in the latest issue of HPI, i think there bitching about aus300zx!! >>

and i quote from the 300zx vs R33 Skyline test:

"On certain internet forums, mentioning HPI is akin to chewing bacon at a bar mitzvah. They dont like us at all, citing instances where they feel we have been overly harsh on their favourite sled, the Z32 Nissan 300zx. Wether we have been less than forgiving on the zed is not the issue here. This car, arguably Nissans finest attempt at building a Corvette, has some capable peers, and therein lies the problem."

quote from our friend Martin Donnon....




::Risk::

 

He is still a wanker in my books and is a cuckold of the skyline knobs!!

 

...most capable attempt at building a Corvette!!!!!

my brother had a 92 Corvette and compared to the Z it handled and went like a VH Commodore station wagon.

 

Hay, IMHO let HPI bag the zed as much as they like.
Because given the kind of market HPI are selling to and trying to create (the riceboy, drifter), I would rather not see zeds end their lives this way.

Appologies to those drifters out there, but I am from the old-school of circuit racing and drag-racing and ralley. Drifting to me is a cross between smashup-derbie and circuit racing. Sorry, but IMHO the zed is not designed for drifting (that is what the Silvia is for). The zed is designed for driving.

So of course HPI is going to bag the zed, because lets face it the zed is not designed for their target market. Nissan has got the Silvia, Skyline, and Zed. The Silvia is the "cheap" entry-level sports car perfect for drifting, the Skyline GTR is the purpose breed race-car ... the 'poor' zed is the car that was originally targetted at the US market (but unlike the Corvette, the zed can go round corners). So of course HPI is going to bag the zed, because any young potential buyer is going to listen to the "expert" opinion, and hence buy Silvia or Skyline.

From a personal note, I am never going to be able to afford a Porsche or Ferrari, hence the zed is the closest I am ever going to get to being anywhere near that performance. Thus I like a little exclusiveness, so if HPI bagging helps limit the number of zeds sold to the "look-i-got-a-popoff-value-for-xmas- -lets-change-from-first-through-fourth-in-six-feet" set then HPI is doing an excellent job.

P.S. the only time I purchase a HPI is when a zed is featured or when it is packed as a freebie with Zoom magazine (but I'd rather get extract back issues of zoom).

 

Yes I really hate the Pop-off set

Yes, I really hate the "look-i-got-a-popoff-value-for-xmas- -lets-change-from-first-through-fourth-in-six-feet" set.

Once upon a time there was a UAS employee that purchased a very nice white TT coupe. I use-to cringe ever time he would leave, he would be through the gears from first through fifth before the end of the driveway, just so he could hear the weeeee from the pop-off value.
Arr, just hurts thinking of the destruction.
And when he sold the car, I won't of given you 50 cents for it.

 

I totally agree

Here is the news flash for the dumbos at HPI. Every other article I have read from autospeed to even RACV reviews say that the zed is a remarkable car.

It was amongst the best cars in the world when it was released, and yes newer cars have beaten it and I believe even newer cars in the future will beat the current new cars. I mean there is no end to it. And that is what progress is all about. I mean what kind of car manufacturer would come out with a new car and say, "uh.. this new car is good but it's slower and handles worst then the previous model of car we had..." And even then I do not see any reason to flog the older car for being what it is.

Think about it, the Zed is always remembered as a classic top notch sports car, and almost every other reputable car mag agrees with that. HPI can say what they want, cos frankly, the rest of the world disagrees with them.

As far as I am concerned, the Zed is 15 yrs old (in design) but still looks better then most other cars (both new and old) and performance wise, it still holds on as being among the top performers. :zlove:

 

I don't think 300zx and Corvette should be used in the same sentence!

The 300zx is a world class supercar whereas the Corvette is crappy American pizazz which only travels well in a straight line. Their handling is rubbish by comparison.

 

..and therein lies the problem...why would you even mention the 300z

if you didn't think it was a decent car. Its not a silvia, its not a GTR, its a true sports car which is now going on 10 years old, and still holds its own 10 years later...now thats pretty special :zlove:

 

Hey you! I wanted to say all that.:thumbsup: :zlove:

If the 300ZX TT was an attempt to build a Corvette, it was a very successful attempt, given that it was voted as better than the "vette", by several reputable American Car Publications.

 

Love your enthusiasm, but the Z32 is 15 yrs old, not 10.:LOL:

 

Not quite

He was nto an employee as such. He could not hold on to his licence either, understandably.

 

Pfft, once again they show how utterly clueless...

...they are, namely if they had done some basic homework they would know that the Z32 was built to take on the porche market, it even looks like one. If it was seriously taking on the corvette market they would have dumped a V8 in it for a start.

All I can say is jealousy is a curse, and as much as they jump up and down stamping their feet about how bad they think the zed is, our cars look way better than their commodore look alike taxis(and they know it), and until I see an unbiased opinion in that rag, I'll continue to just read it at the newsagents and then put it back after not wasting a cent on it

 

martin

I emailed him a few times when he was carrying on about Zeds being laggy pigs etc. I tried to educate him on the confusion he must have got mixed up with laggy GTR's. I also emailed him back to let him know of the credibility and reputation damage he was doing to HPI. He amailed me back saying we were all 14 year olds on forums. Interesting attitude to take hey?
He does have a point saying zeds are unreliable etc as most have done much more k's than Skylines and usually a lot older also.
I thought the story on my zed in HPI might have got some facts across re smashing GTR's at the track. Now with 345rwkw plus and 200rwkw at 3200 rpm. Show me ANY GTR that can make 200rwkw at 4000 rpm especially if it makes over 300rwkw top end.

 

Good on you mate cos that's what I am already doing....

 

He(they) is/are entitled to his/their opinion, and so am I!

I have never been impressed by Corvettes... take them away from a straight-line and they are useless. Porsches, they're fine as long as you only want an upmarket Volkswagen, with its bum hanging out the back! They're both fine cars in their own market, but for overall performance, you've got to go to Ferrari, Aston Martin, or (horrors), Nissan 300ZX

 

LOL, he even got that wrong. Nissan were trying to ...>>

build a Porsche 928:zlove:

 

oops! Guess i was talkin about my Z which is a '95 and nearly....

10 years old :embarrassed: ....:LOL:

 

Any publicity is good publicity, right?

I had to laugh, it's nice to know our bitching doesn't go unnoticed How about the opportunity for one of us to write something for HPI from a different point of view? *Blipman waves to Martin, since we now know he knows about us *

Unfortunately Martin Donnon's statement fails to actually tackle the problems we have had with his/HPI's content in the past.... incorrect, uneducated and contradictory information, a needlessly negative attitude, and so on. The Z's not a Silvia (that's why I drive one) so different strokes for different folks, if Martin doesn't like them for their philosophy then fine, but as a journalist he should also understand he should give an unbiased view. The typical "Z's are a ticking time bomb, only a fool with deep pockets, minimal mental capacity and a masochistic attitude would buy one, but here's one somebody's foolishly done up..." start to the occasional Z article that is in HPI is where I take offence, not a comparison with a Corvette, be it accurate or otherwise.

Anyway, what's on the cover of this issue Risky so I can find it? It's been a while since I bought a copy of High Performance Skylines, but this one sounds like it's good for a laugh

It's kind of a pity HPI has slipped in the last few years, paradoxically it actually seemed to be a much better mag when grey imports were genuinely a minority, you'd think that in the import mad climate we have now they could have grown and improved, especially when their competition (such as Speed) in my opinion were way too late to jump on the bandwagon... there was a big window of opportunity for HPI to become a real power that went untapped. Now much of the HPI/Express crew seem to be turning towards Drift Battle mag, is HPI already on it's way to a slow death? I haven't read HPI in many months (I certainly don't buy it), and considering I'm in the industry, that says a lot.



.... or maybe I'm just becoming sentimental in my old age.

Ben

 

My memory is getting rusty.....>>

But if it is still working I believe Martin Donnon did the MC role at the Berri Dyno last year. With a bit of luck he will be back again and perhaps we can show him that not all zeds die the moment they are driven. Perhaps someone less likely to want to punch him in the face could go and try to put our case accross.

 

Why bother trying to "convert" Martin Donnon .... it's a waste of effort.

This is not the first time I have read posts on this mag.

It would seem that there is a mindset in HPI that refuses to see reason, or present a balanced view. Therefore, why not choose to only post on magazines that have more integrity.

If Ben is right and HPI is losing ground to its competitors, then, on the premis that there's no such thing as bad publicity, why should we post anything at all on this mag.

Personally, I think it deserves a boycott. Just my thoughts.

We can all think of a number of great/classic cars .... for example the E type Jag. The Zed is certainly in the category of great and I have no doubt will be a classic if it isn't already.

cheers,

Peter