ZT News Stories

All Press Releases are provided by MG - Rovers Press office unless stated otherwise!

MG Rover Australia is set to expand its model range in spectacular fashion with the release of the the supercharged MG ZT220S.

The highly tuned ZT will be available for release with a choice of either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 5-speed adaptive automatic, and costs just $9,900 over the standard sedan.

It is aimed at motoring enthusiasts and buyers who are after more power than usual, and who want to keep their warranties intact, as some modifications will void your warranty.

The combination of a relatively small V6 (2.5-litres) and a locally-sourced supercharger gives the purposeful-looking British car a much-needed boost, so to speak.

MG's performance tests indicate that the 220S, where the 220 stands for horsepower, will deliver an approximately 20% increase in peak torque and power over the standard 2.5-litre V6.

Performance of the 220S will be brisk, no doubt about that, with peak power of 165kW @ 6400rpm and maximum torque of 288Nm @ 4100rpm coming from the all-alloy, quad camshaft V6.

The resulting powerband, or the distance in revs between peak torque and power, is some 2300rpm, and should endow the new MG with very strong midrange punch.

The high efficiency, low-boost twin-screw type supercharger has been developed locally through Sprintex Superchargers based in Perth, Western Australia, and like the Ford's new cult car, the XR6 Turbo Falcon, the low boost will help prolong the life of the engine.

Every MG ZT that is specified for supercharging is delivered to Sprintex direct from MG Rover where a Supercharger Conversion is installed.

This conversion involves the replacement and inclusion of a number of components, including a a fabricated inlet manifold to replace the original unit, control ECU, boost bypass value, a secondary fuel injector, mounting brackets and of course the twin screw supercharger.

Manual variants of the 165 kilowatt ZT220S are also fitted with a higher rated clutch to ensure that the power is delivered to the front wheels without protest and, on completion, all vehicles also undergo engine calibrations on a vehicle dyno.

The operation of the supercharger is then checked with a full quality control inspection.

Each Owners manual will include an addendum identifying the warranty and maintenance requirements of the vehicle, reinforcing specific engine oil and fuel requirements.

Michel De Vriendt, Managing Director of MG Rover Australia has this to say about the new sports sedan, "The standard ZT 180 is an outstanding car, with very good power delivery combined with magnificent handling characteristics.

"With its well-regarded chassis dynamics, we felt there was a tremendous opportunity to further enhance the vehicle’s overall performance. The Sprintex Supercharger development programme has allowed us to do this. Not only has power and performance been improved, overall acceleration has been enhanced.

"The ZT220S manual will reach 100km/h from a standing start in approximately 7.1 seconds, on par with other European sports sedans that retail at higher costs. The automatic will be able to meet this same milestone in approximately 8.3 seconds," concluded De Vriendt.

For homologation and warranty reasons, complete tuning kits will be fitted locally by qualified Sprintex technicians prior to delivery to authorised MG Rover dealerships. All ZT220S models will be covered by a 3-year/100,000km warranty, and the tuning kit will be made available with a recommended retail price of $9,900.

All certification requirements have now been completed by MG, and it is anticipated the first retail deliveries will commence in early July 2004. The new supercharged ZT220S is an alluring vehicle, with standard equipment including large multi-spoke 18-inch alloy wheels, automatic levelling xenon headlights, electric seats and automatic climate control.

With all the standard features of the ZT sedan, it will appeal to many buyers who want good accelerative value with the extra kick of forced induction, but who don't want to sacrifice luxury and comfort, or who don't want to own a high-maintenance prestige V8.

And because of its Australian connection, the new supercharged MG is expected to find favour with many buyers, and is one vehicle we'll be watching with very close interest.

From http://www.webwombat.com.au

An Australian-developed performance kit is headed for England in a bid to finally make the MG ZT into the car many believe it has always deserved to be. Motor Group Australia & Perth Company Sprintex super-chargers are on the verge of signing off on a deal to supply MG Rover with the locally developed units. "We are in the final stages of pricing but 500 of the kits are off to England," Motor Group Australia principal Brad Garlick says.

The deal has grown from a program Motor Group Australia started some 12 months ago to Boost the performance of the MGZT 180. "The idea of giving the ZT a performance more suited to what everyone agreed was a wonderful chassis was first canvassed around the Melbourne Motor Show last year," Motor Group Australia marketing manager Ross Meyer explains.

Motor Group Australia will unveil the ZT220S at the Melbourne Motor Show today with the car on sale from the end of the month. "the aim was to ensure that torque was improved & the delivery of that torque was more suited to a sporty car,"Meyer said. It produces 165kw@64000rpm & 288Nm@4100rpm. That represents a 20% increase in torque & a 25% in power.

The ZT220S will sell for $A69,890 & will be fully new car warrantied. From the Sydney Daily Telegraph.

Britain's MG Rover has scored an historic victory over Germany's BMW, beating the famous marque five-nil in an independent consumer survey carried out by researchers NOP. The results will feature in national press advertising campaign, starting July 19.

The testing took place at Croft Racing Circuit. NOP assembled a panel of more than 100 consumers to assess the similarly priced MGZT 190+ and the BMW 318i SE. The panel judged both models across five categories. Using a combination of driving exercises, questionnaires and interviews the panel evaluated the cars on quality of exterior and interior, driving experience and performance, handling, driving enjoyment and overall desirability.

The research revealed that the BMW lost considerable ground to the MG on the road. More than 90% of the panel judged the MG to outperform the BMW, which trailed the MG for throttle response, straight-line performance, acceleration, braking, sportiness and top speed. Seventy-one per cent favoured the handling of the British car, which recorded higher scores for responsiveness, cornering, agility, ride quality, road holding and body roll.

An overwhelming 86% enjoyed the overall driving experience more, behind the wheel of the MG, compared to just 14% that enjoyed the BMW. Reasons cited for this by respondents included the car's character, the excitement of the drive and the impression the car makes in a crowd.

When it came to looks, functional yet dull German design lost out to eyecatching British styling. In the appearance category, the MG outpointed the BMW for sportiness and distinctiveness while the model's overall looks were considered by 75% of the respondents to be more impressive than the German car.

The BMW interior was also marked down. It was beaten by MG for colour, comfort, roominess, styling, seat support and dashboard appearance. Overall, only 20% of the panellists preferred the German interior, compared to 80% that opted for the MG.

Finally, almost all (91%) of the respondents stated they believed the MG was better value for money than the BMW.

John Edwards, sales and marketing director, MG Rover commented: "You always take a bit of a risk when you commission an independent survey, that makes direct comparisons with the competition. We were fairly confident that the same money buys a lot more MG than BMW but we were completely bowled over by the results, which gave a conclusive victory to the MG ZT. Five-nil seems to be a familiar result when we take on Germany".

The full survey can be viewed at www.mgbeatsbmw.com

A new bootlid lip spoiler will now become standard fit on all entry level ZTs from August production. The new bootlid lip spoiler reduces rear lift by 40% and is almost comparable in performance to the ‘wing’ spoiler.

I will admit that I have always classed the Rover 75 as a cheap mans Jaguar ‘S’ type, so to make an MG from the 75 for me was going to be some achievement. To see the transformation from 75 to ZT was very pleasing to the eye.

The Le Mans green colour really makes the car stand out. The big mesh grill at the front gives the car a very imposing look and would intimidate even the hardest outside lane hogger to move over sharpish. The Zeon headlights are light years ahead of the normal halogen head lamps.

LPG MG's will soon be on offer now that MGR has decided to build LPG compatible engines. It plans "dual fuel" petrol/LPG versions of its cars powered by the 1.8 & 2.5 V6 engines - including top-of-range Rover 75's and ZT's. LPG engines are normally slightly less powerful than their petrol equivalents, but MGR is promising identical performance on both fuels. The big attraction is half-price running costs thanks to a Government freeze on LPG duty until 2004.

Even though mpg drops by about 20%, LPG represents a huge saving for anyone running the thirsty V6 models.

The company estimates LPG models will carry a £1500 premium. However, up to 60% of this can be reclaimed through a Government-funded Powershift grant (www.est-powershift.org.uk).

More than a 1000 gas refuelling stations are open around the UK. Currently, there are around 75,000 LPG vehicles on British roads, up from 13,000 at the beginning of 2000.