MGF © Jan Borgfelt & Erik Nordström 2001-10  Updated 2002-03-04

MGF The Sports Car M.G. return after 15 years of sleep, by Jan Borgfelt

On the 7th of March 1995 the MGF was introduced at the Geneva Car Show. Ever since the M.G. RV8 was shown in October 1992 rumours of a new 2-seater M.G. had been flourishing and pictures of the new car had been shown here and there. Columns and books have since been written about the birth of the MGF but we won’t get into detail about it here. 
    Already in 1993 (see M.G.Bulletin No 4) we published a picture of this car under the name of PR3 although it doesn’t really look like the car looked later on. At the British M.G. Car Club’s meeting 20-21st of May 1995 at Silverstone the MGF was shown for the first time driving on the runway. We were impressed by its driving capacity and efficiency and we also inspected it in one of the tents but were not allowed to sit in it.
    In November the same year the first two cars arrived in Sweden. Unfortunately just to get the standard approval certificate and they left Sweden again in a couple of weeks. We were a small but fortunate group of members that got the possibility to test drive and take photos of one of them at the Rover Sweden store in Malmö.
    The first MGF was delivered in Stockholm on the 15th of May 1996. Our editor Kiki Berlin signed the purchase-contract at 1.58 PM and got the keys in her hand. In spite of +7 degrees only and drizzling rain the hood came down on the way home. The first cars in Sweden were 1.8i and the 1.8iVVC was delivered in August the same year.
    In 1996 it was 23 years since you could enter a cars sale and buy a brand new M.G. Many of those buying MGF today used to have an M.G in their 20-25th years. Often were they forced to sell it later when forming a family. With the MGF the open car world opened again and the nostalgia is obvious.

Technical data:

MGF 1.6i 
Engine: Mid-mounted transverse 4-cylinder in-line engine with twin overhead camshafts.
1.589 cc, 112 bhp at 6.250 rpm. Fuel injection. 
Gearbox: 5-speed all synchro.
35,6 km/h (22,1 mph) at 1.000 rpm on top. 
0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) on 9,3 sec. 
Top speed 187 km/h (116 mph). 
Independent front and rear suspension with hydra gas suspension. 
Disc brakes front and rear.

MGF 1.8i 
Engine: Mid-mounted transverse 4-cylinder in-line engine with twin overhead camshafts.
1.796 cc, 120 bhp at 5.500 rpm. Fuel injection. 
Gearbox: 5-speed all synchro.
35,6 km/h (22,1 mph) at 1.000 rpm on top. 
0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) on 9,0 sec. 
Top speed 193 km/h (120 mph). 
Independent front and rear suspension with hydra gas suspension. 
Disc brakes front and rear, ABS as option on early cars, later standard..

MGF 1.8i Steptronic (Stepspeed)   
Engine: Mid-mounted transverse 4-cylinder in-line engine with twin overhead camshafts.
1.796 cc, 120 bhp at 5.500 rpm. Fuel injection. 
Gearbox: Six-speed manual sequential gear change + reverse
42,1 km/h (26,2 mph) at 1.000 rpm on top. 
0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) on 9,5 sec. 
Top speed 190 km/h (118 mph). 
Independent front and rear suspension with hydra gas suspension. 
Disc brakes front and rear, ABS.

MGF 1.8i VVC 
Engine: Mid-mounted transverse 4-cylinder in-line engine with twin overhead camshafts and Variable Valve Control.
1.796 cc, 145 bhp at 7.000 rpm. Fuel injection. 
Gearbox: 5-speed all synchro.
33,4 km/h (20,8 mph) at 1.000 rpm on top. 
0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) on 7,2 sec. 
Top speed 209 km/h (130 mph). 
Independent front and rear suspension with hydra gas suspension. 
Disc brakes front and rear, ABS.

MGF Trophy 160 SE 
Engine: Mid-mounted transverse 4-cylinder in-line engine with twin overhead camshafts and Variable Valve Control.
1.796 cc, 160 bhp at 7.000 rpm. Fuel injection. 
Gearbox: 5-speed all synchro.
33,4 km/h (20,8 mph) at 1.000 rpm on top. 
0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) on 6,9 sec. 
Top speed 220 km/h (137 mph). 
Independent front and rear suspension with hydra gas suspension. 
Ventilated disc brakes front and rear with AP racing calipers, ABS.

The “MGF Extreme” 
This is a one-off car specially built for demonstrating and promoting the MG Rover possibilities. The engine is the so called MG XP20 “X Power” Le Mans engine, with 450 bhp, from the cars who raced at Le Mans in June 2001. Body, wheel suspension etc have been modified to manage the triple effect compared to the standard MGF. With bigger wheels, aerodynamic body with front and rear modified to push it down towards the road, bigger air intake etc there are influences from the MG Lola Le Mans EX257 racing car.

MGF:s specials, by Erik Nordström

BROOKLANDS, ABINGDON and LE 75.

       
Behind these words you will find the only MGF specials. The MGF have today (August 2001) been produced in more than 70.000 examples. MGF has all the time been sold in numbers corresponding to the production line which must be considered a big success. No special campaign deals have been necessary which make the three (actually two) specials very interesting.
    At the Frankfurter Car Show in September 1997 the factory announces that production of a special version for the German market will be limited to 500 cars. The aim is to satisfy the demands from the M.G. enthusiasts with a more traditional taste than the average M.G. buyer. The colour scheme is copied from certain T-series cars and the colour is named “Brooklands Green”, as “Racing Green” is already taken for the colour of the standard MGF. Brooklands Green is also used for the record braker EXF (MGF in tuned version) which achieved 350 km/h (217,5 mph) in August 1997. The interior is in leather and named “Walnut Beige”. This colour is also used for the hood, the quarter-tonneau, the parking brake and gear lever gaiters as well as for the piping of the carpets. The seats have green piping to match the colour of the body and the wooden interior details are made by classical walnut type. The air intakes are chromed reminding of the M.G. models of the 1930ies. Other details as door handles are also chromed. The wheels are 16 inches with Minilite design and as earlier the factory prescribes Good Year tires, here 215/40 16 (see below). At the presentation this is introduced as a Limited Edition but is soon named Brooklands on the German market. The Swedish agent does not import this car.
    For the home market MGF Abingdon (right hand steering version) is shown at London Motor Show in October 1997. An important difference is, however, that of the 500 Abingdon cars 150 is 1.8i and 350 is VVC (Brooklands exist only as 1.8i). Like the German version the colouring is only in Brooklands Green and Walnut. 
    And now to the Limited Edition 75th Anniversary which was shown at the Geneva Car Show in Spring 1999! The factory felt the need to celebrate the 75th Anniversary as the factory has accepted the year 1924 as the official starting year, although it is not agreed upon, as usually, when the first M.G. actually was produced. This MGF is a Brooklands/Abingdon but with different colouring. The interior, the quarter-tonneau and the hood is “Grenadine Red” a wine-coloured shade. The body is “Platinum Silver” for export, “Mulberry Red” and black mainly for the home market of 500 cars compared to the export market’s 1.500 cars. Certain markets like Switzerland got a smaller number of black cars. Sweden is said to have received 16 cars, all as VVC but also the 1.8i exists on other markets. The Limited Edition 75th Anniversary has an individual number on a special badge.

MGF stire sizes
The above mentioned models have 16 inches wheels (7Jx16) with Good Year Eagle F1 215/40 ZR 16 as standard which are possible to mount on any MGF.
    I have, however, tested Dunlop SP 9000 on 205/45 ZR 16 on a MGF Brooklands resulting in a quieter steering, lower road noise and shorter braking distance. This size as well as the 16 inches original size requires a not too low suspension due to lack of space.
    The fact that the factory prescribes Good Year on all MGFs must be due to a commercial phenomena. If you prefer a lower and wider tire it might be your own choice due to esthetical reasons. For others the MGF has 185/55 15 and 205/50 15 (rear) which is considered a good balance. 
    For the 16 inches tires with lower profile the differences between front and rear axle is considered of less importance.