Why do I fear the Zed?

[t20lau]

Over the years I've driven a fair share of fast motors, and for 2 years I drove my 300bhp Astra VXR like I stole it!

But theres something stopping me from driving the Z4 fast! I've had a close call with a roundabout with the backend flicking out once, and the Z4 didnt like the snow at all, but now I've come to find myself unconfident behind the wheel of the thing, in a straight line I'm fine, but if I see a corner I drive like a grandad!!!

Anyone else have this issue?! Or am I just been a girl LOL?!

 

[ChillZ4]

Girl!

 

[Rick Hunter]

It's your tires. Specifically... your Runflats.

 

[un1eash]

RWD? Ive had plenty close calls with my mk1 mr2 but being low powered (122bhp) and mid engined its quite easy to catch it when things go wrong. I never push the zed when its wet but in the dry i have a little fun and being the 2.0i its hard to get into trouble with only 150bhp and ive never had traction/stability control before.

Maybe take your car to one of these performance driving days where they teach you how to control and drive your car on the limits both in a controlled environment and on public roads.

 

[t20lau]

Girl!

Thats not the answer I was looking for LOL!

 

[t20lau]

It's your tires. Specifically... your Runflats.

Looking to change to the highly recommended Falkens in the summer, but there's still some meat on the set I have...

 

[t20lau]

RWD? Ive had plenty close calls with my mk1 mr2 but being low powered (122bhp) and mid engined its quite easy to catch it when things go wrong. I never push the zed when its wet but in the dry i have a little fun and being the 2.0i its hard to get into trouble with only 150bhp and ive never had traction/stability control before.

Maybe take your car to one of these performance driving days where they teach you how to control and drive your car on the limits both in a controlled environment and on public roads.

Yeah I was thinking maybe its the RWD, but I've driving other RWD's without an issue...

Maybe it's different as the Z4 is so light at the back!?

 

[csmith319]

I don't think itsw the tyres - it's simply coming from FWD cars which are generally very safe (modern ones have been for 10 years at least) - all they do is understeer at the limit, very few will bite.

I know run-flats aren't the best tyres, but I think people are a little overly critical of them!

 

[Breaker]

Over the years I've driven a fair share of fast motors, and for 2 years I drove my 300bhp Astra VXR like I stole it!

But theres something stopping me from driving the Z4 fast! I've had a close call with a roundabout with the backend flicking out once, and the Z4 didnt like the snow at all, but now I've come to find myself unconfident behind the wheel of the thing, in a straight line I'm fine, but if I see a corner I drive like a grandad!!!

Anyone else have this issue?! Or am I just been a girl LOL?!

This is why I put that post about the Z4 against a hot hatch. At the end of the day the fastest car's from A to B on UK roads usually are the hot hatches as they are so easy to drive! I like the challenge of getting the Z4 to drive quickly on A and B roads, and it is a nice place to be both visually and sound wise, but it does feel sometimes as though you will be off into the hedges at some point compared to how the MINI felt!
You could 4 wheel drift that MINI out of bends it had so much feel to the driver (and that was on 17" runflats)!! I used to keep up with some pretty fast stuff in that JCW MINI.

I don't regret buying the Z4, but I do regret selling the MINI. I was fortunate to buy that MINI outright (as I did with the Z4) so I could have kept it!

Just to give you guys an idea of the type of roads I usually drive when out for a spirited drive, here is a clip of a video I did a few years ago in my second MINI Cooper (not the JCW car). As you can see, they aren't exactly wide, flowing roads!! I'm a biker at heart and many of the roads I know well are roads like this.

[youtube]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dhs2FNwaxyM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dhs2FNwaxyM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>[/youtube]

 

[Lucy]

You are just being a girl

I think the Z4 is one of the most fun car's i've ever drove, but i'm one of these people who like's the 'oh s**t' factor when going round corners with the back end out in the wet But i find the Z4 easy to control in these situations unlike some other car's, which makes me feel less nervous about it.

 

[t20lau]

Over the years I've driven a fair share of fast motors, and for 2 years I drove my 300bhp Astra VXR like I stole it!

But theres something stopping me from driving the Z4 fast! I've had a close call with a roundabout with the backend flicking out once, and the Z4 didnt like the snow at all, but now I've come to find myself unconfident behind the wheel of the thing, in a straight line I'm fine, but if I see a corner I drive like a grandad!!!

Anyone else have this issue?! Or am I just been a girl LOL?!

This is why I put that post about the Z4 against a hot hatch. At the end of the day the fastest car's from A to B on UK roads usually are the hot hatches as they are so easy to drive! I like the challenge of getting the Z4 to drive quickly on A and B roads, and it is a nice place to be both visually and sound wise, but it does feel sometimes as though you will be off into the hedges at some point compared to how the MINI felt!
You could 4 wheel drift that MINI out of bends it had so much feel to the driver (and that was on 17" runflats)!! I used to keep up with some pretty fast stuff in that JCW MINI.

I don't regret buying the Z4, but I do regret selling the MINI. I was fortunate to buy that MINI outright (as I did with the Z4) so I could have kept it!

Goodf thing I strill have the Astra VXR to hand LOL!

 

[t20lau]

You are just being a girl

I think the Z4 is one of the most fun car's i've ever drove, but i'm one of these people who like's the 'oh s**t' factor when going round corners with the back end out in the wet But i find the Z4 easy to control in these situations unlike some other car's, which makes me feel less nervous about it.

Lucy, I'll come show you who the girl it later

Maybe I have a fear of nailing the Z round corners, but the other night I'm sure I "overtook" you HEHEHEHE x

 

[Lucy]

You are just being a girl

I think the Z4 is one of the most fun car's i've ever drove, but i'm one of these people who like's the 'oh s**t' factor when going round corners with the back end out in the wet But i find the Z4 easy to control in these situations unlike some other car's, which makes me feel less nervous about it.

Lucy, I'll come show you who the girl it later

Maybe I have a fear of nailing the Z round corners, but the other night I'm sure I "overtook" you HEHEHEHE x

I was only in the slow lane because i was turning off into Hillsborough Otherwise i'd have been doing twice the speed limit in the lane you were in :lol:
God i hate that 30mph speed limit on Penistone Road

 

[t20lau]

You are just being a girl

I think the Z4 is one of the most fun car's i've ever drove, but i'm one of these people who like's the 'oh s**t' factor when going round corners with the back end out in the wet But i find the Z4 easy to control in these situations unlike some other car's, which makes me feel less nervous about it.

Lucy, I'll come show you who the girl it later

Maybe I have a fear of nailing the Z round corners, but the other night I'm sure I "overtook" you HEHEHEHE x

I was only in the slow lane because i was turning off into Hillsborough Otherwise i'd have been doing twice the speed limit in the lane you were in :lol:
God i hate that 30mph speed limit on Penistone Road

WHATEVER...

 

[Breaker]

You are just being a girl

I think the Z4 is one of the most fun car's i've ever drove, but i'm one of these people who like's the 'oh s**t' factor when going round corners with the back end out in the wet But i find the Z4 easy to control in these situations unlike some other car's, which makes me feel less nervous about it.

But you yourself said that you would have bought the new RS Focus instead of a Z4 if it had been out. :wink:

 

[un1eash]

I dont like FWD now, understeer :thumbsdown:

The C2 VTS we have is a quick nippy little car around town but its no match for the mk1 mr2 or zed when it comes to corners.

 

[Lucy]

You are just being a girl

I think the Z4 is one of the most fun car's i've ever drove, but i'm one of these people who like's the 'oh s**t' factor when going round corners with the back end out in the wet But i find the Z4 easy to control in these situations unlike some other car's, which makes me feel less nervous about it.

But you yourself said that you would have bought the new RS Focus instead of a Z4 if it had been out. :wink:

I did, that was my love of fast Ford's side coming out I think the new FRS will be a very fun car also, but in a different way to rwd.

 

[senwar]

Must be honest and say the comment 'fear of the zed' surprises me.

I blast the hell out of mine, adore the fact the back end sways at times (as I did in my previous Z 2.5 roadster) and throw the car all over the place.

Not sure what to advise either other than to get in it and enjoy it.

Is it the most expensive car you've owned, and does that add to it (i.e. fear of the value etc)?

 

[sp3ctre]

It interests me that most of the people who have experienced no issues at all are the "M" owners. I feel like my Zed just doesnt "talk to me" enough at high speeds and I believe that to be down to the steering. I got rid of the run flats ages ago and it made it better, but I would love to try an "M" just to test the steering.

 

[spokey]

I've driven many Z4's (3.0 manuals, 2.5SMG, 2.0 manual) and I've found them all to be very confidence inspiring. Maybe there is something adrift with your suspension?