MG IS BACK
The car that started its life in the heart of Britain is trying to win its way back there but is it here to stay?
Austin Healey, Triumph, Morris, Sunbeam, Wolseley - The British annals are littered with the names of once great car manufacturers that couldn’t keep up the pace. Not very long ago, MG seemed sentenced to the same sad fate, but now the company’s back on track and hoping for a rosy future.
After a three year production gap MG is back and boasts the financial support of multi-billion dollar Fortune 500 company, Shanghai Automobile Industry Corporation (SAIC). The model they chose to herald their return? A limited edition of the MG TF roadster, known as the MG TF LE500.
The LE500 looks just like the last MG TF that came off the production line in 2005. If you look closely you might just spot the changes (which include a new bumper and grille). But according to MG the main selling point is not its stylistic tweaks.
For starters there is the exclusive production run of only 500 models – hence the model’s name – and each car boasts a unique production number as well as Limited Edition chrome and black MG badge. The LE500 is also available in six special colours that will only be used on this model, and when you collect the keys for your new LE500 in Longbridge, MG will give you the red carpet treatment and have you sign a special register.
Sounds nice, but is it enough to close the deal? MG expects the biggest deal-closer to be the top-notch level of standard specification on the LE500. “An equivalent MG TF in 2005, using the price list from April of that year, would have set you back around £24,000,” says Steven Cox, Sales and Franchising Manager for the company. MG is asking only £16,399 for the LE500. For that price you get leather sport seats, 16 inch alloys, ABS brakes, rear park distance control, aircon and a hard top to mention a few.
The devil’s in the details
There are also a number of minor details that might just sway an enthusiast to haul out the cheque book. Like the fact that the car has been entirely hand sprayed (because production numbers don’t yet warrant starting up the paint shop), ensuring an excellent coat of paint. Also, the inside of the bonnet has been given the full lacquer treatment which cleans really easy and helps keep your LE500 in showroom condition.
MG has also tinkered with the engine to consolidate its parts with the production machinery in China where many of the parts are manufactured. The result is an engine that has essentially been completely re-engineered, even if it doesn’t churn out bhp. The cooling system has also been revised. “The Chinese have done some of the work the original MG Rover never did,” says Cox. “Like proper hot climate testing.” As a result the LE500 will be able to cope much better with warm summer days, or an extended grind in backed-up traffic.
If the LE500 sounds a touch too exclusive, or out of your budget range, then hang tight. A standard specification version of this model will be released later this year, and although MG is reluctant to commit to a price, they do say that it will be “significantly cheaper than the LE500”. A British sports car under the £15,000 mark?
Which brings us to the all-important question: Just how British is MG now? MG would certainly have us believe that every strand of Britishness has been kept intact. They have backed this up by choosing to have their Research and Development Centre in Leamington Spa. All models will also be built at the traditional Longbridge plant to retain the “designed and built in UK” element. Naturally, these models will however rely heavily on components manufactured and sourced from China to keep costs down. For the LE500 that includes the bodywork.
But according to MG’s Corporate Communications Manager, Eleanor De La Haye, the company’s new owners understand that Britain and Europe have little interest in a Chinese MG – even if it would have been significantly cheaper to simply import fully assembled units from China. MG owners, Nanjing Automobile Company (NAC) and their parent company SAIC, are committed to hang on the British heritage “because that is what makes MG tick”.
The LE500 might herald the return of an iconic British brand, but the company sees this merely as a foot in the door to an all together new and bright future. Four other models are scheduled between now and 2012 – including a supermini and an all-new sports car that will replace the MG TF. Unfortunately this model still only exists in preliminary sketches.
Same output but better suspension balance
MG is known for its racy nature and entertaining ride, and the LE500 doesn’t disappoint. This model is powered by a 1,8 liter inline four cylinder engine which delivers the same amount of power output (134bhp) and torque (165Nm) as the 2005 MG TF. It is quick about it with strong acceleration off the mark, but if it is urgency and immediacy you’re after you’ll be disappointed. “Eager” describes it better than “fast”. Still, it is fun to drive.
On twisty roads it impresses with its sporty handling whilst managing an overall comfortable ride. A wrong turn down a pock-marked farm road quickly proved that MG managed to strike a good balance with the suspension, settling for something between hard-as-nails and excessively wallowy.
On the inside the LE500 looks very different to its predecessor. An extensive use of black materials give it an elegant appeal, but the dated push buttons, high-gloss black plastic and poor finishing in places undermines and otherwise decent attempt.
Although the LE500 is essentially based on a car that has been around for 13 years, it still looks reasonably attractive on the outside. MG would have done well to have spent more effort on creating an equally classic interior to complement the bodywork.
The biggest advantage that the LE500 boasts over its direct competitors is its price tag. When taking its high level of specification into account, the MG TF LE500 offers a great value deal, an element of exclusivity and the chance to own a piece of British automotive history (even if it now comes with a slight twang of chow mein).
The MG TF LE500 is a decent attempt at recovering some of MG’s lost glory. If you can look past the somewhat dated design and technology and a few substandard finishing touches, this model represents a good value for money option. The fact that more than 80% of the limited edition LE500’s already have homes, proofs a number of Britons think so too.
Engine: 1796cc, N-Series
Max output: 134bhp @ 6750rpm
Max torque: 165Nm @ 5000rpm
Top speed: 124mph
0-60mph Acceleration: 8.37 seconds
Combined fuel consumption: 35.8mpg