A winning combination and MG Rover were right to make it happen. I have never seen a ZT 260 but I did see a single beautiful Rover 75 V8 in my local filling station in the mid 2000s. I remember thinking that this gentleman could easily slip down to the South of France or Tuscany in this wonderful piece of engineering with its lightly stressed engine and exquisite interior. It looked very unique and the big grille with the V8 badge was very eye catching. Definite Classics.
Sir, it would indeed be an excellent car for going to the South of France if one can stomach 15-20 mpg... The 75 V8 may be even better for that purpose.
Oh how I miss my 75.... What a brilliant car the V8 is. Things to look out for on this and the MG ZT are water leaks into the boot via the rear lights or spot welds, water collecting in the Plenums where the scuttle panel is, you usually find/ know if you have wet carpets in front and rear footwells, sticky thermostat. as always Sir a excellent Review on one of my favourite Rover/MG Car!
Thank you, Mr Watters! Glad you enjoyed this video. We had covered some of that before on previous 75 and ZT reviews, so I didn't go into too much depth this time. You certainly did enjoy your 75, didn't you, sir, although we can't discuss it round here, sadly.
My son has one of these in Firefrost red (it has briefly appeared on the channel when it was at Gaydon in the summer). They do make a nice noise! But you certainly pay for it when you get to the pump...every few days. And that clutch is a real workout for the left leg!
Yes, I imagine it would have appeared at some point at the BMC and Leyland Show. The fuel economy is quite bad, but I don't think anyone ever bought these for fuel efficiency... Thank you for watching!
Lovely machines, a place near me called Dreadnaught Garage did supercharger conversions on them to make the ZT400. The engine is actually sohc btw. All modulars have overhead cams, sohc on 2/3 valve and sohc on the 4 valve.
Thank you very much indeed! I did see the figures before the review, but I decided to be a bit more approximate with them, as it was much easier to remember when driving and recording on my own.
Excellent review and this is stunning 260 although you can't really get these for 5k I should thing. The ZT was only available as manual and the 75 was only auto apart from a few development cars that escaped into the wild
@@darrenball4620 They do and prices are on the increase. I paid rather more than £5K for mine earlier this year. Ten years ago, a close neighbour Rover enthusiast and now friend, knowing I had a penchant for ZTs in all their forms, advised me of a V8 in Trophy Blue on a used car lot less than a mile from where we live @ £6999. I went straight down there asap only to find a big SOLD sticker on the car. The dealer told me the phone had not stopped ringing since he placed the advert and he wished he had ten of them for sale...😀Mr. Lloyd did a quick walk around of my car with his Channel coverage of the MG 40 event at GWR Toddington, Gloucestershire. My family took three MGs to the event and my son's MG Metro I gave him over twenty years ago, was the oldest post Abingdon Longbridge built MG there. A great day out for both Railway and car enthusiasts. My wife even had the roof lining material in here MGZS she's had from new replaced at the event for a very reasonable cost. I watched sone of the process and now have a good "How to" preparation guide to roof lining material renewal and which adhesive to use.
Thank you, Gentlemen! As I mentioned, this one was £5,000 a few years ago, I did ask the owner if it was still possible to get one for that money, and he said it may be, but it was more likely to be £7-8,000, so we are pushing the budget a bit, but then again, this is Not Very Sensible Secondhand Classics, so we are a bit more naughty than usual....
So far great review sir! Have a very large soft spot for one if these, would love to have a go in one or even own one, thank you for the review much enjoyed sir.
Ah! Thanks for this video! Read about these in a UK classic car magazine! For what was essentially a muscle car it seems very comfortable and not particularly noisy! What? No drifting like in the Top Gear test???
If I was in the UK 🇬🇧, this would be one of the vehicles I would love to drive, and possibly own. Nocturne Blue with this colour interior is my favourite! Whilst you were driving, that V8 burble was begging for just a bit more throttle! With petrol prices being what they are in the UK 🇬🇧, one must be "comfortable" in order to own this, but this really is spectacular as it sits, a classic similar to a Jaguar S-Type (the more modern, Ford version).
Yes, Scott doesn't drive this all the time. They are a bit prohibitively expensive to own, unless you are a particularly well heeled lady or gentleman... Glad you enjoyed it, sir!
A friend of mine owns one and rarely drives it due to the cost of fuel....he was going to be selling it this year - I must check to see if he did or not...I was trying hard not to buy it myself earlier this year.
I paid rather more than £5K for mine earlier this year. Ten years ago, a close neighbour Rover enthusiast and now friend, knowing I had a penchant for ZTs in all their forms, advised me of a V8 in Trophy Blue on a used car lot less than a mile from where we live @ £6999. I went straight down there asap only to find a big SOLD sticker on the car. The dealer told me the phone had not stopped ringing since he placed the advert and he wished he had ten of them for sale...😀 Mr. Lloyd did a quick walk around of my car with his Channel coverage of the MG 40 event at GWR Toddington, Gloucestershire back in the summer. My family took three MGs to the event and my son's MG Metro I gave him over twenty years ago, was the oldest post Abingdon Longbridge built MG there. A great day out for both Railway and car enthusiasts. My wife even had the roof lining material in her MG ZS she's had from new replaced at the event for a very reasonable cost. I watched some of the process and now have a good "How to" preparation guide to roof lining material renewal and which adhesive to use. Bonus. 😀 My V8 passed the MoT with a clean sheet yesterday. Not a single advisory. Not bad for a sixteen year old car. Later the helpful tester remarked regarding the V8's emissions when testing both exhaust outlets :~ "They do not come better than that". I took and image of the Emissions Test data on Screen. He also mentioned that some days he tests several Diesels which has an adverse effect on his lungs no matter what precautions he takes. Mr Lloyd has a view about "Devil's Fuel" cars. Only surprising thing about the Diesel scam was it took so long to hit the fan and bounce into the VAG. Plus the unfair VED imbalance has still not been fully addressed or rectified.
Nice car that Mr Lloyd, I’ve always had a soft spot for the 75 and ZT. Nice to see a “Full Fat” version on the channel. I think MG/Rover were trying to get the interest of the younger “executive” maybe when the MG version of the 75 was launched but it seems younger people didn’t fall for it seeing it merely as a “dressed up” Rover 75, a big like seeing a pensioner wearing a baseball cap, sports jacket and trainers, which I think is a little unfair as the ZT and 75 are both great cars.
The differentiation that MG Rover managed between the Rover 75 and MG ZT was actually very impressive, as the Rover Group during BMW's era had never imagined an MG version of the 75. In some ways, the ZT seems more popular these days than the 75, which is interesting....
ZTs and 75s were popular in New Zealand and Australia. I think of them as the Leyland P76 of the 2000s, a nice Central European-influenced big sedan from a struggling, overambitious company that just arrived at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The missing cupholder is a victim of Project Drive. When MG Rover started circling the plug hole in the early 2000s they started looking for ways to make their cars more cheaply and things like the missing cupholder were one such example.
'Hello this is Top Gear with Joseph Lloyd. Today we are testing a diesel Rover 75, here it is on screen. Oh dear a car thief gang have nicked it, stripped it and sold it off as a banger.' Crash! Bang! Smash! 'My, it's taking a hammering, look at the black smoke coming out of the bonnet...'
Sorry, I don't really understand? I have had lots of 75s and ZTs on the channel before, I think three ZTs and two 75s. I don't think that I would have featured so many if I didn't enjoy driving them.
I find it hilarious that a 4.6 V8 lump only puts out an extra 60 horsepower compared to the 2.5 V6 190. It shows just how inefficient American mechanicals are
@@lloydvehicleconsulting absolutely sir, despite the agricultural architecture that goes into a Mustang there is still such romance about it and nice to see it in a classy British dressing
@@lloydvehicleconsulting lovely cars. I love rovers/mgs infact just got myself a tf. I would love a 260. I know however that they are not that fast for a 4.6 v8 but definitely I think built as a cruiser. I'd absolutely love one nethertheless. I've owned a few rovers I love them and I love my little mgtf
@@lloydvehicleconsulting I think with rovers you get a lot of bang for your buck that's why I love them. For me the sv x power even now one of the best looking super cars
Yes, I have owned eight Rovers from between 1991 and 2004, and currently have a very rare 45 V6 Connoisseur. I have driven a TF, and they are very good fun!
@@lloydvehicleconsulting again I absolutely love them. They always seem so nice and plush and comfortable. Even my little tf. I love it. If I had a bit more money I'd love a 260. There's one for sale I saw for £11.000 mint condition 51,000 on the clock. If only I could I would lol
I've said it before many a time, give me a 190 v6 over a 260 v8. And I know that upsets people who have never actually driven them. Unless you are flat out in a straight line, doing donuts or must have the noise there is nothing in them to live with and in fact the 190 is much more dialed in when pushed hard, especially in the early stiff suspension cars pre 02, in fact I'd happily argue the stiff suspension pre 02 1.8t zt handles better than both 190 and 260 when being pushed hard as it's got so much less engine nose weight and is far more neutral. I've driven plenty and never been impressed, they all feel incomplete, loose and have scuttle shake when accelerating hard over uneven surfaces, and not in a raw driving experience way, more like a humm what's that new rattle kind of way. There are far to many compromises for such a large saloon vehicle. Not to mention the issues with Ford bits, talking the BMW bits via Canbus and then bmw and Ford bits talking to Rover bits via K-line. Plus we had several on the rolling road days and not one did better than 240bhp from factory, and the inability to select lower gears was a massive mistake in the auto. Do I still like them yes, would I own one yes, but not for the prices they sell all as I think they are vastly over priced. Could I find a nice 75 v8 saloon at the right price then yes, purely for the auto box and also so I could actually put my left foot somewhere. But then I'd have to live with the chrome front bumper grill coming off continuously as the restraints snap and warp that can't be replaced. I will leave this final thought, you could pick up an immaculate SD1 v8 for what you'd spend on a rough 260. Which would you rather have as a classic?
One of the earliest episodes of No Budget Reviews was a 2004 MG ZT-T 190+ (I think I put a link to it in the description), so I am reasonably familiar with those. The handbrake was broken in it, which was a bit crazy, but otherwise it was pretty good, although the owner is going to have to scrap it.... You can tune those KV6s up a bit, can't you? I loved the ZT 260, but the 190 was easier to drive, and of course they are easier to find parts for. Have not yet driven a SD1 (been after one for years for review), but I am looking forward to having a go at some point.
A winning combination and MG Rover were right to make it happen.
I have never seen a ZT 260 but I did see a single beautiful Rover 75 V8 in my local filling station in the mid 2000s.
I remember thinking that this gentleman could easily slip down to the South of France or Tuscany in this wonderful piece of engineering with its lightly stressed engine and exquisite interior.
It looked very unique and the big grille with the V8 badge was very eye catching.
Definite Classics.
Sir, it would indeed be an excellent car for going to the South of France if one can stomach 15-20 mpg... The 75 V8 may be even better for that purpose.
Oh how I miss my 75.... What a brilliant car the V8 is. Things to look out for on this and the MG ZT are water leaks into the boot via the rear lights or spot welds, water collecting in the Plenums where the scuttle panel is, you usually find/ know if you have wet carpets in front and rear footwells, sticky thermostat. as always Sir a excellent Review on one of my favourite Rover/MG Car!
Thank you, Mr Watters! Glad you enjoyed this video. We had covered some of that before on previous 75 and ZT reviews, so I didn't go into too much depth this time. You certainly did enjoy your 75, didn't you, sir, although we can't discuss it round here, sadly.
My son has one of these in Firefrost red (it has briefly appeared on the channel when it was at Gaydon in the summer). They do make a nice noise! But you certainly pay for it when you get to the pump...every few days. And that clutch is a real workout for the left leg!
Yes, I imagine it would have appeared at some point at the BMC and Leyland Show. The fuel economy is quite bad, but I don't think anyone ever bought these for fuel efficiency... Thank you for watching!
Excellent review MR Lloyd, most enjoyable. I would love a 75 in Connoisseur SE spec, with this engine.
Sir, you could get them, but those 75 V8s are extremely rare...
@@lloydvehicleconsulting
That would be most agreeable MR Lloyd.
@@paulie-Gualtieri. , we aim to please, sir!
Lovely machines, a place near me called Dreadnaught Garage did supercharger conversions on them to make the ZT400. The engine is actually sohc btw. All modulars have overhead cams, sohc on 2/3 valve and sohc on the 4 valve.
Corr, that would be lethal. Use even more fuel though I guess.
Yes, I believe Mr Martin from Jayemm on Cars drove a ZT 400 on his channel a good few years ago now.
@@peterriggall8409 , I owned their last conversion and they’re actually better on fuel
883 made in total. Of these 166 were R75's. Auto's for the 75 and manuals for the ZT. (Auto ZT's for Oz)
Thank you very much indeed! I did see the figures before the review, but I decided to be a bit more approximate with them, as it was much easier to remember when driving and recording on my own.
The mustang logo on the throttle body came with the car but a few went walkies when the stock went to the administrators.
Thank you, sir!
Excellent review and this is stunning 260 although you can't really get these for 5k I should thing. The ZT was only available as manual and the 75 was only auto apart from a few development cars that escaped into the wild
They tend to go for ~8k upwards these days.
@@darrenball4620 They do and prices are on the increase. I paid rather more than £5K for mine earlier this year. Ten years ago, a close neighbour Rover enthusiast and now friend, knowing I had a penchant for ZTs in all their forms, advised me of a V8 in Trophy Blue on a used car lot less than a mile from where we live @ £6999. I went straight down there asap only to find a big SOLD sticker on the car. The dealer told me the phone had not stopped ringing since he placed the advert and he wished he had ten of them for sale...😀Mr. Lloyd did a quick walk around of my car with his Channel coverage of the MG 40 event at GWR Toddington, Gloucestershire. My family took three MGs to the event and my son's MG Metro I gave him over twenty years ago, was the oldest post Abingdon Longbridge built MG there. A great day out for both Railway and car enthusiasts. My wife even had the roof lining material in here MGZS she's had from new replaced at the event for a very reasonable cost. I watched sone of the process and now have a good "How to" preparation guide to roof lining material renewal and which adhesive to use.
Thank you, Gentlemen! As I mentioned, this one was £5,000 a few years ago, I did ask the owner if it was still possible to get one for that money, and he said it may be, but it was more likely to be £7-8,000, so we are pushing the budget a bit, but then again, this is Not Very Sensible Secondhand Classics, so we are a bit more naughty than usual....
So far great review sir! Have a very large soft spot for one if these, would love to have a go in one or even own one, thank you for the review much enjoyed sir.
No problem at all, sir! Glad you enjoyed it. I was really blessed to be able to have a go in this.
In the last 3 years, I have only seen one V8 Rover 75 for sale. It sold for around the 22-24k price range.
Yes, they are very rare indeed, the ZT 260s are a bit more common. Hope you enjoyed the video as always, sir!
I remember seeing the Rover V8 for sale some time ago. The one that made big money like that was celebrity owned if I remember correctly.
Ah! Thanks for this video! Read about these in a UK classic car magazine! For what was essentially a muscle car it seems very comfortable and not particularly noisy! What? No drifting like in the Top Gear test???
Sir, you know how we drive on this channel...
I have a passsion for rovers . Owned loads over the years. I too own a mgtf and like you id love a v8
Yes, owned nine Rovers of my own, and have driven a couple of TFs on the channel. The 75 V8 is most interesting...
If I was in the UK 🇬🇧, this would be one of the vehicles I would love to drive, and possibly own.
Nocturne Blue with this colour interior is my favourite!
Whilst you were driving, that V8 burble was begging for just a bit more throttle! With petrol prices being what they are in the UK 🇬🇧, one must be "comfortable" in order to own this, but this really is spectacular as it sits, a classic similar to a Jaguar S-Type (the more modern, Ford version).
Yes, Scott doesn't drive this all the time. They are a bit prohibitively expensive to own, unless you are a particularly well heeled lady or gentleman... Glad you enjoyed it, sir!
A friend of mine owns one and rarely drives it due to the cost of fuel....he was going to be selling it this year - I must check to see if he did or not...I was trying hard not to buy it myself earlier this year.
@@darrenball4620 , these are a bit tempting, aren't they? Mind you, they are also potentially ruinous with the running costs.
I paid rather more than £5K for mine earlier this year. Ten years ago, a close neighbour Rover enthusiast and now friend, knowing I had a penchant for ZTs in all their forms, advised me of a V8 in Trophy Blue on a used car lot less than a mile from where we live @ £6999. I went straight down there asap only to find a big SOLD sticker on the car. The dealer told me the phone had not stopped ringing since he placed the advert and he wished he had ten of them for sale...😀
Mr. Lloyd did a quick walk around of my car with his Channel coverage of the MG 40 event at GWR Toddington, Gloucestershire back in the summer. My family took three MGs to the event and my son's MG Metro I gave him over twenty years ago, was the oldest post Abingdon Longbridge built MG there. A great day out for both Railway and car enthusiasts. My wife even had the roof lining material in her MG ZS she's had from new replaced at the event for a very reasonable cost. I watched some of the process and now have a good "How to" preparation guide to roof lining material renewal and which adhesive to use. Bonus. 😀
My V8 passed the MoT with a clean sheet yesterday. Not a single advisory. Not bad for a sixteen year old car. Later the helpful tester remarked regarding the V8's emissions when testing both exhaust outlets :~ "They do not come better than that". I took and image of the Emissions Test data on Screen. He also mentioned that some days he tests several Diesels which has an adverse effect on his lungs no matter what precautions he takes. Mr Lloyd has a view about "Devil's Fuel" cars. Only surprising thing about the Diesel scam was it took so long to hit the fan and bounce into the VAG. Plus the unfair VED imbalance has still not been fully addressed or rectified.
Thank you for watching, sir! There are reasons that we don't talk about diesels on this channel...
Yes please. I would absolutely have one of these but the heavy clutch might be an issue for me.
Yes, it is much heavier than in most cars, but I did get used to it relatively quickly. You can always get an automatic one, I suppose!
Yes, that would be a pain in slow moving traffic.
@@peterriggall8409 , yes, I wouldn't enjoy driving it in the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London, even if it is actually exempt from the charge!
Nice car that Mr Lloyd, I’ve always had a soft spot for the 75 and ZT.
Nice to see a “Full Fat” version on the channel.
I think MG/Rover were trying to get the interest of the younger “executive” maybe when the MG version of the 75 was launched but it seems younger people didn’t fall for it seeing it merely as a “dressed up” Rover 75, a big like seeing a pensioner wearing a baseball cap, sports jacket and trainers, which I think is a little unfair as the ZT and 75 are both great cars.
The differentiation that MG Rover managed between the Rover 75 and MG ZT was actually very impressive, as the Rover Group during BMW's era had never imagined an MG version of the 75. In some ways, the ZT seems more popular these days than the 75, which is interesting....
@@lloydvehicleconsulting I’m not suprised, I have seen some younger blokes in their early 30’s driving them.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting I’m sure the ZT and Tourer command higher sale prices don’t they?
@@willswheels283 , absolutely, sir!
@@willswheels283 , not sure, sir, possibly!
ZTs and 75s were popular in New Zealand and Australia. I think of them as the Leyland P76 of the 2000s, a nice Central European-influenced big sedan from a struggling, overambitious company that just arrived at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Yes, nearest equivalent of this back in the past would have been the old Leyland P76.
The missing cupholder is a victim of Project Drive. When MG Rover started circling the plug hole in the early 2000s they started looking for ways to make their cars more cheaply and things like the missing cupholder were one such example.
Yes, good old Project Drive, the consequences of which I experience on an almost daily basis....
That's a very hot old MGZT 260 sleeper 🥰
It isn't bad, is it?
'Hello this is Top Gear with Joseph Lloyd. Today we are testing a diesel Rover 75, here it is on screen. Oh dear a car thief gang have nicked it, stripped it and sold it off as a banger.' Crash! Bang! Smash! 'My, it's taking a hammering, look at the black smoke coming out of the bonnet...'
We don't discuss such things round here, do we, sir?
@@lloydvehicleconsulting What if you ran one on peanut oil? 😅
No, sir...
What a lovely noise it makes. 😍 Would love to have a drive in one of these V8s.
Sir, it does make a very nice noise, and I was truly blessed to be able to have a go in this.
Doesn't the boot open by holding the remote button down !
Can't remember now, this was over two years ago.
Its like this if you dont like the 75 or the ZT then` dont be near one
Sorry, I don't really understand? I have had lots of 75s and ZTs on the channel before, I think three ZTs and two 75s. I don't think that I would have featured so many if I didn't enjoy driving them.
I find it hilarious that a 4.6 V8 lump only puts out an extra 60 horsepower compared to the 2.5 V6 190. It shows just how inefficient American mechanicals are
Inefficient perhaps, sir, but absolutely glorious nevertheless.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting absolutely sir, despite the agricultural architecture that goes into a Mustang there is still such romance about it and nice to see it in a classy British dressing
@@johnedwards3198 , predictably, we did enjoy ourselves, sir.
9th
Very good sir, next video going up soon!
Slow for the size of engine
Lots of character, not necessarily too much in the way of power for a V8.
@@lloydvehicleconsulting lovely cars. I love rovers/mgs infact just got myself a tf. I would love a 260. I know however that they are not that fast for a 4.6 v8 but definitely I think built as a cruiser. I'd absolutely love one nethertheless. I've owned a few rovers I love them and I love my little mgtf
@@lloydvehicleconsulting I think with rovers you get a lot of bang for your buck that's why I love them. For me the sv x power even now one of the best looking super cars
Yes, I have owned eight Rovers from between 1991 and 2004, and currently have a very rare 45 V6 Connoisseur. I have driven a TF, and they are very good fun!
@@lloydvehicleconsulting again I absolutely love them. They always seem so nice and plush and comfortable. Even my little tf. I love it. If I had a bit more money I'd love a 260. There's one for sale I saw for £11.000 mint condition 51,000 on the clock. If only I could I would lol
Slow for size of engine
It's not actually that much faster than the ZT190...
I've said it before many a time, give me a 190 v6 over a 260 v8. And I know that upsets people who have never actually driven them.
Unless you are flat out in a straight line, doing donuts or must have the noise there is nothing in them to live with and in fact the 190 is much more dialed in when pushed hard, especially in the early stiff suspension cars pre 02, in fact I'd happily argue the stiff suspension pre 02 1.8t zt handles better than both 190 and 260 when being pushed hard as it's got so much less engine nose weight and is far more neutral.
I've driven plenty and never been impressed, they all feel incomplete, loose and have scuttle shake when accelerating hard over uneven surfaces, and not in a raw driving experience way, more like a humm what's that new rattle kind of way.
There are far to many compromises for such a large saloon vehicle. Not to mention the issues with Ford bits, talking the BMW bits via Canbus and then bmw and Ford bits talking to Rover bits via K-line.
Plus we had several on the rolling road days and not one did better than 240bhp from factory, and the inability to select lower gears was a massive mistake in the auto.
Do I still like them yes, would I own one yes, but not for the prices they sell all as I think they are vastly over priced.
Could I find a nice 75 v8 saloon at the right price then yes, purely for the auto box and also so I could actually put my left foot somewhere.
But then I'd have to live with the chrome front bumper grill coming off continuously as the restraints snap and warp that can't be replaced.
I will leave this final thought, you could pick up an immaculate SD1 v8 for what you'd spend on a rough 260. Which would you rather have as a classic?
One of the earliest episodes of No Budget Reviews was a 2004 MG ZT-T 190+ (I think I put a link to it in the description), so I am reasonably familiar with those. The handbrake was broken in it, which was a bit crazy, but otherwise it was pretty good, although the owner is going to have to scrap it....
You can tune those KV6s up a bit, can't you? I loved the ZT 260, but the 190 was easier to drive, and of course they are easier to find parts for. Have not yet driven a SD1 (been after one for years for review), but I am looking forward to having a go at some point.
I've currently got one for sale if anyone fancies one.
Wonderful, thank you for watching!|
@Tango_sixteenIt is on Cars and Classic, not that one though - Trophy Blue £11.5k. Getting a fresh mot next week.