British-Cars.org

Welcome to the DMR Site for British Car Information.

Recommendations

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - Less is more

I don't know who it was first coined the phrase "less is more", but I'm willing to bet that it was Colin Chapman. Or Alec Issigonis.

A month or two ago there was a story that MGR was looking at building "Sub B" car. This car was to be a kind of SWB 25/ZR, in much the same way as the Ka is a SWB version of the previous Fiesta and the SEAT Arosa/VW Lupo is a SWB Polo.

And a damn good idea a SWB ZR is too. But only if the full gamut of the ZR's engine range is employed.

Ford's big mistake with the KA is that it saddled the
poor thing with a development of the Ford Anglia engine - Dearborn's A series.

And who cares about the Lupo/Arosa? Both are a bit stolid for small cars.

Now if CAR magazine says that the ZR is a more inspiring drive than the BMW 116, what price a lighter, quicker ZR?

BMW ignored the revolutionary bits of the original Mini and concentrated on the Issigonis Mini's driveability instead. But BMW failed: the 116 simply isn't as much fun to punt as its predecessor, and many other small cars.

MGR - the Sub B category is there for your taking. Ignore the Rover brand. Any new small car should be an MG, and styled as such.

With K series engines from 1.4 to 200bhp 1.8 (new era Cooper S) and 110bhp turbodiesel you could blow apart the small car as it stands today. Ignore luggage space, strip out the interior. And small cars do not need PAS. And why the hell do people expect carpeting in a car? Carpet has no place in the home let alone a car.

Similarly, how about doing a similar job on the TF? A modern successor to the Spridget. Chop the platform, ignore luggage space (a clever Boxster-esque roof rack as an extra cost option), no PAS, Freelander 3-dr esque painted metal interior. Starts with a £12,000 1.4.









JH Gillson

This thread was discussed on 14/07/2002

MG ZR ZS ZT Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join this live forum now