Rover ZT-V8

[C R Box]

Rovers new ZT V8 (75 shape)saloon is now available It's got a Ford (U.S.) 4.60L, 256bhp motor
It does 6.5 secs to 60 and 155mph. Only flaw is limited range and current image.
Will this car restore Rover's credibiliy and will enough people wth 28-34K buy it over a BM or Merc.?

[RTH]

There are likely to be two versions the MG ZT 260 which will be a performance car with BMW M3 like capability and a luxury express the Rover Vitesse.

[josvandeperre]

Assuiming they do not go broke before anyone is bonkers enough to buy one.....

[garcon]

It's an MG not a Rover (OK, badge engineering, I know), and I didn't think it was out until Spring 2004?

www.mg-rover.com

Go to the United Kingdom MG site and take a look at the X Power ZT in the Development Zone... that's the proper one.

Interestingly, the latest Top Gear magazine does list the ZT 260, even though it doesn't appear on MG's website!

...

Ah - hidden away in the news section.

I'll get me coat - I'll be outside waiting for a taxi along with MG Rover's website developers...

[C R Box]

Originally posted by garcon
[B]It's an MG not a Rover (OK, badge engineering, I know), and I didn't think it was out until Spring 2004?

No, you can order it right now. The brochure and price/equipment levels are are available from your MG Rover dealer. The car was tested by Autocar about 4 weeks ago and came out very well.
However there do not seem to be any cars at dealers just yet.

[garcon]

As I said - ah, hidden in the news section of the website...

It's available "to customer order". Though who in their right mind would buy one without the chance to test drive it, I don't know.

The real beast will be the X Power ZT, with a supercharged version of the 4.6 good for around 360bhp - apparently that's due out sometime in 2004.

[chunterer]

All i can say is what a car!! I'd love one!

There's the sports/qvale based thing coming out soon too. They don't half know how to produce decent looking cars with cracking engines

[Dick Spanner]

Garcon, in autocar a couple of week's back they reported that a Rover Vitesse version of the ZT260 is being considered, as RTH said it will be more the cruiser to the MG's bruiser if it happen's.

[josvandeperre]

Originally posted by chunterer
There's the sports/qvale based thing coming out soon too.

Please don't take this personally but are you serious about Chunterer's Chunderer ?

On launch day there was one cruising the Kings Road - where else - oh dear oh dear oh dear - barffffffff

[davemorganfan]

If it's good enough (which it seems to be) it should do very well. Presents a soulful alternative to the characterless but capable Kraut opposition. The trouble is, people tend to think automatically these days that BMW and Merc are the last word in up-market executive cars.

[Maisie]

I love the aggressive looks of the ZT, and if I had the cash, I'd get the V8 like a shot.

[garcon]

A V8 ZT is a wonderful idea. And I'll be watching closely. But I think I'll wait to see whether it actually works before I buy one.

Not that I don't trust MG Rover - it's just that it's a completely new configuration. The 75/ZT is now a fine car as a front driver, and there's certainly not much wrong with the Ford sourced (can someone confirm that??) 4.6 V8. I'd just like to see them work together first. I expect they'll be keeping numbers really low, otherwise used values will absolutely bomb... I mean who in their right mind wants a V8 Rover these days?

PS, I love the X Power SV - if you saw it in the flesh at the motorshows, it was awesome. Completely over the top agressive styling needs a package that performs how it looks. And according to the figures, it will!

[C R Box]

Garcon,
I agree a 4.6L MG-ZT is just what the performance orientated car buyer needs to be able to consider. Having seen the brochure and the road test, I think the omens are promising, and it seems to be at last, a performace saloon with character needing driver ability to drive it quickly.
However it would definitely be prudent to wait, as it would be incredible if Rover's development, based on their stretched resources, will have covered every avenue of reliability.
I think it's abit of a shame that they announced the 385bhp version before the 260 even hit the showrooms. I'm not sure buyers will be comfortable shelling out 28-34K for wha is a slightly risky purchase, when it's be made clear that this is the GT not the GTI.
Rover should have kept the other car under wraps and simply said that the 4.6 motor has further development potential.
Never the less, I look forward to driving the car and hope it has some TVR-ish soul that the M3 lacks.

[Dick Spanner]

It definitely is the Ford 4.6 lump. Apparently the development into rwd was easier than you might imagine because the Rover 75 was designed originally with the intention of introducing a 4wd model a'la Jag X-type, so the required tran's tunnel etc was already there. BMW then decided that a 4wd version might compete a little too closely with their own model's and canned the idea. When they offloaded Rover they went one step further and introduced a condition banning Rover from creating a 4wd version.

From what I have read, the 385bhp version will be a little more er, extrovert look's wise than the ZT260 and that may be enough to sway some people away from it, hopefully back to the 260.