JetSet

Well, I'd put the simplicity of passing The U.S driving test at the top of the list here and there's also the fact that the seat belt rules are a lot more lax. Americans are generally poorer drivers, the accident rates there are similar to third world countries....The very fact the country is so wealthy also has a big influence, over here kids aspire to a Nova/Corsa/Saxo, over there it's a Mustang/Corvette/350Z/911..... Pete

Yeah, this was down to the dealers and the buyers. When I was going around the dealerships looking to order a new one back in 2006 I was told that the ones with the GT pack would hold their value better (true), be easier to sell (also true) and that if I wanted a non GT one then there would be a longer wait until they got one in stock (probably a load of rubbish, but...). At the end of the day I think most buyers opted for the GT pack, if you can afford to spend around 30k then another couple of thousand for the GT pack isn't going to hurt that much Pete

+1, another easy way to tell is by a quick look at the headlights, if they have the orange stripe then it's a pre facelift. Pete

Good and interesting read . Looks really good, love the rear bumper Pete

RX8's have a reputation for drinking fuel, makes a Zed look frugal from what I've heard. As far as the engines go there seems to be a cottage industry sprung up to replace RX8 engines. It seems to be hit and miss at what stage the engines fail but newer ones are a lot better. Pete

Yes, that's an 04 model, I just wonder if a 2010 370Z would be written off with a similar amount of damage? If it was repaired on the insurance then would it still be a CAT D?? Pete

Might be worth checking the Tour De France route out, they'll be in The Alps and Pyrenees from the 12th to the 19th with at least one day over the border in the Italian part of the Alps. The roads are obviously closed all day and the alternative routes and surrounding roads get a "bit" congested Pete

The only real way is to drive it, or better still, get someone with Zed experience from the forum to look it over and test it for you. Looking at the rules for CAT D vehicles it seems that once its been repaired then all it needs is an MOT test to get it back on the road again. Pete

Welcome Pete

That would seem to be the case. I'm guessing that Nissan and others don't see a long term future in big engines Pete

Agreed, it's a bit like the 350Z roadster, looks great with the top down Pete

Welcome along Pete

You gonna meet us on the way up kidda? We're going on the Friday. What time are you leaving Ricey? Pete If your interested and the time frame is compatible viewtopic.php?f=57&t=45483 http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&sourc ... F8&t=h&z=8 I can make point C , just wondering if there was any interest in another point further South Pete

Caroline had a Z4 2.0L before the Zed. Not a bad car, did a steady 31 mpg on her daily commute and a trip up to Cheshire Oaks every so often. Never really enjoyed driving it myself, just couldn't get the seat into the right position. Maybe that's why we had to return it for a warranty job when the seat adjustment lever mechanisms fell apart (twice). Pete

You gonna meet us on the way up kidda? We're going on the Friday. What time are you leaving Ricey? Pete

Temps in Florida will be in the mid 30's (mid 90's F), so I'd say a soft top would be feasible, although it does rain an awful lot in the afternoons and evenings Pete

Two more E - Stolen / Recovered with no damage X - Seen a few references to CAT X, seems to be fleet and rental cars that have unrepaired body damage. Pete

As far as I'm aware CAT B vehicles are now untaxable as The DVLA will confiscate the log book. Pete

Several Renaults have this engine. It's really a case of Japanese engines going into French cars. Full list of cars.... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nissan_VQ_engine#VQ35DE Pete

The last section looks very much like the Vauxhall plant in Ellesmere Port, may well be private?? Pete

Happy Birthday Chris Pete

It's not just The Zed, anything that does 20-25 mpg has dropped in value much more than we could have all expected in the last 12 months or so. Look at it this way, the Zed owner who does 10k per annum, averaging 25mpg, is paying about £280 a year more for petrol and prices of Zed's have probably dropped 1.5-2.0k faster than previously so right now they're really good value for money. But yeah, you're right, prices speak for themselves. Pete

Welcome to the forum. Nice Zed, even nicer wheelsthe same as mine Pete

Good job . Pete

The drawings look quite good but in reality it looks like a small hearse....for BMW fans only I'm afraid. Pete