read any article saying the Z is trying to be something it's not. Thats my own opinion. And if you read this entire thread there are quite a few people who reckon its bit of a beastie and hundreds of others threads over the years. All i was saying was i expected more from my Z but its all subjective and very opinion orientated. I have driven quite a few 'performance' cars and therefore don't feel the Z is anything to write home about but in fairness i have never driven any other vehicle in the Z's particular class like a Porsche Boxster for instance so i don't have a direct comparison. I have driven lesser horsepower cars that felt more nimble though and a few 'Supercars' that can't even be compared. I'm not a Z hater by the way. Nobody is making me own it. I choose to do that of my own free will. And i agree with the comment posted a few up from here that made reference to the fact that we should think ourselves lucky for owning a car like the Z. I do feel lucky as its more of a car than i ever dreamed i would own. I guess i just haven't gelled with it which disapoints me as i had wanted one for ages. Like i said, i might fall in love with it over the summer when i have had it serviced next week and start to use it a bit more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neilp Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 The 350z is a gt car not a super car or track car. It takes alot of money to make it feel fast an nimble. It is very heavy and ye suspension is very soggy and unplanted in its standard firm. I only noticed this because I drove a standard set up for the first time a few months back. I have always had aftermarket suspension on my car so jumping into a standard zed was quite a shock. It felt very unstable and soggy in comparison to my car. It did however feel smoother as mines is a much more raw experience to drive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trackpig Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I think RXS may well be a "straight line jockey" as i mentioned earlier. Its sounds like you are missing the push from the turbo that you are used to in some of the other cars you mention. The Z engine will only show its best when you use all the revs, they is no point driving it around at 3k rev and complaining its slow. If you really want to fall in love with the Z, get booked onto a trackday, turn the TC off and drive it properly. Alternatively, sell the Z and ride the low down torque in your vectra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coldel Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I think RXS may well be a "straight line jockey" as i mentioned earlier. Its sounds like you are missing the push from the turbo that you are used to in some of the other cars you mention. The Z engine will only show its best when you use all the revs, they is no point driving it around at 3k rev and complaining its slow. If you really want to fall in love with the Z, get booked onto a trackday, turn the TC off and drive it properly. Alternatively, sell the Z and ride the low down torque in your vectra This was the point I made a couple of pages back, the Zed works best when going 4k revs and above. Did I find it disappointing, at first yeah, but then I learnt how to drive an N/A rear wheel drive properly and make the most of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ekona Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 I don't necessarily think the Zed is a quick car to drive, but it is a satisfying one. Feel and fun are more important to me than chasing 0-60 times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeilMH Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Cars are very subjective things. There is no such thing as the right or wrong answer. Sometimes you just don't get on with something, however much you "ought" to or however much other people like it. It's hard to persuade yourself it's ok if that happens (RXS) - you are probably better to cut your losses and move on to something you love. Having said that, the Z does take a little time to adapt to and appreciate. As it happens, I just loved the Z from the first time I drove one and mine is pretty much standard (cloth seats and all!) It helps if you appreciate what it is and what it isn't. I chose it because I had done the more extreme stuff with the Caterhams etc so moving to the Z was a conscious choice which I have not regretted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docwra Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 No a Lotus Evora is not a doughnut car either, but it also wasn't designed ten years ago and costs twice as much to buy - not even sure why you are comparing it really? 6 posts before this one you were comparing it to an Aston Vantage ......... Quite interesting to see how many think its quicker at the redline too, IMO you want to be changing up at about 6300 to make it go fastest. As Ekona says though, it may not be the fastest thing on 4 wheels but its more enjoyable than a lot of other stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4RE Leather Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 Very much like the marmite advert then! You love it or you hate it:) Must admit the OEM suspension I find hard, but that could be me as l have a knackered back. Thenoname Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RXS Posted March 12, 2012 Share Posted March 12, 2012 The 350z is a gt car not a super car or track car. It takes alot of money to make it feel fast an nimble. It is very heavy and ye suspension is very soggy and unplanted in its standard firm. I only noticed this because I drove a standard set up for the first time a few months back. I have always had aftermarket suspension on my car so jumping into a standard zed was quite a shock. It felt very unstable and soggy in comparison to my car. It did however feel smoother as mines is a much more raw experience to drive. Looks like i am not the only one who feels the Z performance could be improved after all then. And to the poster who stated i am obviously a 'Straight line jockey' you don't have the 1st clue about who i am, my driving ability or the vehicles i am able to compare my findings for the Z with. Trust me, its a very informed argument. Coupled with the fact i am an advanced driver and have been for over 10 years and have done more track days in different cars and bikes than i can physically remember. As someone posted a good while back now, i think the rose tinted specs are being worn by most. I think most of the above posters are missing the point and this has gone off topic and is now a dick wagging competition. The question was, how long did it take you to get used to the Z's performance ? Not, Who won't hear a bad word said about their car ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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