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MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - ZT & ZT-T handle diferently

Any one driven ZT & ZT-T and notice the differences in handling characteristics ? (I think the ZT-T is more responsive)
Stewart

er, well ones a saloon and the others an estate so there bound to be different.......
......

I agree but was a bit surprised that the ZT-T appears to have sharper steering response than the saloon version. Anyone else driven both have a view on this?
Stewart

Unfortunately I haven't driven both Stewart. I was interested in a ZT-T, but MG wouldn't allow me to testdrive one. They let me out in a ZT, saying they handled the same. I didn't believe them and have decided to get another car now. Shame, I was looking forward to it too. I'd love for someone to confirm there are differences and what those differences are.
Kieren Gibson

We drove both, but a few months apart. I was very impressed with the ZT-T handling and performance - maybe it being a 190 helped the latter. I found the ZT a bit gutless, but it was the 160. I don't remember the ZT handling particularly impressing me - it was pretty much what I expected.
dan

Odd that when I drove the only ZT-T I have so far that I felt it was taughter in most respects, including handling responses. One example doesn't provide the conclusive answer but added to your perceptions Stewart it is more interesing.

Rog
Roger Parker

Rog,

I have driven x 2 ZT-T's recently & 2 saloons and I can confirm that ZT-T is definitely taughter.
Does the ZT-T have a stiffer body shell, as a slightly newer shell to the original saloon version?

Stewart

My understand is that the base 75 body is very stiff (thank you BMW!) and that the estate is about 20% less stiff but still very stiff for an estate (sorry touring!).

I have driven a few 75 Saloons and now have an estate (sorry touring). The estate does seem a lot tauter and understand that the springing was stiffened to ensure good handling when loaded. Perhaps the same is true of the MG versions.

Cheers

Patrick

Patrick

I've seen what I took to be a development ZTT taken around Curborough by a Rover engineer and it was very, very impressive. I thought that the car I was looking at was RWD, but in every article I've read on the car since says that the car drives like its RWD.

Don't know about it being more responsive than the ZT - just might be that it's more responsive than just about everything else as well.

Amazing.

Mike.
Mike Watkins

The ZT-T you saw probably was RWD. It's probably the 4.6litre V8 RWD version that gets launched later in the year.

Going back to the original question, the ZT-T has significantly stiffer rear springs (and related damper settings) than the saloon.

If you stick 250kg of bagged concrete in the back, it hardly sinks at all!! (However, you do then get a bit more wheelspin on take off & it can make the front wheel Anti Lock chatter a bit under braking).

It's a horrific thought but it would probably make a fine tow car, but on a nicer topic, a great duty free wine lugger. It even has the buit in cargo retainer so you can load the back to the headliner...
Dave

Dave,

Funny you say that. The first ZT-T I saw was being used by a builder to carry concrete bags. To some, just another workhorse like the good old Montego estates .... :>)
John McFeely

Would the stiffer rear springs make the ZT-T steering feel sharper than the saloon?
How could the steering response on the ZT saloon improved?
Stewart

It is said the BMW 5 series touring (estate) also handles better than the saloon, also because of the uprated suspension.
Ive seen so far, any one any knowledge?
One would compliment my BGT and MK IV Magnette nicely.
Norman.
Norman

This thread was discussed between 05/02/2002 and 19/02/2002

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