Quality MG’s ZT V8 260 is a safe, powerful ride.

Fast Facts

MG ZT V8 260

Standard manual cost $89,900

Engine V8, 4.6 litre, 191KW

0-100kmh in 6.5 seconds

Average economy 13.3 litres/100km

Gearbox Five-speed driving rear wheels via LSD

MG’s mean machine
Chaplain (FLTLT) Russel Avery grew quite fond of the MG ZT V8 260 when he took it on a road trip and broke his grandfather’s “Great Queensland Motor Record”.

THE MG ZT V8 260 is one mean machine. Having done 5500km in the ZT 260, setting a distance record between Longreach and Brisbane, I have come to feel quite fond of it.

The ZT looks ready to leap. It glares at you with its eyebrow headlights and its powerful lines are no front.

Step inside: the doors have the clunk of a well-built car; the seats have lovely (leather) grabby back rests. Set the height, angle, steering-column reach and rake and make it yours. Big ventilated disks up front are matched to even bigger ventilated disks down the back.

The car stops quite flat. No pitching and diving at all. There are almost no extras on the MG ZT.

Everything is there and all at a tad under $90,000. There will be an automatic in the future, and you can have a wagon (called a Tourer) for not a lot more. The word is that a supercharged version is in the offing with 380hp. We refuelled for the first time at Morven.

The big Yank donk manages to sip about 10.5 litres/100km on a run, so it isn’t too hard on the wallet at all.

Under the bonnet
Six cylinder ZTs are all-wheel-drive, but the engine in the V8 260 is the 4.6-litre Ford Mustang engine rated at 191kWs (or 260 hp in the old currency) driving the rear wheels.

Four exhausts identify it and it has a nice note. There is a multi-link rear axle and lots of Bilstein shocks to keep it all in order. Traction control as well as a limited slip diff keeps it together without squat or dive.

Out of your pocket
This car weighs in at 1680kgs so should we forget this part? Not at all. I managed about 10.5 litres per 100km while travelling between towns, around 13 litres per 100km in towns and it was only when the beast was asked to growl that it approached consumption of 14 litres. Not bad with 410Nm available at 4000rpm.

On the road
The front brakes are big 325mm ventilated disks but the back ones are even big ger at 332mm and are also ventilated. Add to that electronic brake force distribution and it does well.

Three kangaroos, five emus and a slow climbing eagle are still alive because of it. Come to think of it, so are we. Oh, and don’t forget airbags front, back and sides as well as seat belt pre-tensioners; it feels safe just thinking about it.

Comfort factor
Seating is very comfortable, with good support over long distances. Then there is an eight speaker sound system, radio, tape, sixstacker CD and steering-mounted audio controls.

A nice touch is the satellite navigation system (a nice lady tells you where to go – and gives you a map to follow) coupled with a real TV with good reception, which changes to a blue screen if you move out of range.

Dual-zone, climate-control air conditioning, cruise control and tinted glass are standard. Then there are reverse parking sensors, a sunroof, and one-touch-down windows, with one-touch-up for the driver.

Down side
I would have liked a more conventional instrument panel with a trip computer emphasising fuel consumption and range remaining. There are only four wheels. No spare unless you specify one.

In the garage
This car, like its predecessors under the hexagonal badge, is something the Poms do well. A nice body well finished. Add extremely consistent handling and safety features to keep you out of trouble and it takes a lot of beating.

Impressive to look at and won’t let you down at the lights either. You could do a lot worse than the MG.