Ezzer

Her ex used to have a BMW 3 convertable (E36) :flaming: She likes the Z3.......... Then after about a month of constantly being around the Lex, she suddenly said..... it's really comfortable! Now I am slowly getting her ro recognise that BMW drivers are Tw*ts As for my obsession with the car..... she just laughs at me...... but she gets upset for me too when people damage my car, or something is not right with it. She can't wait till I get a Porsche in 2 years though!

WOW!!! I think they are GREAT! They are the nuts. Yeah right! Just kidding.... I thought it was some PaintShop pro brush up at first..... then I realised it wasn't. I really did 'cos 1) They are so hideous 2) The Volvo ones are very hazey. 3) what a joke. How can that guy with the Volvo actually park that car in a carpark of any descript? It looks like a company's car park as well.... I wonder how much 'respect' he gets at work! I guess it will lighten up his co-workers' day after a long day at the office - from the laughters!

I can confirm that with the facelifted (post Sept, 01) cars: 1. Pressing key lock button once locks the car and activates the alarm and motion sensor after about 20-30s 2. Pressing key lock button again within about 5s double locks the car. You will hear it locking, but different tone to that of the first lock. The motion sensor and alarm might be switched off by then, I think (could be wrong) I have tested it once: Lowering the window, I locked it, waited for alarm to start flashing, then put my hand in, waved it around, sure the alarm went off (but it was a lot of movement!) Then proceeded to unlock the car with the button in the car on the driver's door! Then I double locked it and waited again, light started flashing. Then went in and tried to unlock it with the button inside - to no avail. I cannot remember whether the motion sensor was working. But it was picking up that I was trying to unlock from inside. But then, there was no way you could unlock it anyway. As for the boot. I always keep it in the locked position, so never tired to have it not, then double lock myself in, and then try opening it... anyone? :eyes::eyes::?:

Cheers boys and girls. I did a walk about today and saw that 14/40-50 cars had the same thing!!!! I want to shoot that/these person/people. In fact, my sister's car had the same thing, she has a Merc ML, and on a different incident, she got Chipsaway to do it and it was a TERRIBLE job. So I am not tempted by them as it is all the way across the rear door as well, so I am going to wait for a verdict from a dealer to say whether it is a respray or a sandpaper and bluff with machine job that they could do. I did use Metallic T-cut but it actually didn't do too much, it helped, but not as much as I expected. How many times can I apply it? If I either polish or T-cut for a whole day, it might come out, but what would be the consequences if I do that? Aside from my arm falling off? Cheers peeps.

can't compare old to new as I have only driven 2 'new' ones. And I have to say the brakes are the dog's bits. About 1000miles before my 10k service, the brakes went a bit spongy and no where near as good, pedal was more much vague and much less bite overall.... I told that to the service guy, the come back to me to say that the engineer check that it was fine. I complained and they checked again, but still same, but apparently he cleaned it.... and the rest - back to normal! So.... I really don't know what he did, but certainly made a difference.... back to driving like a looney mode. But then again, from what I had read from the reviews of the first IS200, they have always said that the brakes were good, stopped better than a boxster in fact, so there!

cheers guys! Bang on I think! Can sleep better now.... :o

Living in central London, is a very nice area.... is a nightmare! I have had the car in pristine condition for 9 months since new, parked overnight in an undergrond garage, then I moved here and had to park on the street. As a result, both my bumpers need a complete respray. I was just getting into accepting that, and one month before I am to sell the car. Some TOSS*R keyed the driver side rear door!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so not happy, in fact, I want to murder whoever did it. WHY?????????????? It is not TOO deep, I tried to T-cut it, I applied it once and then polished it and it was better but the line was well and truely in the lacquer, also there are a deep bits, but just treading on the paint itself I think. So the T-cut didn't get it all off, at all, still an obvious line. What shall I do? I need some advice!!! I can't sleep! I wanna cry, I wanna kill! It's a Platinum Ice (Silver) car, btw, thanks guys!

Wow! I was wondering if anyone knows what the optimum age for a properly run-in engine is, I guess you must know, ButlerBoy! Welcome. I ask because I thought my car was all done with running in and it's going to stay this way (12k+) and the other day, I noted or thought that it was smoother and slightly free-er. 90k in 3 years! Must have spent every single day with it.... lots of bonding! Really nothing else but the tyres and the parts for each service?? Sounds good to me!

I think I got it out with the TC in, I was already hooning it and I didn't even think I would have had the time or the balls to turn in off, not that I suspect would have made such a difference because it was mainly dry and I didn't recall it ever lighting up, even when I booted it out. The fact remains that TC is not fool-proof and people should not rely on it, though it has helped on more than a few occasions, but on a few, I felt that it was good it wasn't there. For example when I really went into a corner too fast and the tail spun round real quick, had the TC been there, it might have cut the throttle totally instead of my slightly more slow witted foot, thus it would have swung it round more and quicker, so I was glad I took it off. The fact that it didn't show when I had it sliding is I think down to the fact that it detects the difference in speed/rotation of the driven wheels and in this case, because it happened so quickly and the fact that it did slide (indicating that perhaps both wheels were letting go at the same time), it did not detect it. I have never had it going off on me when doing the lights. Getting it to come on must be clutch frying territory! I feel. Power shut off is sometimes quite abrupt, and sometimes it's quite light, depending on how quickly the car regains traction I think. As for booting it mid-corner - just make sure u have your wits about and don't rely on it.

Well, one boring way is to tell her: It is a copy of the system seen developed by Mercedes (at least the most recent attempt, there was a Camero or something like that in the 60s with a roof like that, no?) on the SLK and it proved to be a sucess formula which they have now heavily evolved into the new SL (from 26-30s and lot of boot space to 16s and minial boot space lost). So, Lexus has copied the original, no doubt taking apart a few SLKs and spent quite a substantial amount to develop and test it and to integrate it into the car, so..... I don't think they would have wanted to or needed to spend anymore on developing a Soft top! ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

But don't u feel that it's very unsafe to have a boot that can open like that? I mean if you leave it in the unlocked position in the keyhole. If its left like that, then people could break in and open the boot very easily, then you will have nowhere you could trust and keep the bags, shoppinh, brief cases, etc.

Thanks guys, shame.... I thought that with mine being a demonstrator, I had some special treatment on the paint... but then again, if I had, then the paint quality must be terrible!

Mine used to pop open a bit but then about a month before the 10k service it was just opening. So I got the guy to get it fixed at the 10k service and the serivce advisor (I like that!) came back to me after having spoken to the engineer said that it's actually not meant to pop open, it is just meant to open it enough to unlock it. And it's by luck how much your's open. The warning Triangle and the first aid is not included. I bought my own and then realised that the triangle didn't fit properly into the slot (near the bumper) where it was meant to go, I have to keep on tightening it now.... bit annoying, but much cheaper I think.

On the subject of lines on the car.... I recall that when the car was new, well, even up to about 3 months ownership and constant washing, I noticed that there was this line along certain bits like the roof and the rear of the car, which seemed like it has been left there because of a plastic covering/coating before.... probably a plastic protective covering layer during transport or the assembly line? Dirt was building up along it. Anyone had this? Know what it is?

I agree with the respect thing too, although I have toyed with a brand New IS300 in my just serviced IS200SE and it was fun.... toying being following him at speed. And also a similarly silver IS200SE on the motorway, both being swift, I was following in convoy. Kind fun. But regarding what else aside from BMW 3s and 5s. Well the other day I had a shocker - a Golf. I was blazing down the M40 and on the four lane section, I saw this Golf coming up fast in the mirror. I was already doing about 90. I sped up and he was still closing fast, and then the next thing I knew I was doing 110 and he was still there. It wasn't no V6 golf, it was debadged and it was some young sales idiot with shirt and jacket hung up in the back. He must have had it floor ALL THE WAY!! I pulled over after the saw the speed.... and the fact that he was that close at these speeds!

Or who has won the security test (100/100), is it 3 years in a roll now (since introduction?)

I'd put a tenner (and not a fiver!) on it that it will be more reliable than the TT. I have so far had one failure/fault - the light bulb of the passenger/driver reading light. in 12k miles and one year. AS for curbing - the IS is VERY prone to it becaue the alloys are so nice are big! Just use the mirror more effectively and you're get no more than a little tinnie one in a year.

My passenger seat and belt was moved the other day, and it started to rattle again, it turned out that the belt hinge at the top was set at its lowest position and then the actual buckle was flapping against the seat edges/side-airbag bit. I have now lowered the buckle to where the seat is softer and the rattle has gone again.

Well, aside from the many reasons we know - build, engine, etc, etc.... Was late one late evening, early morning this week going somewhere some 45min away. I know the road backwards as I commute on it. Went through some typical London roads, then as I was about 100m from a T junction, which I have to turn right at, the traffic light was (still green), saw that there was a patch of water across the road about 40m in front of the junction, probably washing liquid from restaurant or something, braked, heel-toed into second, the surface was getting a bit rough, the car turned in well, came back on the gas very lightly anticipating the tail/just being ready in-case. And then there it was... a little swing round, a twist of lock to catch it, all predicted, all at relative safe speed, huge smile! Oh... and I made it in 30min... oops! :P

Almost everytime I drive! Some BMW driver always Pi** me off with some such antics, or that they don't signal and turn last min, or they sqeeze into your inside of a one lane traffic light junction. They come in all sizes too! 3,5,X5, Z3.... I think the 7s and the Minis are more mature!

Hope it all goes well mate..... I have bad scratches on both bumpers from idiots when parked on the street, And it's amazing to see how weak the paint is there, might go to the dealer to get them both resprayed (yes, it's that bad!) before I have to sell it. good luck

Had bad experiences with Chipsaway on a Merc ML-320 silver. bad job on the rear wheel arch just before the rear door. all buldged out and paint is like a badly painted/prepared concrete wall. As for the T-cut... haven't dared to try yet since the IS paint is so useless..... Is it any differnt when using it on the bumper bits and the metal bits?

I would have thought us car enthusiasts would have gotten a copy by now, when it was the back page section of: 'Why I love the......' and it was the IS200 this time. Great article on the finer points of the IS200.... how it might be a 3-series blueprint, has slightly odd handling but offset by great engine and 'probably the best looking car to have come out of Japan'.

Thank you Mr. Hallett. I cannot agree more.... Made my eve! P.138

I believe it comes from the seat belt hinge on the top of the passenger side..... most likely this would happen to be quite new on most cars due to reduced usage. I had a fiddle with it while on the move once and got rid of it... of course it came back again later... now I don't notice it.