When BMW launched the Rover 75 back in '99, it was faced with a problem. If it gave the compact saloon a sporty character, then it would be a direct rival to the 3 Series. Its solution was to develop a comfort-biased chassis and dress it in a skin that was a strange pastiche of 1950s Britain.
It didn't catch on and in 2000 sold Rover for a single pound sterling, leaving the 75 project in the hands of the company's new owners, the Phoenix Consortium. Phoenix also inherited the rights to the MG name and announced an intention to build a sports saloon based on the 75. The result was unveiled a year later in the form of the ZT V6.
The task of restyling the 75 was handed to Peter Stevens, who also penned the McLaren F1 supercar. Stevens adopted a bold approach and dressed the MG in a bulbous bodykit that's more boy racer than urban sophisticate. The overall effect is surprisingly harmonious and not without appeal.
For the interior transformation, Stevens ripped out the walnut trim and replaced it with dark plastic. The Rover's sofa-like chairs were also replaced with a couple of buckets and the beige dials were swapped for a handsome black-on-white display. It's a convincing transformation and the quality is good, although the rear legroom is still pitiful for such a big car.
Even more significant for the enthusiast were the changes under the skin. The spring rates were increased by 70 percent, while the rear anti-roll bar was uprated by an extraordinary 167 percent. The ride height is 20mm lower than the equivalent 75 and the ZT sits on 18-inch alloys. Rover's venerable 2497cc V6 was also retuned so that it now produces 190 bhp and 181 lb-ft of torque.
This is enough to imbue the MG with a decent turn of pace. The sprint from 0-60 mph takes 7.7 seconds and it will reach 140 mph, which places it roughly on a par with the BMW 320. More impressive is the transformation in the handling. The excessive body roll of the 75 has given place to a taut, controlled feel. It's worth remembering that the MG's platform derives from BMW's front-wheel-drive prototype for the 3 Series, and in this tune, the ZT displays BMW-like composure and handling balance.
The gearbox, which boasts a throw that's shorter and more positive than the 75's, snicks resolutely from cog to cog and the steering has a nice, linear response and plenty of feel. The only trade-off for the improved dynamics is a predictable diminution in the ride quality. The firm springs can produce jarring results on pot-marked black top.
Priced from #20,900 ($32,800) in saloon or #21,865 ($34,330) in ZT-T wagon guise, the MG faces stiff competition from the 3 Series, Audi A4 and Lexus IS200. But it's more overtly sporting than any of these rivals and scores as an eccentric but appealing alternative.