Ok, a quick glance and the LE500 doesn't look a lot different to the MG-Rover TF, those with a keen eye will note that the grill is different, now being a mesh grill design compared to the slats on the old model. The mesh grill design actually come from the MGF so the LE500 is a combination of MGF and MGTF front ends. Looking around the outside of the LE500 there aren't many other differences, and NAC-MG have applied the old addage 'if it ain't broke, no need to fix it', the design of the LE500 is as good as it was 8 years ago, and still looks good against any modern sports car.
So its essentially the same as the old MGRover TF apart from the exterior cosmetic change? Hell no, the bits that have been uprates or completley changed are the bits you can't see from the outside. Obviously with NAC/SAIC MG's new owners being based in China parts are sourced world wide, although a good proportion of theose parts are sourced within the UK.
The main fault the old MG TF's suffered from was the 'head gasket' and this is a difficult one to say why they fail. Certainly maintainance or lack of it has an inpact, but we have seen cars with full service histories still blow a gasket. Now this isn't to say that MG Rover cars are the only ones to blow a head gasket, we have a busy service department and we see many diferent makes blow a gasket from time to time.
For those of you who don't know wnat a 'head gasket' is heres a brief explanation: An engine from a very simple point of view can be dived into three sections starting from the bottom; the sump, the block, and the head. The block houses the pistons, the head houses the inlet and outlet valves, and the sump acts like an oil reservoir to lubricate the moving parts of the engine. Now things are a bit more complicated than i have explained here but we talking on a very basic level here.
The head gasket is a bit like the filling in a sandwich, it fits between the head and the block of the engine. The head gasket acts like a simple seal although it has to contend with a considerable amount of heat and pressure. The 'head' and 'block' are held together by long bolts that secure and hold the headgasket inbetween them. Now an engine needs water to assist in keeping it cool, so within the block there are hollowed out areas known as galleries, these allow water to circulate around the block and dissipate heat. The water then is pumped back to the cars radiator which is then cooled by air (fan) and then recirculated again. When a head gasket fails it allows the oil and water to mix inside the engine (which it should normaly never do), and can be coastly to repair.
Now the new MG TF's when they are launched and the new MG TF LE500 have a different engine, now coded 'N' series so no head gasket problems!!! From what we have seen and heard so far, the 'N' series engine sounds less rattly and runs far smoother than the old 'K' series engine, it runs at a lower operating temperature as well. MG tell us that the engine has been subjected to HOT climate testing, and has spent many hundreds of hours running on test rigs and being driven to afirm the reliability of the new 'N' series engine.
So is that it, is that the only changes?
NO. New electronics, updates suspension, new window motors & regulators.
Electronics:
Much updated and brought into the 21st century, can now be programmed to feer the driver a choice of dealer configerable options like;
programmed wash/wipe
Dribble wipe
Number of wipes after wash
Superlocking on plip
Auto relocking activation
Auto relocking time
Hazard flash on alarm activation
Hazard flask on lock/unlock
Interior lights on unlock/disarm
Mislock sounder operation
Window delay operation
Drivers window one shot mode
Suspension:
MG have adjusted and re-tuned the suspension on the NEW MGTF & LE500's, gone is the 'bone' shaking ride and in comes a firm but complaint setup, the ride is much smoother, bumps are soaked up by the suspension while cornering poise is still maintained., this is still a sports car drive, but its now a car you can spend hour after hour in and enjoy, even if your driving along B roads or winding country lanes.
Window motors and regulators:
Again much improved over the old car, window glass goes up much smoother and the motor seems a little quicker. The glass sits better in the door and the new setup allows more adjustment to achieve a better seal for the hard top or soft top.
New instrument pack:
A big improvement on the old one, now includes a sensor for low coolant level and also a count down service indicator.
Other changes:
First thing is the LE500 is being hand built in the Longbridge factory, its hand spray painted and hand polished as well, so every car is finished to a high standard but they are all individual to. Not many peaople can say they own a car that was build by people rather that a robot!!! Trim and general fit of the LE500 is far above the old MG-Rover cars, things that were stripped out under the old management team have been put back in, so for the owner driver that means the nice touches that make a good car a great car are BACK. Quieter than the old car? Yes i think so. Trim feels as though its fitted to stay there and will wear well over many years service.
Is it good value?
Yes a quick look at the last brochure for MGTF in 2005 gives a retail prive of aprox £23200 to get as near to the current specification on the LE500. The LE500 is £16399 so you save around £6800!!!!!
Looking in the market i don't see anything that gives you hard & soft tops, air conditioning, rear parking aid, leather trim, allow wheels, front fog lamps, cd radio with mp3 & ipod connector for £16399 anywhere. But people don't just buy a sports car on price, for me i want a car that drives in a certain way, feels right for me, portrays the right image, has some heritage and history to it, and above everything else puts a smile on my face when i drive it.
So does the LE500 hit the spot?
Yes i think it does, certainly you couldn't find a brand with much more history than MG, everywhere you go people smile or wave at an MG, so many people seem to have driven, riden or owned an MG at some stage in thier lives. the MG owners club are prolific and world wide, with so many events and things to do, its a great way to meet like minded people.
Now lets be clear i am not saying the MG is the best sports car in the world, its clearly not, nor is it the fastest, it hasn't got the quickest 0-60 time, it isn't the best looking or most prestigious
sports car, but there i don't have a £100K to spend on a car, and for out and out fun, that won't kill me in a hurry, won't get me banned for speeding and cost me an arm & a leg to run i don't think you can go far wrong with a MG LE500.
Who knows, maybe the LE500 will become the collectors car of tomorrow, like a MG A or B or TC??? I can't really see that happening to a Mazda, Daihatsu or mitsubishi can you?
So its essentially the same as the old MGRover TF apart from the exterior cosmetic change? Hell no, the bits that have been uprates or completley changed are the bits you can't see from the outside. Obviously with NAC/SAIC MG's new owners being based in China parts are sourced world wide, although a good proportion of theose parts are sourced within the UK.
The main fault the old MG TF's suffered from was the 'head gasket' and this is a difficult one to say why they fail. Certainly maintainance or lack of it has an inpact, but we have seen cars with full service histories still blow a gasket. Now this isn't to say that MG Rover cars are the only ones to blow a head gasket, we have a busy service department and we see many diferent makes blow a gasket from time to time.
For those of you who don't know wnat a 'head gasket' is heres a brief explanation: An engine from a very simple point of view can be dived into three sections starting from the bottom; the sump, the block, and the head. The block houses the pistons, the head houses the inlet and outlet valves, and the sump acts like an oil reservoir to lubricate the moving parts of the engine. Now things are a bit more complicated than i have explained here but we talking on a very basic level here.
The head gasket is a bit like the filling in a sandwich, it fits between the head and the block of the engine. The head gasket acts like a simple seal although it has to contend with a considerable amount of heat and pressure. The 'head' and 'block' are held together by long bolts that secure and hold the headgasket inbetween them. Now an engine needs water to assist in keeping it cool, so within the block there are hollowed out areas known as galleries, these allow water to circulate around the block and dissipate heat. The water then is pumped back to the cars radiator which is then cooled by air (fan) and then recirculated again. When a head gasket fails it allows the oil and water to mix inside the engine (which it should normaly never do), and can be coastly to repair.
Now the new MG TF's when they are launched and the new MG TF LE500 have a different engine, now coded 'N' series so no head gasket problems!!! From what we have seen and heard so far, the 'N' series engine sounds less rattly and runs far smoother than the old 'K' series engine, it runs at a lower operating temperature as well. MG tell us that the engine has been subjected to HOT climate testing, and has spent many hundreds of hours running on test rigs and being driven to afirm the reliability of the new 'N' series engine.
So is that it, is that the only changes?
NO. New electronics, updates suspension, new window motors & regulators.
Electronics:
Much updated and brought into the 21st century, can now be programmed to feer the driver a choice of dealer configerable options like;
programmed wash/wipe
Dribble wipe
Number of wipes after wash
Superlocking on plip
Auto relocking activation
Auto relocking time
Hazard flash on alarm activation
Hazard flask on lock/unlock
Interior lights on unlock/disarm
Mislock sounder operation
Window delay operation
Drivers window one shot mode
Suspension:
MG have adjusted and re-tuned the suspension on the NEW MGTF & LE500's, gone is the 'bone' shaking ride and in comes a firm but complaint setup, the ride is much smoother, bumps are soaked up by the suspension while cornering poise is still maintained., this is still a sports car drive, but its now a car you can spend hour after hour in and enjoy, even if your driving along B roads or winding country lanes.
Window motors and regulators:
Again much improved over the old car, window glass goes up much smoother and the motor seems a little quicker. The glass sits better in the door and the new setup allows more adjustment to achieve a better seal for the hard top or soft top.
New instrument pack:
A big improvement on the old one, now includes a sensor for low coolant level and also a count down service indicator.
Other changes:
First thing is the LE500 is being hand built in the Longbridge factory, its hand spray painted and hand polished as well, so every car is finished to a high standard but they are all individual to. Not many peaople can say they own a car that was build by people rather that a robot!!! Trim and general fit of the LE500 is far above the old MG-Rover cars, things that were stripped out under the old management team have been put back in, so for the owner driver that means the nice touches that make a good car a great car are BACK. Quieter than the old car? Yes i think so. Trim feels as though its fitted to stay there and will wear well over many years service.
Is it good value?
Yes a quick look at the last brochure for MGTF in 2005 gives a retail prive of aprox £23200 to get as near to the current specification on the LE500. The LE500 is £16399 so you save around £6800!!!!!
Looking in the market i don't see anything that gives you hard & soft tops, air conditioning, rear parking aid, leather trim, allow wheels, front fog lamps, cd radio with mp3 & ipod connector for £16399 anywhere. But people don't just buy a sports car on price, for me i want a car that drives in a certain way, feels right for me, portrays the right image, has some heritage and history to it, and above everything else puts a smile on my face when i drive it.
So does the LE500 hit the spot?
Yes i think it does, certainly you couldn't find a brand with much more history than MG, everywhere you go people smile or wave at an MG, so many people seem to have driven, riden or owned an MG at some stage in thier lives. the MG owners club are prolific and world wide, with so many events and things to do, its a great way to meet like minded people.
Now lets be clear i am not saying the MG is the best sports car in the world, its clearly not, nor is it the fastest, it hasn't got the quickest 0-60 time, it isn't the best looking or most prestigious
sports car, but there i don't have a £100K to spend on a car, and for out and out fun, that won't kill me in a hurry, won't get me banned for speeding and cost me an arm & a leg to run i don't think you can go far wrong with a MG LE500.
Who knows, maybe the LE500 will become the collectors car of tomorrow, like a MG A or B or TC??? I can't really see that happening to a Mazda, Daihatsu or mitsubishi can you?
No comments:
Post a Comment