Emma had a mini day today at Thruxton and while I was there I managed to get out for a fast passenger lap ( with an instructor) in an MG ZT 180. The car had 741 miles on the clock from new and was totally standard except slicks. The instructor told me he laps the same with road tyres as he does with slicks and that they only use them as road tyres die quickly at Thruxton as its a very abrasive track. The stop start stuff he was doing didnt give the slicks time to warm up and work properly.
I have to say I was mightily impressed both with the driving and the car ...... Very very quick, very efficient in what it did and frugale also. He only has to push the brake pedal twice on a lap so pads last for ages and ages ........

Couple of pics from the day ....







Gary

 

its the driver not the car. mg is still a rover with a bodykit!

 

Excellent!

You mean a proper Cooper (last pic)!

My first car was a 91 Cooper. Way too fast for the brakes!

 

The last bit was an auto car test ...... It was good fun and the bit Emma enjoyed the most.

 

'its the driver not the car. mg is still a rover with a bodykit!'

Why is it when somebody has something good to say about a home grown product somebody has to slag it off, the ZS isnt perfect but people are buying them and it get good reviews notwithstanding the fact that its a warmed over fairly old model Rover 45/400, cant it be good in its own right ?

Most sporting cars are simply the standard version with a bodykit.

 

good day out, isnt it? i did a ferrari trackday there last year, thoroughly enjoyed it i was very suprised by the mg too, always thought they were a bit naff, quite like 'em now!

 

erm...741 miles?? Can u thrash a new car that much on a track....thought you were supposed to keep it below XXXX revs for first 3000 miles or so?

 

True, I wouldn't be happy caning a car at WFO round a track at 700 miles from new .... but providing you let it warm up fully first, no reason why you shouldn't give it 3/4 throttle and 80% of max revs ... helps the piston rings seat nicely

 

so you can polish a turd then ?

 

My parents have a zs and it handles amazing, i was really suprised.

In my scooby days on the runs a zr use to come along and in the corners it was matched to most scoobs and was driven by a very average driver.

 

That's all any hot hatches are!? Body kit plus uprated sus, and tuned engine. You sound like you get your car knowledge from the back of papers with red tops dude!

Sounds like a good day out, I have been meaning to do some track days, I quite fancy the Audi Single seaters next!

 

I dont think they care about running the car in ..... Its their track experience car and it gets a hard time ... It impressed the hell out of me.

Gary

 

MG lol.

Gay.

"Full fat, full caffeine"

Random Rover 400 with bright chavvy paint and a gay scooby style bodykit replica thing.

Respect to the driver though.

 

I remember my friend going to the new POLO launch day thing at millbrook. They had a bit of a preview of the car inside, some drinks and nibbles before heading out in groups for a test run with a pro driver. So they assumed they would be in a sport version but ended up in a SDI s 5 door for a run around the twisty stuff. Him and his mates were laughing at the cars lack of performance until they hit the twisty stuff. They guy never lifted apperently and was an amazing chasis....

My mate went to shake the drivers hand as they were getting out, and asked if they had run the car in. Being the 1st day of the launch, the cars had just broke double figures !!!!

A private car is worth bedding in but those that end up on race tracks don't get an inch - lol