MG ZT Reviews

They love the idea of a homegrown muscle car with a genuine, thumping V8 engine and old-fashioned rear-wheel drive.It helps, too, that the ZT looks tough with its pumped-up body bits that highlight its automotive steroid program.And its engine has been snitched from the Ford Mustang program in the United States, complete with a galloping pony on top of the intake manifold and a power output of 260 horsepower. That's 191 kilowatts for Australia.If it sounds like a familiar story, that's because it is. Ford and Holden have been doing similar work here for generations, even if it is relatively novel in the UK.The 260 sits at the top of a ZT sports sedan range that includes a V6 and a supercharged V6.They were all developed from the Rover 75, which still runs as an impressive prestige sedan.The ZT family is doing well in Europe, but has had much less of an impact in Australia. Only eight cars have sold so far this year – against a price that goes as high as $89,990 for the flagship – and a relatively paltry 27 sold last year. That's partly because the ZT must face all sorts of homegrown V8 heroes – particularly the V8s from Holden Special Vehicles and Ford Performance Vehicles.It's also because the MG brand is still battling to make an impact in a prestige category where it is a tiny contender against the Benz-BMW-Audi heavyweights, and everyone else, from Lexus and Audi to Volvo and Saab. Australians are also spoiled for choice and value at $90,000. The newcomer – even with its V8 muscle – is up against all sorts of classy rivals.So the ZT is battling on several fronts, and also because it looks like a "bitsa".It has a bit of BMW in the basic body design (the Rover 75 donor car was designed under BMW ownership), a bit of MG history in the badge, a bit of British know-how in the classy suspension and dynamic work, and a bit of America in the engine bay.There is no doubting the quality of the car's basic body, and it is equipped for all sorts of battlegrounds. The cabin has leather, CD sound and plenty of electric assists. There are airbags, anti-skid brakes with traction control and meaty alloys.The ZT V8 has a pair of giant exhausts under its tail to tell people – if they haven't already heard – that it has a V8 heart.The engine is a 4.6-litre V8 with a variable inlet system, hitched to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic gearbox and turning the rear wheels.There are ventilated discs at each corner, fully independent suspension and 225x45 tyres.To put the price into perspective, the ZT starts at $60,990 for the 2.5-litre V6 &#!50; and even the basic Rover 75 is $49,990.ON THE ROADNICE car, shame about the engine. And the price.That's the story of the ZT 260. It doesn't go nearly well enough to compete with the class leaders and it is too costly to have much impact.That's sad. Because its chassis is excellent, it is comfortable, well equipped, a nice drive.The ZT copes brilliantly with bumpy and twisty roads. The suspension is a tribute to the MG engineers and the car brakes well with great steering feel.But the engine, in a class where it will run up against HSV and FPV hotrods with far more muscle, just does not deliver.It has only 191kW, not nearly enough when HSV is talking about 300 and FPV has a hi-tech, quad-cam V8 kilometres ahead of the old Mustang clunker in the MG.It makes all the right noises – grumpy exhaust note and nice V8 rock at idle – but you never feel it is keen for the job.It is a relative heavyweight at 1680kg for a medium-sized four-seater. At least it is reasonable at the pumps on premium unleaded.But we are underwhelmed by the bodywork, which makes the car look a bitsa, not a fully integrated factory package. It hasn't the elegance we expect for $90,000.There is still a lot to like – excellent seats, Xenon lamps, a big boot and parking radar – and the sound system is good.Then we drove it again, and were rewarded by a car that does exactly what it's told through the toughest corners.THE BOTTOM LINE 13/20THE MG ZT is probably pretty special in Britain, but can't face up to the Falcon XR8 or Commodore SS at home.

Forgot to put out the recycling bin the night before and he was waiting for me as I dashed up the driveway, certain I had missed the cut. "Not too late, am I?" I asked."Nup. In fact, I've been wanting to meet you for years," he said. "If you don't mind me asking, just what is it that you do for a living?"Ten minutes later we were still standing there in the driveway chatting about the MG and other cars that he had spied in my driveway over the years – his young offsider waiting patiently, me fresh out of bed and starting to feel the chill in a T-shirt, tracky dacks and bare feet.It was not just the car that had caught my garbo's attention, but also the personalised "ZT V8" number plates.Don't know what it is about V8s but they continue to exert an irresistible attraction for blokes, young and old alike.That's a good thing for MG Rover Australia because it could be just the ice-breaker that it needs to give its flagship ZT sports sedan some "street cred" and put bums on seats.Mind you, at close to $90,000 it is a big ask.The V6 and supercharged V6 versions of the ZT are nice, but they don't hold anywhere near the same attraction as the big V8 and its classic rear-wheel drive configuration.Other models are front-wheel drive.That said we have to admit to being just a tad disappointed with the car which feels much heavier and less agile than its less powerful siblings.In all other respects, however, the V8 delivers the goods.The heart of the matter is a 4.6-litre SOHC 16 valve engine that delivers 191kW of power at 5000rpm and 410Nm of torque at 4000rpm.The engine is sourced from Ford but is not the 4.6-litre unit from Mustang which unfortunately will not fit under the smaller car's bonnet.The five-speed manual transmission is a Tremec unit previously used in Australia in the Tickford Falcon TS/ TE50 range.A limited slip differential is slotted on to a rear subframe that also carries the suspension.AP Lockheed racing brakes are added to the rear axles.The transmission tunnel has been enlarged to carry the extra plumbing for the rear wheels and as a result there is no room for a driver's foot rest, but it is small price to pay.The headlights have been upgraded to xenon and the car also scores 18in alloys, rear park control and a sunroof.Looking at the figures you can see the engine needs to work hard to deliver its best and is not one of the big lazy V8s that we Aussies are used to.That means putting the boot in and putting it in forcefully, but the rewards are gratifying with a 0-100km/h figure of 6.3 seconds and top speed of 250km/h.The V8 runs out of puff early but who really cares. It's great fun to just cruise around in and guaranteed to lift your spirits.There's no mistaking this car for either of its stablemates either, not with a big set of quad tailpipes jutting out from under the back.The V8 sounds great, deep and resonating with a characteristic and audible wheeze between upshifts as the car accelerates.The ride is firm but still comfortable, with heavily bolstered sports buckets in the front that provide plenty of sideways support during fast cornering.The rear wheel drive has a completely different feel and one that will please purists.Traction control is fitted and is too intrusive, but thankfully can be turned off.Along with big wheels and rubber and a deep, predatory front grille, the tailpipes form part of an aggressive styling package that is crucial to the car's appeal. The rear spoiler remains surprisingly small.The ZT V8 weighs in at 1680kg, 180kg more than the supercharged model and 200kg more than the standard car – and that's after ditching the spare.Unlike other models, it makes do with a reinflation kit instead of a full size spare wheel, with the battery relegated to the underfloor area at the rear to make way for the larger engine.Interestingly, the CD stacker can also be found hiding under the floor in the boot while satellite navigation is housed in the side wall of the boot.In terms of which one is accessed more frequently, perhaps it should have been the other way around?Economy is not one of the car's strong suites running out at about 15.0L/100km using premium unleaded.But it is not as bad as some V8s and we don't think this will particularly worry the punter that is prepared to fork out this kind of money.