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Hello Everyone, A couple of updates on the Zen. All these took place in January '25:
1. The RC has been renewed for another 5 years, so the Zen is street legal till 2030.
2. Since it was close to completing the 1,00,000 kilometers mark, the Zen was taken for a regular service at Bimal Maruti in Mahadevapura. Again, a no-nonsense, mundane, uneventful service; just the way I prefer it.
3. The car completed the magical 1,00,000 kilometers on a road trip to Mysore and back at the end of January. The snap below was taken after I got home as I preferred to enjoy the Bangalore-Mysore highway than stop to take a snap.
Wow, this post just took me on a trip down memory lane!
My father had a Zen when I was in college, and I would always find an excuse to take it out—be it college fests, late-night chai runs, or just aimless drives with friends. There was something about the Zen that made every drive feel effortless, almost meditative—true to its name!
That car was more than just a mode of transport; it was part of so many firsts—my first solo drive to college, countless road trips to visit my grandparents, and even those sneaky late-night drives with cousins (which my parents never knew about 😜).
Even today, whenever I see a well-maintained Zen on the road, it brings a smile to my face. A true icon of its time!
Would love to hear from others—what are your best Zen memories? 🚘
Although I own the namesake successor of the Zen i.e The Zen Estilo, The OG Zens, Esteems, Gypsys, Lancers and Octavias always had a special place in my heart. They are still a head-turner cars even today if well maintained. There is just something about these late 90s - late 2000s cars that I have noticed. They all have just the right amount of electronics required. Nothing more or nothing less. So you get a mostly unadulterated driving experience while having decent enough creature comforts. Best of all, all of them had simple engines and electronics which was for the most part idiot-proof and cheap to maintain. Maybe these are the reasons why my mind subconsciously never lets me get rid of my Estilo. My Estilo is nowhere close to a driver's car but its simplicity makes it fun to drive.
Quote:
Originally Posted by orapple
(Post 5933037)
That car was more than just a mode of transport; it was part of so many firsts—my first solo drive to college, countless road trips to visit my grandparents, and even those sneaky late-night drives with cousins (which my parents never knew about 😜).
Even today, whenever I see a well-maintained Zen on the road, it brings a smile to my face. A true icon of its time!
Would love to hear from others—what are your best Zen memories? 🚘
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Mine might not be an OG Zen, but it was a part of so many firsts for me as well.rl: It was the first car to properly learn driving, First car to crash:Frustrati, First car to drive to college, First car to drive on roadtrips and is still the only car I own and drive for the most part.
Loved the writeup.
I've driven a Zen and I had low expectations but my god, the car is surprisingly fun to drive. Everything feels a lot more raw and I presume the power to weight ratio makes it feeling a lot faster than it's supposed to feel.
I wonder what the parts situation for your car is, whether parts can be sourced easily.
Because, that is the single biggest problem I face with my 2003 Accord that I daily.
These Zens are magical. The Jellybean design was marvellously revolutionary to our uninitated and hungry eyes in 1995 when it was first launched.
And then came the Yellow Zen. What a pretty car it was!
That free revving 999 cc 4 cylinder aluminium alloy petrol engine was so refined. The kerb weight of the car, being so low, allowed for truly peppy performance.
A few weeks ago I spotted a couple of nicely maintained KL registered Zens on the Mysore Highway.
A pleasantly nostalgic sight indeed!
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