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MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - 'Autocar' on MG ZR & ZT

Fair report on the ZR and a great report on the ZT in the latest 'Autocar', out today (Weds 25th July). Just as well I didn't break the Trophy Yellow MG ZT when I drove it in Wales - nearly wrote off a local sheep... :O
David Knowles

This is the second group test of the ZR in Autocar in the past 3 weeks. In the first they pitched it against the pint sized Lupo, and the ZR was not as small and agile, and was more expensive. Today its up against a new almost mini MPV like Civic R-type and its not as big or as fast, but 1500GBP cheaper.

Yesterday 4car on the Civic wrote:
Great engine, shame about the body....
There's so much room inside, however, that you lose immediacy and intimacy. You feel a long way from both front and rear ends, so the car's responses to your inputs have a degree of remoteness.

So I guess Autocar will need to do a third test against something that is actually the same size and class as the ZR - which must prove they like it so much they'll test it against anything to keep on driving it.




John Dalton

What does "Autocar" mean when it says, "Steering caster has been increased...by the simple expedient of swapping the front upper wishbones from side to side." How does swapping the front upper wishbones etc. etc. change anything? NB Layman's terms please.
JH Gillson

JH Gillson WROTE:

<< What does "Autocar" mean when it says, "Steering caster has been increased...by the simple expedient of swapping the front upper wishbones from side to side." How does swapping the front upper wishbones etc. etc. change anything? NB Layman's terms please >>

Here's my guess and it is a guess ... in layman's terms: If these items are "handed", that is there is a left and right mirror image item, then by swopping them over to the opposite side could change certain angles such as the castor. The castor angle is that steering angle away from the vertical in both lateral and longitudinal directions. It's what makes the steering wheel sometimes want to return to the straight ahead position.... I think.

Verbal illustration: Say the right sided item slopes slightly to the front of the car, it therefore follows that putting it on the left of the car the slant will be towards the back.... and vice versa.

Castor angle not to be confused with the camber which is the positive or negative angle the road wheel in normal position is from the vertical.

Or, is this layman's viewpoint well off target?

John McFeely
John McFeely

No, you are quite right John. :o)

Nice verbal illustration!
Rob Bell

They should have put the CTR up against the ZS, IMHO.
Will Watson

This thread was discussed between 25/07/2001 and 31/07/2001

MG ZR ZS ZT Technical index

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