Advancing In Both Directions
by David Finlay (06 Apr 01)

The 77 year history of MG has been, to use a suitably sporting term, chequered, but there's no doubt that a huge amount of effort is currently being put into bringing those initials back into the public consciousness.

We'll be seeing a great many MG-modified versions of Rover saloons and even estate cars being introduced over the next year or so, but that's not to say that the two-seater version is being neglected.

On the contrary, two new examples of the MGF are going on sale now. The effect is to expand the range at both ends: formerly available with either 120bhp or variable valve control (VVC) 145bhp versions of the 1.8-litre Rover K-Series engine, the F can now also be specified with a humbler 1600cc unit or a 1.8 VVC further developed to produce 160bhp.

The Trophy 160 SE - that's the more powerful one - is obviously the headline car here. It is no way modest about its ten percent power increase. The visual clues start with new spoilers front and rear, smart 16" alloy wheels and very visible AP racing brake calipers working on 304mm discs. The fact that there is no anti-lock system is meant to show the Trophy's racing heritage, although the usual reason for banning ABS from race cars is that it does its job too well.

The brakes are production versions of those used in the one-make MGF Cup, and similar suspension settings have also been carried over. Lots of bright grille mesh and a snazzy exhaust develop a theme which reaches its conclusion in the range of colours available for the car. If you're in a subtle mood you'll go for Anthracite. More extrovert folk will choose either Solar Red or Trophy Blue, and if you really want to let your hair down the shade to go for is unquestionably Trophy Yellow.

These colours are echoed at various points inside the car. The one I tried was, inevitably, Trophy Yellow, and I must say that the way the top of the steering wheel shrieked out at me in this same hue was just the tiniest bit off-putting.

More Mouth Than Trousers?

So, does it go the way it looks? Well, not quite. There may be 160 horses on board, but it doesn't feel like they are all pulling in the same direction. Mid-range performance is okay, and high-rev motoring is brisk enough, but the car just doesn't feel as lively in action as it looks when it's sitting still. I wondered if this was because of a tight engine until I realised that the test car had done nearly 5000 miles, many of them no doubt conducted with some vigour.

Colleagues driving other examples of the same car reported similar feelings. Maybe it's just that the little MGF is heavier than it looks.

Good news? Well, the revised suspension makes the car handle very well indeed, and although there is a certain amount of jiggling over bumps at low speeds, the overall ride quality from the well-developed Hydragas suspension is excellent. You'd have to perform unusual sorcery with a set of springs and dampers to achieve such a good compromise.

The Trophy 160 costs £20,995, and my general feeling is that for this sum you get a car you want to be seen driving. At the other end of the MGF price range comes the far more unassuming 1.6i, which costs £15,500 and boasts an insurance rating of just 11E.

Cost-Cutting With Class

A certain amount of down-speccing has gone on to reduce the price this far, but MG deliberately did not extend this, as some rival manufacturers do, to replacing the alloy wheels with less attractive steel ones. A good move.

I liked this car much better than the Trophy, and in fact I would have no problem in nominating it as my favourite MGF. Maximum power of 112bhp sounds disappointing in the context of the car we've just left, but this unit pulls well at all engine speeds, and I honestly don't believe I went any slower in it, out in the real world where stopwatches mean nothing, than I did in the Trophy.

The ride is even better than in the Trophy, and although the handling is obviously not as sharp, I found this a much easier and more relaxing car in which to enjoy a series of fine country roads. This car is every bit as much fun as its fancier relatives, it costs significantly less, and if you don't feel you have to be the centre of attention (as you most certainly will be if you buy a yellow Trophy), it's definitely the one to go for.

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