Faults:

Front passenger door remote unlock stopped working this year (locking OK).

General Comments:

Lovely car to drive (feels like a BMW, which it is!).

Ideal for the South of France run.

Good performance, plenty of torque, handles well for a robust car.

Very reasonable to run, never needed oil between services, never had a job done on it since new.

Only complaint is tyre wear, I reckon 15-20000 miles, could be I should drive a bit slower.

Faults:

There are a small number of known faults with this model of the ZT and I have had two of them - failed heater hose resulting in loss of coolant, and separated fuel filter module which affects 75s and ZTs (and presumably some BMW's since this is a BMW part...). However all of these are easy to fix and also easy to prevent.

General Comments:

It's the best all round car I have ever owned, and more individual than the alternatives. The V8 was only made in small numbers, but despite this was completely re-engineered relative to the other ZTs with rear wheel drive and a 4.6L v8 engine normally found under the bonnet of a Ford Mustang.

The handling is sublime, lots of grip with progressive oversteer if you are really provoke it, which is satisfyingly easy to catch. You don't have to take my word for it, a certain Mr.J.Clarkson writes "It’s not a razor-sharp handler. Think of it as a destroyer rather than a speedboat, but in extremis, trust me on this, it’s very good."

Brakes (from AP Racing at the rear and BMW at the front) work very well and even blatting up and down Welsh mountains didn't provoke any fade.

The huge engine really is the heart of the car and dominates the experience with a throaty roar from start up and a satisfying growl when pressing on.

You feel the downside of this at the pumps, but it's not as bad as I at first feared, low 20s MPG better than my Fiat 2.0 turbo and similar to a friends RX-8.

260bhp sounds a lot, but this is a heavy car and it doesn't feel super quick. The specs say otherwise, but it's never felt as fast as my Fiat. There is lots of torque on tap and it is deceptive, there's no 'kick in the back' like a turbo or VTEC car, but a gradual build up of power from 2.5k to up to the 6k red line. The gearing is relatively long and it's easy to go faster than you intend!

The low-speed ride is a little harsh over speed bumps and the like, but otherwise this is a very comfy car with a fantastic HK hi-fi, TV, Sat-nav, heated seats, auto-dimming mirror, parking sensors and all manner of other toys.

Perhaps the biggest advantage is the price, since MGR went under it has become a performance car bargain, and with a Ford engine and the other major mechanical oddments from BMW, parts shouldn't be a problem.

It's a car with soul, and perfect if you favour unconventional choices.

Faults:

Encountered problems with the boot release when the weather is cold, but other than that trouble free.

General Comments:

A superb car, comfortable and (very) fast - can be a bit thirsty.

Stunning looks complemented by plenty of grunt and terrific handling (for such a big car).

Tyres for the 18 inch rims can be expensive - shop around!

Faults:

Minor problem with boot not releasing properly with key.

General Comments:

Generally, I have gone for big, comfy, automatic cars that are quiet and effortless to drive so this has been an interesting diversion.

It is a great fun to drive and a real 'drivers car'. I have sometimes taken it for a spin jut because I fancy being in it again!