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MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - See the New ZT X Power this weekend at the NEC

The excellent relationship that has developed, and which continues to develop, between MG Rover and the MGOC sees not just the sort of benefits in car purchase normally reserved for staff, (note other threads) but also benefits in access to the models normally reserved for major international car shows and the press.

This weekend is the Classic Car show at the NEC. (South East of Birmingham for those who don't know this venue) MG Rover's Chief executive, Kevin Howe, will be receiving a presentation from the MGOC at the Club stand at around midday on Saturday (10th) Apart from this, MG Rover have kindly lent the Club the new MG ZT X Power saloon which has not yet been seen in public in the UK, previously only displayed at the Frankfurt Motor show in September. This car will be present throughout the whole weekend and placed on the Club stand for viewing.

Previously the car's title was punctuated with '385', signifying the power output of the 4.6 litre supercharged engine. Suffice to say that changes to the specification, that will take effect before the car is available next year, makes this numerical designation inaccurate!!! I leave you to decide what this means!!!

Unfortunately test drives are not yet on the adgenda and if they were then sorry I would be miles away before you get there!!!

The show is a classic car show, but there is no question that this car is firstly a classic in it's own time and a future classic from any perspective.

I look forward to being able to speak with anyone who calls in.

Rog
Roger Parker

Nuts- I going to be away in the States for a conference... :o(
Rob Bell

Roger

You MUST post more has soon as you have the information. I have one on order from Kernahan of Witney. Just sold my EVO VI (well I hope I have when I return on Friday). Now the plan is to morphe my 75 into the ZT400.

Regards

Jerry

PS. I only hope that selling the greatest 4-wheel drive rally based car in the world, bar none will be worth it! Maybe 400 ps through the rear wheels - side ways sounds VERY interesting - reckon I'll need a drivers course!!
Jerry Flint

Good news indeed Rog.
at the risk of a large cycberspace slap coming my way, could you work the subjects of SEATS! and driving polistions into any chat that you have with people at MGR.
MEGA

MEGA
If you had come along to the NEC yesterday you could have had a chat with Mr Howe, "call me Kevin" yourself. He was on the MGOC for over an hour chatting and answering questions to anybody that came upto him. I had a good chat about everthing from the Z cars to the dealers. I got quite a few "watch this space" out of him.
Anyway well done MGOC, it made my day chatting to the Chief Executive of MG-R in front of the gorgeous ZT-X Power. It looked magnificant.
BTW have you actually spoken to a dealer about changing the seats for you? There is a story in the new MG World magazine, which is out next week, about a guy who wanted a ZT, but his wife did not like the passenger seat as there was no height adjustment. So MG-R have offered to put a left hand drive drivers seat(which has height adjustment) into the passenger side.
Now thats what I call good service!
John Manson

HAVE I TRYED?
I and most of the other invited guests at the Liverpool lanch party TOLD the DEALERS! To which they tryed there best to "Blag" us that we where wrong (and ALL the motoring press as well?)

I wrote to Rob Oldker, and told him what was what. He wrote back to me a gave me the "WATCH this space" story as well (There's more than a bit of Labout spin doctor about MGR these days).

I am not worryed, if MGR don't what to listen to there would be owners i KNOW that FORD/Vauxhall/VW WILL!
MEGA

Did Kevin have anything to say about getting the dealers sorted and more smaller ones i.e. pre-BMW?
Rob

It was great to see some of you BBS writers at the NEC. I've just got home, it was a fantastic but tiring weekend and the presentation went very well and everyone crowded around the ZT X Power. Kevin Howe spoke freely and to anyone who wanted to chat about MG Rover, the cars and the future. I'm sure Roger Parker will expand on that in his comment tomorrow. People I spoke to felt the same way as we do. The MG marque is in very good hands and what has been achieved over the past 18 months is amazing. MG Rover has an entertaining and brilliant future.

I am enjoying "watching this space!"

Cheers Roche
roche bentley

HMM
Jam tomorrow!
MGR Talk, Ford is doing!
Mega

i would like to thank roger& roche and the rest of the MGOC team for putting on a great display, the center -piece of the show i would say!
kevin neal

Mega, Liverpool WROTE:

<<
HMM
Jam tomorrow!
MGR Talk, Ford is doing! >>

Please get it in perspective MEGA. MG-R have progressed well in the past year or so and all from a virtual standing start. How long have Ford been at it?

Ref: your FORD comment - History shows otherwise. If Ford really is as you say "doing", why was this vast international one of the last to offer it's customers over here front wheel drive, electric windscreen wipers (hands up those who remember the "fabulous" vacuum operated ones?), four or even five speed gearboxes. The actual list is much longer. What they did do is put fuel tanks right at the back of some model and without a recall. That alone put me off buying one of their products for life. I do not forget. Old Henry may have started this production line thing but Ford have usually followed well behind in the progress stakes when compared to even some of the Brit car makers, not to mention so called better quality "foreign" car marques.

My money is still on you buying one of ol' 'enry's products, and not an MG-R ...... :o))

JMcF

John McFeely

Mega,

Go get yer Ford. Watch Darth Vader eat it!
Dave

In the late 1980s/eary 1990s Ford produced loads of XR2 XR3 RS etc. They where good to drive/Fun. Than all the tea leafs forced the insurenace though the roof.

Than the imobliests (yes i dont know how to spell it) came along, great i thought. But Fag Labour was telling eveyone that the days of Fun car where over! Sadly Ford and others belived them and its only now that there is a rush on for the Hot Hatch again.

With all respect to MGR, i think Ford will come up with the "Right pakage" Eg Good price,Good perfomance nice build, safe handling, low ish insurance costs etc.

Its called the ST170!
Mega

>>>>In the late 1980s/eary 1990s Ford produced loads of XR2 XR3 RS etc. They where good to drive/Fun.

Don't make me laugh!!


Ok, i get it. You love Fords. You love the seats, the looks etc, So go and buy you Focarse and be happy.
I can't understand why you comment on the MG's and never say anything positive, it's constant moaning. Everyone else seems to be happy with their purchase, but you won't take the 'risk' in buying an MG.
It's your loss mate. Have fun with your Ford.

Gareth Kidman

mega
ford think so much of the RS brand that they haven't been bothered to make an RS for nearly 6 years.
sooner or later the accountants at ford are gonna say how comes it takes us 3 years to make the ST170 when mg-rover can produce a car in a year thats just as good.
i can just see you now in your st170 with its peaky 168bhp zetec getting thrashed by a ZR160,but atleast the seats will be to your liking untill some lowlife nicks them!
kevin neal

Kevin,

Bleeding obvious isn't it? The reason it takes Ford 3 years to build the ST170 is all the extra work they had to do to fit Recaro seats. Any damned fool can build an excellent car with a fine chassis and great engine in no time, but the skill required to fit Recaro seats requires patience and genius!

Mega you are starting to sound obsessed. I personally thing recaro seats look just great in a Ford but are hardly suitable furniture for a "gentlemen's conveyance"

Cheers

Patrick
Patrick

Agree with all the comments about MEGA. He has totally destroyed the thread.

Listen if you really are interested in MGR buy a car and ask your dealer to fit aftermarket Recaro's. Or maybe they might do a "DEAL" on the seats. Don't really understand your "agenda!". Or wait because I'm sure MGR are working on this, otherwise buy the Ford and leave us all alone!

On another tack, I'm having to wait until next year (maybe Sept),for the ZT400, but I know it will be worth the wait!
Jerry Flint

Hi Everyone, Sad news, I had a chat with the Ford people and asked if Mega would be welcome on their site, they had a think about it and said, "Thanks but no thanks. We have too much doom and gloom as it is."

Cheers

Roche
roche bentley

Rob
I spoke to Kevin Howe about the dealers as I suspect like you, I have had poor service in the past.
First he said that they had a very stable dealership network, who were probably more profitable now than they have ever been. So there is an obvious reluctance to carry out major surgery on something which on the face of is working very well.

Secondly he made the point that most main dealers tend to be pretty much the same regardless of the franchise they hold, and I suppose having had worse experiances with Renault and Ford I would have to agree with him on that one, however two wrongs do not make a right.
I remarked that there seamed to be a lack of enthusiasm within the dealers for the MG marque. He was aware of this and said they were looking at one or two ways of improving the situation.

Finally I asked the question about the Inchcapes v Family type dealers which has been talked about around here a bit. The reply was that any new dealer coming on board would be a smaller concern who; "would to have rely sole on that busineess for there livleyhood".

As I walked away I probably thought of another dozen or so questions I wanted to ask, but thats always the way! I hope this gives you some cause for enthusiasm that things will improve.



John Manson

Its going to be great!
All of you guys at the doctors in a few years time, unable to move much, spend your time in great pain. The medical world will call it "MGR".

Mean while our hero is driving around pulling high "G" round conners safly held by this RECARO!
Mega

I'd rather sit on a milk crate in an MG then sit in a RECARO in a ford.
I dont think you have any interest in MGR so do us all a favour and piss off.
Ian cresswell

This is the sort of conment i would expect for someone in Essex.......HMM i would what you woman is doing right now and with hume!
MEGA

Ian ESSEX WROTE:

<< I'd rather sit on a milk crate in an MG then sit in a RECARO in a ford. >>

Me too! Or even a milk FLOAT particularly if it has a KV6 powerplant ..... :o))
John McFeely


question is will the Ford fit a pioneer sticker, bass bin and neon under lighting as dealer options to the Focus XR3i, or will MEGA have to fit them himself??????
the realist

The realist, your on the same wave length as me, I suspect the options much wanted by MEGA apart from Recaro's and XRi3 badging will be a huge 12 inch sunstrip for the windscreen, preferbly with MOTORSPORT in itallic white lettering. Of course no Ford would be complete without 5 or 6 Magic trees to dilute the smell of the glue from the Recaro's, which would otherwise cause brain damage and an incurable habit called AOSW (Arm On steering wheel). Then it's all downhill from there, with a DTM style exhaust causing excessive booming without performance gains, again causing more brain damage and an irresistable urge to put on M3 wing mirrors and TSW Venom wheels of the 15 inch variety. At least his back will be ok, those Recaros are excellent even if you put sports style seat covers on them.

Gareth...
Gareth Kidman

Mega will fit them himself if he can read the instructions. He certainly cant write.
Ian

Mega,

Perhaps we can interest you in a late Rover 800 Vitesse, T16 Turbo engine with a better power delivery than a simarly T25 equipped Cosworth engine and smother operation. PLUS a pair of black half leather Birmingham made and branded Recaro seats. Oddly the inclusion of these seats, which follow the Recaro tradition, didn't do much for Vitesse sales!

Also interesting is that in the last 12 months Kieper Recaro have disposed of the final excess new stocks of these seats for a pittance. I arranged for a pair for a friend so he could fit them in his Fiat Ducato based mobile home. This has actually made travelling in this a little more comfortable, but not by a quantum leap over the soggy arm chairs that were standard fit.

I also bought a single drivers Recaro which I adapted to fit an office chair base, which give my sons computer desk a great deal more credibility with his mates!

On the subject of MGR talking and others doing??? Call me old fashioned but hasn't there been a couple of developments appear during this year?

On the subject of what is going to happen in the early part of 2002 and extending into 2003, then I will simply say that the momentum of the previous 12 months or so will continue at a similar pace. I have been told a very significant amount of detail concernign what is happening and what sort of timetable there is and I am not dissapointed. However I have no intention of breaking the confidences of those who have told me.

Suffice to say that in overall terms, comments from owners of current cars and others who have taken the time to comment, here and elsewhere, are noted and in the forthcoming products to be launched from early 2002 will display how the company has responded to many of these comments. However one thing I can say is that as far as I am aware no contract exist between Kieper Recaro and MG Rover for these products. However the support from the seat used in the ZT XPower does seriously question where any useful benefits from a Recaro seat could be achieved.

Rog
Roger Parker

Thanks ROG
I know that I keep going on and on with this subject. There are some who say that I have an anti MGR agenda. This is not so, I would love it if MGR were to have a happy ending. But glossing over there short comings and staring thought "Rose tinted" glasses is not the way to move them on!

The ZS is a good car (Honda/BMW engineering) I like it and having been driven in a ZS 180 I thought they where onto a winner. But there are problems however (seats/driving position). I am know that if MGR just made a little more effort they could turn this car into a "First choice" for many people.

I am worried that MGR will return to the old "BL" ways of not taking notice to there competitors or there would be customers. Driving position/ seats is an area that MGR competitors (Ford, Vauxhall etc) are looking at very closely. MGR are in the process of "Fumbling the ball" on this one. Only time will tell if they wake up or not.

Many people have asked the question that if want different seats why not just buy some and get them fitted? Good question heres the answer.
1. The insurance company will hit you for "changing the spec" of you car.
2. You lose the side air bags
3. They cost a Arm and a leg
4. You don’t know if or by how much they will improve the driving position.


As for the ZR and the MGF I think there "Basket cases" and I will not apologize for saying it! I know that this will annoy the odd coupe of dealers we have on this BB, sorry boys see MGR!

I promise to (for the time only) drop this subject. Its up to MGR now!
mega

HE's got a point, i think the F is crap as well.
JJ

Hmmmm, Methinks MEGA either works for Recaro or would keep Sigmund Freud happy for months with his obsession...I'm a little worried about him!
BTW, Ford didn't invent the production line, Garrett's of Leiston in Suffolk did, to produce steam traction engines and the like back in the mid-1800's (....not much different from Ford of today, really!......)
Yorkie

BTW, Ford didn't invent the production line, Garrett's of Leiston in Suffolk did, to produce steam traction engines and the like back in the mid-1800's (....not much different from Ford of today, really!......)

Is that a fact ..... something new every day on this BBS .. nice one Yorkie .. :o))
John McFeely

This is the same F*rd that wanted to buy Rover a few years ago just to get it's hands on the K series engine because it didnt have the technology to build a decent engine,(still has'nt).Rover were always developing new engines (apart from the A series),F*rd poked the old Pinto engine in everything and left their marketing department to sell the old nails!F*rd has always been good at marketing and crap at making cars.Joe Public fell for it every time.
Kevin Davis

Mega you do talk the most aweful drivel but you must be right when you state that the F is a "basket case". It is so dreadful it has been the top selling sports car in the UK since launch 1995. Clearly the new boys in Longbridge must be hoping that they do not produce another "basket case" like it again.

Before hitting the keyboard again remember the old saying "better to keep quite and be thought a fool than open you mouth a prove the point!"
Patrick

MEGA is drunk as usual
mårten Grahn

NO i WAS NOT!
MEGA

This thread was discussed between 07/11/2001 and 23/11/2001

MG ZR ZS ZT Technical index

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