MG-Cars.info

Welcome to our Site for MG, Triumph and Austin-Healey Car Information.

Parts

MG parts spares and accessories are available for MG T Series (TA, MG TB, MG TC, MG TD, MG TF), Magnette, MGA, Twin cam, MGB, MGBGT, MGC, MGC GT, MG Midget, Sprite and other MG models from British car spares company LBCarCo.

MG ZR ZS ZT Technical - ZR 160 V 306 GTI-6

Well it had to happen, i came across that yellow ZR 160 i had seen about for the last couple of weeks. I decided to "Benchmark" it aganst my 306 GTI-6. Long side each other at a set of lights, they changed we dumped cluches.

Because i am so pissed off with this 306 i was hopeing for a close run from the ZR. I sorry to say that by 50 mph it was over. I knew that the 306 is good 60 in 7.9 and Top gear give the ZR 7.4 but the pug just eat it!

I think he gave up at about 80, i was some distance head. I don't know who was more dissaponted, me of the ZR pliot!

Roll on the ZS.
Liverpool

Why are you pissed off with the 306?
Damn fine car.
Mike.
Michael Watkins

Michael
I am 37 been driving since 82 and had a range cars. TR7 which couldn't beat a 2 litre Cortina so i replaced the engine with a V8. Modded the brakes etc, but had to go because of rust! I was given a Lada which was distroyed in a thrid week. Than A MG Metro Not a ball of fire but it had lovey AP brakes. Than a R5 GT Turbo which was up for anything. A Ford XR2 A metro GTI which was a bag of S**T. Than Second to last a Ford RS Festa.

The R5 GT Turbo and the two Fords where the best, in that you could "Turst them" on the limt. If you had to lift off coming round a bend......No problem.

If you entered a bit quick than all they would be is understeer a bit. Just lift off and adjust your line.

18 Months ago i HAD to replace the RS, time had could up with it and running my own engineering company ment that i had funds for a replacemet. The 306 was the "Only show in town" so i got it.

In fairness to the 306 its never let me down, but it has the most danguious on the limt handing i have ever know. Here's one incerdent that comes to mind.

I was driving down a good back road i know when down a fast stright a blackbrid hit my pasanger door mirror. It bust into a ball of guts and feathers which distacted me just long enouth for me to miss my brake point.
As i turned in i could feel the understeer which was going to have me off into a ditch. I tryed to gently back off the power but the back end started to swing.

So it was understeer off or oversteer off. I done a bit of karting in the past and fore the first on a open road i left foot braked!
It was not the finst bit of driving i had ever done but i just about got round conner.
I cant push this car and can't Tust IT!

The driving polistion is too high, there are too many turns loc to lock, the Steering wheel is too large and the rim to small. The headlamps but out too little light for good fast driving at night, and oh yes in a cross wind its all over the place!

I have driven other GTI-6 and there about the same.

Never mind if MGR don't come to the rescue i will return to the House of FORD for a NEW RS!
MEGA

MEGA

306 v ZS160. Query valid test? How about trying that again say in a couple of years where BOTH cars have a decent few miles on their clocks. As you suspected, he probably did give up. I would have done too with probably a still tight engine with only a relatively few miles under its belt. Possibly similar result later but maybe much closer.... :o)
John McFeely

MEGA,

What part of L'Pool you from?

John
John

I seen it about for 3-4 weeks thus i would had thought that it was run in. I sorry for the bad news but facts are facts. If you want a quick ZR i would wait and see if they produce a supercharged version!
Mega

John
The nice part!
MEGA

Mega,

>I done a bit of karting in the past and for the first on a open road i left foot braked!

That puzzles me, why were you left foot breaking in a kart seeing as the braking and the acceleration are through the same axle (ie you are counteracting the effect of braking with acceleration) not getting the benefit of left foot braking which is a) on a fwd rally car to lose the back end in a controlled manner by locking the rear wheels but not the front as the power keeps them from being locked, or b)so that you can brake without the yaw pitch of the car causing the back end to lose grip. These two principals dont work in a kart!

Just my,
2 pence
2 pence

"2 pence", there are 125cc 6-speed karts that have one disc brake on each front wheel aswell. Now, why would one brake and accelerate at the same time with this kind of kart, I don't know. To get understeer ? But there could be a reason ... I'm not the holder of THE truth ...
Fabrice

It is normal to left foot brake on a kart 'cos the brake pedal tends to be under the erm, left foot ;)

'cept on the odd gearbox kart, but then they're all driven by fat blokes...

and if you're not fat they make you wear a clip-on beer gut, as ballast...

Mike (the block) Watkins
Michael Watkins

Yes I agree with both your points but I was really refering to the effect of left foot braking in a road car used for stability. Sorry for the confusion!

Though I tried right foot braking in a kart and nearly dislocated my hip!

Just my
2 pence
2 pence

MEGA, How do you actually know that this guy was racing you ? It's all well and good you assuming he was, but who knows ? He may have been out for a quiet drive when you put your boot down. "by 50 mph it was over" I don't think so.
Good luck in fantasy world mate.
Ultra

Look Plant pot i been racing people on and off the the highway for the last twenty years!

He came along side, reved the motor hard and give me the signal that he wanted to "Benchmark" his car. In the intersts of science,i complied with his request...twice!

The smug little grin was gone and he was some what less full of himself at the last set of lights. I pulled into the slow lane and wait for him to catch up. I than braked to check out the model numbers to make sure it was a 160. It was
Mega

mega aint bullsh*ting,he blew away the starship interprise last week in his gti6.
captain kirk

Mega

Is there really a nice part of Liverpoll...making a comment like that really proves to everyone that you do not live on this planet...so burning up the starship could be true......keep having those wet dreams!!
Cecil Kimber

Look Plant pots, i just trying to inform people on what's what.
If you don't what to listen that's fine. As my boy hood hero used to say "When the flag drops, the bulsh*t stops!"

I think a lot of ZR owner's are going to discover that they should have gone for the ZS!
MEGA

Yes I can confirm we were blown away we got up to warp 9 then gave up, mega is the bollox.
Its illogical......
first

You know if you could say somthing more interesting, put forward a illogical statement on the subject i think people would listen to you. If you have a ZR than please" benchmark" it your self.

Do "TRY" a little harder (and don't forget to do your homework!)
mega

as mega "done" us ,bones turned to me and said"its a scouse jim but not as we know it!
J.T.KIRK
captain kirk

When EVO magazine tested the 306 gti they found it got to 60 in 7.2 seconds so this coupled with an unrun in ZR goes someway to explain the result.
Live long and prosper....
Ian

Odd these, 0-60 figures i reckon are garbage.

I drive a Focus Turbo diesel. 0-60 12.5 seconds.
A friend drives a Golf mk4 1.6 0-60 10.9 seconds.

Yet if I manage to keep the revs up so there is no lag, I can just about stay with him from the line. at 40-50 mph he may be ahead by 1 metre, but we will still be side by side. By 70, the torque of the Turbo desiel has come into play and I will have left him. I dont think figures mean anything.

Any other observations?
Other people may have experienced different, I'm just saying what I see. Hence, I do believe a 306GTI-6 can beat a ZR160, but i do wonder how well the ZR had been treated. If he had been racing people from the second he got the car, it wouldn't surprise me if the engine is shot by now.

Mmuch respect to all and dreaming of Scottish of welsh back roads, petrol at 10p per gallon.
Andy

I am completely unbiased and do not own any of the 2 cars you are talking about

I think it's a bit 'simple' to think that just because you carried on after 50 and he didn't makes the 306 faster.
Many factors come into play - you may be a better driver or have more guts (or just be dafter!). I own something completely different (which I won't mention to save myself from being flamed from all of you!) but when I do put my fut down coming away from the lights, I always slow down at around the speed limit. The danger massively outweighs the 'buzz' from struggling to get ahead in your case. What about your licence, your car, other drivers or even pedestrians? I take it you were not 'out in the sticks' as there were traffic lights.
Yesterday I killed a R5 GT Turbo up to 50mph and found it very funny when he went shooting passed once I stopped accelerating! You've proved absolutely nothing! Well done!
John

This thread was discussed between 31/10/2001 and 26/11/2001

MG ZR ZS ZT Technical index

This thread is from the archives. Join the live MG ZR ZS ZT Technical BBS now