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11/10/2004
By EWAN KENNEDY
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The MG ZT 260 is a sensational machine that may just grab the fancy of muscle-car drivers in Australia. That’s because it uses one of our favourite formulas in having a big V8 stuffed into a small body. In this case a 4.6-litre unit already familiar to us from the Ford Mustang. The 260 in the MG's title stands for the output in horsepower, in metric terms that’s 191 kilowatts so there's plenty of grunt under the bonnet.
 To the uninitiated this purloining of another maker’s engine may sound odd, but MG's heritage frequently saw it borrowing components from other makers. The idea was to cut development costs. However, at $89,990 this latest MG sedan, while low-cost by the standards of many big name Euro performance cars isn’t all that cheap in absolute terms.
While 410 Nm at a high 4000 rpm is good in its own right, it’s nothing special from 4.6 litres. Though the ZT’s pretty quick there's sometimes a feeling it should be quicker still. Overtaking is easy, but you do have to change down a gear or two to really make the ZT 260 get up and boogie.
The sound from this V8 is just right, it might sound corny to say that there's nothing quite like the exhaust note of a bent-eight powerplant - but it’s true and this engine really does the burble and rumble to perfection.
This MG is driven by its rear wheels, not the front as in the rest of the rest of the MG sedan range. Which makes a lot of sense, otherwise the traction control system would have spent a lot of time pegging the engine’s power back. Extensive changes were necessitated in the underbody to make way for the rear drive, including the installation of the engine in a north-south direction.
TThere's also a completely new rear suspension that works pretty well. It can be over firm on rough roads but most of the time provides a pretty comfortable ride.
A Tremac performance five-speed manual gearbox and a Hydratrak differential are fitted. The gearbox isn’t as slow as in some applications, but it’s not as slick as the high-torque gearboxes we have sampled in German and Japanese performance machines. The big gearbox steals a lot of space from the front floor so there's no space for a left-footrest. As there isn’t even room for the foot under the clutch pedal.
The performance differential generally does a good job, but still has to be backed up by electronic traction control. This can be on the crude side at times so if you know what you are doing you’re probably best to leave it switched off.
And if you don’t know what you are doing may we respectfully suggest signing up for an advanced driving course before attempting to become serious in a car like this one.
The styling of the standard MG sedan has been beefed up by the addition of a lower-body kit. It makes a strong statement and certainly ties in nicely with the nature of the beast.
The interior works particularly well, with timber, soft leather and suede providing the coverings to a cabin with plenty of sporting pretensions. The ZT 260’s interior really is a pleasant place to be and one that will appeal as much to lovers of muscle cars as it does to those who appreciate the best of British.
This latest MG is an impressive example of traditional British performance car engineering. It may take a while for the Aussie market to come to terms with an MG that’s not a roadster and which uses an American engine, but once buyers do understand what the ZT 260 is all about it could take off in a big way.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
MG ZT 180 2.5-litre four-door sedan - $60,990
MG ZT 190 2.5-litre four-door sedan - $59,990
MG ZT 260 2.5-litre four-door sedan - $89,990
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard on ZT 180, not offered on ZT 190, option on ZT 260
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Power Windows: Standard in all models
Driver Airbag: Standard in all models
Passenger Airbag: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (MG ZT 260 2.5-litre four-door sedan)
ENGINE
Capacity: 4.601 litres
Configuration: 90-degree V8
Head Design: OHC, two valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 9.4:1
Bore/Stroke: 90.2 x 90.0mm
Maximum Power: 191kW @ 5000rpm
Maximum Torque: 410Nm @ 4000rpm
DRIVELINE
Driven Wheels: Rear
Manual Transmission: Five-speed
Automatic Transmission: Four-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.46:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES
Length: 4747mm
Wheelbase: 2746mm
Width: 1778mm
Height: 1424mm
Turning Circle: 11.8 metres
Kerb Mass: 1680kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 65 litres
Towing Ability: 750kg (1600with braked trailer)
MECHANICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Independent, six-point solid mount with lower and trailing arms
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 6.3 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 14.5 secs
FUEL CONSUMPTION
City Cycle: 15.7 L/100km
Highway Cycle: 10.9 L/100km
STANDARD WARRANTY
Three years/100,000km |
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