Soft-top gets more power and presence

The new MG TF is fundamentally a new generation of the MGF, Britain's best selling sports car.

It introduces a new exterior appearance, an all-new suspension design, higher performing engines and a host of new paint, interior trim and optional hood colours.

It is to be hoped that the makers have done more to the hood than offer a new colour range.

If the previous MGF had an obvious fault it was with the soft-top, where it clips to the windscreen frame.

Owners reported problems with leaks early in the car's life. There were other build quality problems, too, and the car earned itself a chequered reputation.

But its ride/handling mix was spirited and and it offered the best of open-top motoring.

The new model is being distributed in New Zealand by new company MG Rover New Zealand and sold through three dealers - Newmarket European in Auckland, Harbour City Motors in Wellington and Gary Cockram Motors in Christchurch.

The TF carries a sharper, more aggressive look, honed in the studio and wind tunnel. The new front bumper is shaped to reduce front-end lift at speed, part of what MG Rover says was improved aerodynamic characteristics overall.

A new coil spring suspension and multi-link rear axle replaces the MGF Hydragas system to produce a more responsive set-up, says MG Rover.

The ride height has been lowered by 10mm to give the car a lower centre of gravity and improve its stance.

At the rear, an integrated lip spoiler incorporating a high-mounted stop lamp flows from the rear deck.

The body structure has been stiffened in crucial areas to produce a 20 per cent more rigid shell, producing an improvement in windscreen header vibration.

Steering is now more responsive, says MG Rover, with the power-assisted set-up getting a 10 per cent faster rack for better feel. Braking distances have been shortened by 10 per cent.

The three 1.8-litre MG TF models cost $49,990, $51,990 and $56,990. The base model engine produces 90kW and is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. The mid-range model develops 100kW and uses the Stepspeed sequential unit, and the top-end variable valve model puts out 120kW and comes with a five-speed box.

The MGF has been the best selling car in the roadster sector for the last six years in Britain and the TF was built to continue the tradition. It has sold more than 4000 models since its launch in January.