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MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - Auto Distress on the ZT385

Thanks to Nick who posted this on the www.mg-rover.org forums :D

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/njyney/newnews/newsarticle-main.php3?id=3743

A nice bit about the MG-ZT385 :D

Couldn't help myself, a smile just grew and grew whilst I was reading this. I'd love to have seen BMW's boss' faces when they saw this at Frankfurt!

Question is, is Dirk going to trade in his pathetic Z3 for a real sports saloon, namely the ZT-385. Further more, do we really give a toss if he does?

Probably not. Anyway, not a bad article by AD.

Steve.
Steve Childs

And they liked the seats too!
dan

Agreed it is nicely positive. Thing is that A-D are very good at 'Exclusive Behind The Wheel Report From Auto Distress' when all they often have done is sat in the driver's seat and then been ferried round the circuit. I'll never forget the sight of the A-D journos who piggybacked onto an MG World 'exclusive' on the (undrivable, 'cos it had no engine management fitted) MGF Super Sports when one sat in it and they reported as I've suggested. Bless 'em - where would we be without high qwalitee jernylizm loike det...
David Knowles

lol, oh well. At the end of the day its positive press, that can't be wrong :)

Steve.
Steve Childs

HMM.......The seats look nice.
Mega

In the same issue theres a test of the ZR160 versus Peugeot 206GTI, as usual the testers slag off the MG interior saying it looks ,looks fine to me!,i'm not going to go into it all here but i just think Auto Depress cant handle the fact that the MG is a best seller at the moment.Rover/MG sold over 8000 cars in October,i bet Auto Distress wish they could shift that many low rent car magazines in a month!!.
Kevin Davis

They always try to give the impression that they have Driven said car. I am still pisted off with them for there "Test drive" of the Lotus M250. The bloody car didn't have an engine in it! But a few mins with a PC and bobs your uncle!
Mega

In my last post the missing word is >saying the interior looks dated,looks fine to me<.
Kevin Davis

As DK says this is folowing the Auto Distress route of bending elastic in ways never done before. In this instance though the car in question does drive, and drive well. I know I have had a very limited experience. (Very being the operative word)

They have somewhat missed one point though and that is the title which was applicable at the time of launch on Sept 11th. Since then the 385 part of the title has been officially dropped, largely because it is no longer applicable. Note the picture of the rear badge which no longer sports a number. Certainly the Typhoon example shown here doesn't feature a 385PS spec engine!!

Overall though the thread of the feature was postive and some of the less accurate elements arise simply from the limited exposure that the writer has had with the car. This is so very clear to those who have a much more detailed knowledge of the model and this example in particular.

It seems that it was this time last year that the same publication was raving on about a certain Rover 200 based non Rover built concept sporting MG adornments, that was heralded to be the new MG saloon. On this basis we can map out future Auto Distress features and probably pre write them!

Rog
Roger Parker

Rog, what is the output of the Engine then? In the blurb that was released, it did say 385PS, IIRC.

Steve.
Steve Childs

Steve, I suspect you can round that figure up ;o)
Rob Bell

"sending the 380bhp V8 engine shuddering into life."

Is that a compliment? Much like the "nice, notchy gearbox" from another journo about another car some time ago.
Paul Hunt

ah, sounds like you inadvertantly answered my question paul. So its 380 now, not 385? Where'd the 5bhp go? ;)

Steve.
Steve Childs

Didn't somebody say it was 400bhp now?
But hey, 380,385 or 400 does it matter!
John Manson

Paul, are you quoting directly from an A-D article there? If so, 'nuff said ...
David Knowles

Cut-n-paste from Auto-Disaster:

' ...the MG Rover ZT385 is going to be put through its paces at a secret test track in Oxfordshire. Officially revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, this is the first time the car has hit the open road. And as we look on, the ignition key turns, sending the 380bhp V8 engine shuddering into life....'

Answered my own question!
David Knowles

This thread was discussed between 05/12/2001 and 06/12/2001

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