NACRO

from autocar, haven't seen it discussed here so hopefully it's fresh to the board.

"MG Rover is giving its ZR hot hatch the XPower treatment to potentially create one of the most powerful hatchbacks on sale. The ZRX was shown at last week’s Autosport International Show, and could produce up to 250bhp.

However, the first production vehicles will make do with the 160bhp 1.8 VVC engine – the same as the current ZR’s – but gain the butch body kit inspired by MGR’s rally car.

More powerful versions, developing 210bhp and 250bhp, could use a K-series engine bored out to 2.0 litres. The show car’s engine was built by race specialists Engine Developments.

It also featured a close ratio ’box, competition clutch and limited-slip diff. Suspension is adjustable all round and the car sits on 18-inch wheels with low-profile 215/35 rubber.

Cars will be built to customers’ specifications and MG wants buyers to visit the factory to talk about their requirements.

‘It will be like the ’70s, when customers would come to Abingdon to talk about the modifications they wanted to their MGBs and Midgets,’ said an MG spokesman."

Sounds like one MG I might actually be interested in owning (the 250bhp variant anyway)- if it happens then it will be one of the few good moves MGR has made. Let's hope it isn't all talk.

mynickers

yeah but do you really want 250bhp going through the front wheels?

NACRO

Probably not but Alfa managed a good job of it with the 147 GTA, or so I've read. Maybe MG can pull of the same trick?

RichWalk

You never know it may be true- liked the bits about Abingdon and mods- my Midget obviously didnt have any discussions- couldnt stop it handled like an eel in a tank and feel apart every winter!

PS you writing under another name on this thread yet- seems too good to be true so far!!

NACRO

nah the midget, MGB as well as the MGC are some of my favourite cars, part of the reason I have a bee in my bonnet about what happened to MG under BL and eventually Rover. Calling them and their "business" stategy a shower of **** would be being polite, as for BMW all I can say is "would you trust a German".

Many have accused me of being unpatriotic because of things I've said here. All I can say is I cannot stand incompetence and apathy, they seem to be 2 of the main watchwords for Rover/MGR since the krauts left.

Duck_Pond

And let's also hope that MGR apply a sensible price to it, instead of their current trend of overpricing the cars for the sector they're targeting...

Does sound good though.

RichWalk

Pure irony that we rebuilt their car industry after the 2nd World War.
I do agree about the levels of apathy though- countries riddled with it at every level so I see no reason for our main car builder to be any different! We work more hours and suppossidly have premium technology (at least in Motorsport) so what the **** is going on in our industries??

logiclee

I don't think the 250bhp through the front wheels will be too much of a problem as long as it's well sorted, it will be a screamer rather than a torque monster which is easier for FWD.

The only ZR I have driven felt too firm and was upset by mid corner bumps, I hope they address that as it will need some compliance in the chassis to run 18's with 35 series rubber on UK roads.

As for price, MGR tend to put unrealistic list prices on most of it's models. Fortunatly big discounts can be had at the dealers which offsets it somewhat. I still think they would sell more if they just priced them right in the first place.

Lee

MGJohn

Those prices are designed to allow dealers to appear to give a generous part exchange allowances. P/X being the way many new UK private car purchases are done now. Yes, I did say appear generous. MG-R are not alone in doing this in good old "Treasure Island" as it's known in the trade ...

When I bought my new MG a few months back, I got a very healthy discount with no part exchange. The kind of discount only fleet buyers could expect a few years back.

He who does not pay full whack is no mug ...

Ever wondered why so many company cars on Brit roads ? ......

MGJohn

In response to NACRO's thread starter, is this 2 litre K series based on the recently announced K2000?

MGJohn

>>And let's also hope that MGR apply a sensible price to it, instead of their current trend of overpricing the cars for the sector they're targeting...<<

I do not think the entry level MG ZT V8 is anyway over-priced ... do you? Sounds like good value to me. Get behind me temptation ...

imlach

I think the Google ad says it all - "pedal cars"

logiclee

MG John,

I hear what you are saying but I still feel sales are being lost. Joe Public who buys a car every three to five years and has no interest in cars inbetween will be put off when he compares the high list price of say a 25 compared to a Fabia. As a result they may not even visit a Rover dealership.

I think a reduction in dealer margins and a lowering of list price would help. It's wrong that you should walk into a dealer and get £4000 off a 75 without blinking, drop the list price and more company drivers would be sought due to the lower tax and more private buyers would be interested.

Lee

Scoob99

iTrader: (1)

My old M.G. Maestro was brilliant loved her to bits, but in the the wet she was a cow.
Cheers
Colin

Tom Machin

if there still using the K-series engine then its doomed. The engine eats head gaskets like a jensen interceptor eats badgers for fuel. Ive worked at mi dads garage for 3 years now and done around 7. And back to the question;
IT IS NOT POSSIBLE, DOOMED FROM DAY 1!

NiceCupOfTea

TomM>

just the kind of ill informed crap MGR have to deal with all the time. Sure, there were head gasket problems on older engines, but the revised gasket (99/00 onwards) cured this. It's an excellent engine, there's no reason why it can't go on to 6 figure mileages if it's well and regularly serviced. Chances are the ones you have seen have been neglected and run without coolant or something.

Sure, it'll succeed. The ZR (in fact the whole of the Z range) has been a huge success. And it'll give it the grunt to compete with the CTR / GTi180 / 172 / &c which the ZR160 lacked.

There'll always be the doubters - fine, I think Oscar Wilde said it best "Cynics know the price of everything and the value of nothing". A 250bhp MG ZR will do very well indeed I would imagine, and the best of British to MGR

[Edited by NiceCupOfTea - 1/23/2004 9:21:09 PM]

logiclee

There is no doubt that there was problems with the K series. Yes they are supposed to have been sorted and certain engines didn't have a problem (Caterham versions, Lotus Elise/Exige, Rover Turbo, V6's etc.) The problem is now supposed to be solved.

The real problem is the bad press MGR got by not holding their hands up as Land Rover did and saying the new cars are OK. Even if MGR had agreed to look at individual cases they would have saved themselves loads of stress.

MGR is progressing as per the buissines plan but they have major PR issues. They need to sort this out.

In the last 12 months we have had the poor responce to the K series allegations, the Pheonix Pension fiasco, no press launch of the City Rover, the selling of Longbridge and the bodged launch of the facelifted 75/ZT.

Image is everything in the car industry no matter how good the product is. Just ask Skoda, how many years has it taken them to rebuild their image and they say they are still only 50% of where they want to be. MGR need to sort out the PR now.

Lee