MG ZT 265

[andyvdg]

I've driven the ZT 190 - and it's a really good car.

Now MG are going to shoehorn a Mustang 4.6 V8 into the car. So what ? Well I dug around some stats :

260 bhp @ 5250rpm, 303lb torque @ 4000 rpm (!), 6000 rpm redline. In theory, this could be one (fast) and tasty motor.

Has anyone driven a Mustang with the 4.6 - what's the engine like - is it laid back or more racey ?

Cheers,

Andy.

[CarZee]

What's the point with FWD ??

[ZZR600]

I thought the v8 ZT is going to be Rwd ?

[pbrettle]

You are right - the models with more than 190BHP will be RWD. BMW prevented Rover from engineering the 75 as RWD (even though it was on the cards before BMW bought them - said that it would compete with their models!?!?!?!

Still, behind their backs several engineers worked on RWD while BMW owned them and made the relevant chassis changes to allow for simple RWD conversion - they lied when questioned by BMW. Said something to do with ease of maintenance if I remember right! Still, as a result a simple(ish) task to engineer RWD on the 75....

Yes, I would agree in that the 265 might be a strange concept. But I do admire a company that is prepared to go to such lengths against the current anti-car / pro-green establishment! Got to take your hats off really.

Oh, and if that power is correct then it is more powerful than my Chimaera 4.0HC... Should be quite interesting then...

Cheers,

Paul

[andyvdg]

It's going to be RWD - after all the 75 was originally based on a 5 series. I think they should be able to use the traction control from the Mustang as well. Apparently it lets the wheels slip a little on take off so it's not too nannying.

[ZZR600]

Blimey i was right for once
I thought i had read it somewhere .
I just hope they leave the cr@ppy traction control devices off , then you could go and have some fun on a roundabout
WWHHHEEEEEEEEEEEE

And it would stop idiots buying the car who need all this crud just so they dont crash
>> Edited by ZZR600 on Monday 4th March 07:15

>> Edited by ZZR600 on Monday 4th March 07:16

[ellingtj]

Catch up people - this model was announced last year. I have seen on the road the Supercharged ZT x-power 385 - that's right 385bhp!!
Tim.

[currymonster]

quote:
Has anyone driven a Mustang with the 4.6 - what's the engine like - is it laid back or more racey ?

Havent driven one but I've heard one, and they sound very tastey indeed. A bit less 'ruff' than a Rover but still loads of rumble.

[CarZee]

quote:the models with more than 190BHP will be RWD

I stand corrected.. still not getting to enthused though

[Nightmare]

quote:
What's the point with FWD ??

Dont you think that there's any fun to be had with a FW driver then? have to say I rather enjoy driving something which it's really hard to crash by being over keen but you can get massive lift-off slides with!

[CarZee]

I've had plenty of fun with FWD cars, and there have been discussions on the topic before here - however, I'm one of those who feels that >200HP and >200LbFT have no place on FWD as they'll *never* pull like a RWD or 4WD because of the weight transfer away from the driving wheels under acceleration..

[andyvdg]

quote:
Catch up people - this model was announced last year. I have seen on the road the Supercharged ZT x-power 385 - that's right 385bhp!!
Tim.

.....and where did you see it then ?

[pbrettle]

Actually there will be two models - the 265 which is the normally aspirated V8 and the 3xx which will be the supercharged version! It is a little extreme (where the name comes from) but the 3xx will be faster than an M5!

Its all about the "halo effect" in an attempt to boost the brand to make them seem sporty models. Not a bad attempt at it really. I wish them every sucess (though not my cup of tea). Lets not forget that they are aiming at company car buyers (or opt-outs anyway) and therefore they need around 200Bhp and entertaining driving for around £20K - £25K. Much more than that then they are getting expensive. Therefore the 190 model will be a pretty good sucess...

Cheers,

Paul

[cjm]

quote:

quote:
Catch up people - this model was announced last year. I have seen on the road the Supercharged ZT x-power 385 - that's right 385bhp!!
Tim.

.....and where did you see it then ?

I was in a few mags last year, Autocar (I think) and EVO drove the 385bhp rwd car, They seemed quite impressed.

[Fatboy]

Evo drove a 500 bhp version of it last year, raved about it. 'The spiritual successor to the Lotus Carlton' etc.

even the 265 shouldbe well worth a punt, as you can bet it'll be very keenly priced.

[plotloss]

I had a Mustang GT Cobra about 2 years ago. Its the 4.6 V8 out of the mustang, but the Cobra had about 295bhp.

I'll tell you this, for the amount of power it produces and as a volume engine I would rate it as one of the best in the world. I had the 'stang for 15 months and I didnt have one single issue with it, it had a 100,000 miles (yep 100K) major service interval only needing oil every 12,000. Its got bags of torque and it comes in nicely, in fact the only problem with the car was the handling, which was nautical at best.

I would love to see the 'Stang lump in the ZT as I think its a great design concept and mate that with a great and reliable engine then you have a real winner.

Matt.

[ellingtj]

I had details of the car last year in Evo - I think I still have the issue, tittled something like 'Mg goes M5 bashing'. This engine must be good, as the Koenigsegg CC supercar uses it running at 655BHP!!. Check out the official mg web site aswell, they have details on there. The car was also on the Prodrive stand at this year's Autosport show - they designed the suspension or something.
Tim.

[hertsbiker]

quote:

quote:
What's the point with FWD ??

Dont you think that there's any fun to be had with a FW driver then? have to say I rather enjoy driving something which it's really hard to crash by being over keen but you can get massive lift-off slides with!

Agreed !! the other point is, after 30mph, the weight transfer is much less of an issue, eh? So you're doing 70, and floor it - FWD will easily cope, and therefore no big loss. And as Night suggests, you can do tricks with FWD that RWD will send you into a ditch for trying!!!!

[adeewuff]

Yes, the whole FWD issue really goes out of the window when you are actually moving. On track days 0-60 times are irrelevent and the only limiting factor are how the car handles, and how much speed you can carry through the corners.

On a damp track I know which one would be easier to drive on the limit.

>> Edited by adeewuff on Tuesday 5th March 16:29

[andymadmak]

If the ZT 190 is FWD and the ZT265/385 will be RWD does that mean we could feasibly get our hands on a ZT500 with AWD?
Come on MGR, you know it makes sense!
Andy 400se