The whole idea of me providing my V8 for this video and Ian taking the time to put it all together in my own opinion was to give people pleasure and enjoyment and put smiles on people's faces. It's lovely to see nice comments from people who have obviously enjoyed watching the video but I have also seen some that are not so nice and some quite rude and nasty. Please don't get so serious about it, just enjoy it for what it is.
Exactly, isn't that what Hub Nut is all about celebrating the average? The mediocre and unexceptional the misfit the also-ran the not so perfect this is what makes them interesting
Well said. Thank you for sharing what has to be one of the legendary cars of the era. Flawed? Maybe but who cares. Much nicer than an M5 . Thanks for keeping these beasts for posterity
Many thanks to Ian, Mrs Hub Nut and little Hub Nut for putting together this video of my car which I have only owned since March. I have owned many Rovers and MG,s over the years and just before I bought this V8 i was seriously considering a Jaguar XF but I'm glad to say this V8 came up at the right price, I was looking at it for a while and I must admit I thought twice but since buying it I haven't regretted it for one second. Yes it's flawed, yes its relatively crude but it's one of a kind, great fun and no more expensive to run than my V6190. And it's only going to increase in value. So glad I didn't buy a boring old Jag because this V8 is definitely not boring!
That's all that matters Mark. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, doesn't matter if there are better cars out there its more about your experience and the enjoyment it brings you. You buy a car like this knowing its no supercar and that they have their failings but which car doesn't? I'm not saying Jonathans points are not valid, he's owned one and knows what it meant to him and how it compares but we are all individuals and would would be a boring world if we all held the same view. I'm pleased your happy with your purchase and well done for getting it out on video. They have a big following and there are plenty of people who would love to be in your position and be a proud owner.👍
Man, I'm from Poland, now owning both Rover 75 2.0 KV6 and MG ZT 190 since 2017 and to own or even drive the ZT260 was always a dream but the prices.... :/ Anyway, yes - those are flawed cars but at the same time - so much different than all of those BMW's, Audi's etc. and so much beautiful to look at. Many many thanks for letting the HubNut family drove it and make a video about it. It's always a big smile when another - a little sceptical of MG Rover cars tester - drives the 260 and admits that it is absolutely fantastic :) Any thoughts about supercharging it? ;)
I worked at JLR on S-type Diesel as an engineer when the V8 was dropped into the 75. it was like wow that sounds amazing. Especially when the jag 4.2 V8 was whisper quiet apart from the S Type R that got a bit vocal. Some of the most bonkers ideas don't make sense financially when new but they make for rare great cars of the future. Thanks for sharing a great video into a fascinating car
I've had mine - Cristine - for ten + years now. Overall quite a practical classic although there are a few things you need to watch and prevent, all amply covered on the excellent owners club site: Two-Sixties. Keep your break down cover up to date and carry spanners, spare hoses masking tape and coolant for the odd steamy burst! Its just plain good fun to drive thundering round the highways of Devon, Somerset and occasionally further afield. Bystanders reactions are split between shaken heads of disapproval and thumbs up. Quite often people wonder where the sound - that of Judgement Day on full throttle - is coming from as its such an innocuous looking Q car Street Sleeper. They are looking for a motorbike or a Lamborghini buts its just an old bloke in a Rover 75!
They captured the essence of a mid size body with a decent V8. The type where you can immerse your head in the glorious exhaust music or just pootle about effortlessly. There is just something about them.
What a car and nice shout out to Keith. He bought a car of my Mum which passed on to Michael Humble and documented our madness building and racing Austin Americas (1300s) in Houston on Aronline. I really would love a V8 ZT-T and friend of a friend has one here in the States which gets track use only.
You can tell how much fun he is having. Not just the power, the handling and the steering too (2.4 turns lock to lock). They are great cars. Totally underrated (and, unsurprisingly, berated by Top Gear) when they came out.
Cracking video. Worked in Blackburn near an MG Rover Dealership around the time these came out and remember one whizzing up and down the road. What a soundtrack.
One of the 3 Rover 75 V8 Estates is a left hand drive and is in the Netherlands. I spoke the owner with his car not long ago. It is a beautiful dark blue car with cream leather. He is a fellow member of the Austin Morris Riley Wolseley Register in the Netherlands.
I have so much want for one of these. Especially after going out in a supercharged tourer version through Sporting Bears. That exhaust note from the rear, and supercharger whine from the front. It was amazing!
In 2004 I used to deliver the complete front end of the Rover 75 V8 painted by a company next door to us RDS components who also painted the body kit for the Rover mgzr. When delivered to Longbridge they were inspected and out of 10 nosecone delivered 4 /5 were rejected so who ever says there was no quality control there was. This is where I fell in love with the Rover 75 I've had 5 now on my 6th a 75 V6 2.0 petrol.
I have one - its a glorious thing. Flawed & crude, yes. But amazing & brilliant at the same time. The soundtrack alone is worth every penny of the stupid fuel bill. But its the torque that keeps you coming back. Power is OK, but the torque is what makes it a special car.
I always remember a specific part of Jeremy Clarkson's review of these from when they were new "the Ford modular V8 has less power per litre than a Daewoo Matiz." I feel that's apt for this channel given Myrtle
That's a little bit like hooning around in V8 Ford Falcon GT, or a Holden Monaro. I seem to remember that you enjoyed the V8 utes when you were in Australia, Ian. Despite being Aussie, I never owned a V8 or big six cylinder car. When I was learning to drive, my dad gave me a few lessons in his Valiant Charger XL coupe. Three on the floor. 245 cu.in. six cylinder hemi engine. My car was a Morris Mini 850 (ten years old in 1975), and I remember my dad saying to me "Hey! You're not Sterling Moss!" when I gave it a bit too much accelerator taking off.
I laughed with the drive by. Sounds like Ian was having fun. I was waiting for Ian to suddenly yell POWER!! Ian IS a "Hoon" at heart. (Aussie slang version of UK's Boy Racer). Power, less is more!... Is it? LOL :) That is the best thing about Hubnut it's not biased.
A friend had one of these from new and drove it up to Scotland from Devon to have the Dreadnought supercharger conversion (400bhp/400lbft). It was deceptively quick, no brutal power delivery but just a constant shove that would get you to instant ban territory in very little time.
I can imagine the board meetings: "OK team, the finances are terrible, it looks like we're going to go bust, any suggestions?" "yes, lets go completely crazy"
Fantastic, you picked the right day for having a good with the MG, Great scenery and you certainly out it through its paces, As you I'm glad they they built it, thanks for your wonderful review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐😃😃
The Phoenix Four were so frustrating. They managed to do some great things on a shoestring - the Z Cars, Streetwise - and managed to get people behind them and buying slightly outdated cars to save the company then let everyone down with greed and dishonesty. It was such a massive clanger
I remember a photo in the papers at the time of the wife of one of the Phoenix Four next to a dark coloured estate on their drive, complete with V8 badge on its side.
Those phenix 4 destroyed mg rover. The company should of went to mclaren motors . When they put bid in for rover ... Mclaren couldn't get his head around it.. why it went to those 4. The Rest is history
Mini hubnuts experience reminds me of a time I was probably his age. My dad had a Rover P6 V8 with auto transmission but one day I accompanied him when he test drove a manual 3500S, I was in the back, it was terrifying!
Where do i start with this. Well i was custodian of number 51 Trixie Lee for nearly 5 years. Thankfully a MK1 when the ZT didnt look like a nissan almeira that had spent too much time at the gym. And yes i was the one (with lots of weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth from the owners club) who started the facebook group for these cars. I loved mine with all my heart soul and genuinely has my blood sweat and tears ingrained in its chassis. If you ever wanted to experience what a manufacturer built car would be like built in a shed by 4 blokes with a budget of a family holiday to disneyland, then this is for you. Honestly its a parts bin special from the ground up and to think this was to be the entry level for the v8 specials of the 75 zt is a tad scary. I sold mine in 2020 just as the world went to hell and it was both the worst and best thing i could do. Its easy with these to sit with rose tinted glasses, marvel at the noise and rwd and power(?). Especially as at the time of launch we were a bit starved of this type of setup but, after driving a multitude of other cars i can safely say just how off the mark these cars were. I think your comment of a last hurrah rather than a serious attempt of a v8 powered british bruiser for mass consumption is probably accurate. For comparison if you like and from someone who has owned and loved both, my S-Type R is on standby should you wish to do a comparison. Many similarities are drawn between the 2 vehicles which i myself have done in my ownership. The ZT 260. What could have been but we are all slightly grateful it wasnt. Less mustang more police interceptor with clinate control.
Yes i looked at the S-Type V8 as well but something just put me off them, maybe just because i was unfamiliar with them plus the fact ( maybe the V8 S-Type is different) that Jaguar depreciation is high. Their value plummets faster than a concrete parachute! 😂😂
Awesome car and video!! I love V8's, great soundtrack. On a personal note, I'm fortunate to own a 2001 Jag XKR with a Supercharged V8. Thank you for the continued hard work!!! All the very best, and take care.
Your boy had a great big smile on his face, he was loving it! My old work colleague had a Rover estate version that was automatic and pearlescent reddy orange sort or colour, he's had it from new.
There were 893 cars including all variants of both phases, pre production, development, demonstrators and crash test cars etc. Horsepower-wise, they actually made roughly 245 when new. 260 was a PS figure but still optimistic when brand spanking new (allegedly 10-20k miles frees up a few horses). Good torque delivery though and you can take 2nd gear corners in 4th. They’re impossible to behave yourself in and are as much fun as a MKII Escort in 2nd on any surface. Truly sideways to victory.👍🏻 Although you will only return about 15mpg, the rear tires won’t better 3K miles, plus you may find yourself on a ban. Flawed but lovely cars😎👍🏻
I’m sure it was actually 883 made although I stand to be corrected. Great video. I owned one of these some years ago which Vicki Butler Henderson drove on a fifth gear feature. My biggest regret selling that one!
@@HubNut Correct vin number 1 to 883 everyone says 883 built. But you are correct it's known that there were at least 887 if we forget spl prototype cars what you say is correct there were 2 number 4 ,5 ,7 and 8 built. They had slight variances in the build number.
It was a very good attempt to make something similar to the Vauxhall Monaro, they were so close too! There was one in South Wales that had a load of US tuning parts on it, sounded absolutely evil with a supercharger, big exhaust and an LSD. Haven't seen it for a few years now but it was almost a Dodge Charger Hellcat in character.
"Too much power." Wait till mini Hubnut meets some of the muscle cars of the 60's. Something I miss about my Olds Aurora, the sound was glorious. That 4.0L V-8 made some lovely music. The Ford 4.6L is a tough block, that'll go well over 250K miles with a bit of care.
For god sake remove the mullet on mr hubnut and get rid of mini hubnut’s trump inspired hair style both are equally horrendous…otherwise an informative and interesting video….cheers
Wonder if the MG/Rover engineers just got bored one day and were like "What if we put a V8 in our car?" To be honest though, 260 is pretty tame power from a 4.6 litre V8.
Needs an addendum to the slogan “Power - less is more. But more is more, too!” I remember having a quick go in one of the pre-production (?) 75 V8s that Keith Adams brought to an AROnline meetup. I wasn’t terribly impressed with it, though the brakes were pretty good as I found out at a junction when I stomped on the “clutch” pedal (wide brake pedal cos automatic) and nearly stood it on its nose!
Rover 75 is a car which was manufactured from 1998 to 2005 and sold under the British Rover marque. It is a large family car and came in four-door saloon and five-door estate body styles. Initially built only with front-wheel drive, a rear-wheel drive variant with a V8 engine was later sold. There was also an extended-wheelbase model. In 2001, MG Rover launched a badge engineered variant, the MG ZT. A coupé concept was built, but did not receive further development.
I owned one of these (no.368) in Trophy Blue a few years back...... brilliant cars that handle well and look amazing, and sound good too. But at the end of the day i sold it and bought a Vauxhall Monaro.🙂
What I missed in this video was taking this car up on the ramp. Engine is one thing but where did the drive shaft come from? and the rear diff? the rear axles and suspension components? Was it all bespoke for these 800+ production units or did they manage to use some other Mustang parts (or other factory parts) for that purpose?
@Sosin24 Tremec 5 speed gearbox, the same as a C5 Corvette or Holden HSV (can’t remember the origins of the clutch). Bespoke prop shaft (possibly using some Land Rover componentry if I recall correctly). Dana Hydratrak LSD Brakes are a mixture of AP and Rover hardware. Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers. There’s two additional baby Bilsteins added to the rear end, fore and aft of the assembly to aid torque reaction control. All metalwork and rear subframe unique and bespoke to the 75/ZT V8, including large rear alloy suspension elements. I hope this clarifies some points for you🙂👍🏻
Good video, the smile says it all, Whenever they are discussed the same issue comes up not much bhp for a v8. Its not all about bhp as you says its the effortless torque. If its bhp you want there is more you can do to upgrade them. It does sound nice.
Incredible car! Closest I got was the MG ZT 1.8 Turbo in silver, 160bhp from a 1.8 not too shabby, handled really nice! Only reason I sold it was the boot turned into a swimming pool literally and the whole cooling system is a major weak point, with plastic unions that crack and degrade with age and heat/cool cycles. Not something you want on a car with a notorious HG issue, although mine was one of the later ones that had the modded head gasket to help reduce the risk. To be fair I wished I'd kept it...🤔 You just don't see many around anymore, prices only go one way in that situation.
I just did the conversion. 400n/m is only 295 lb/ft. In stock form, the 5.8 litre in my 89 Grand Marquis put out 390 lb/ft at 2,200 rpm. In a very unaerodynamic box of a 2 ton near luxury car, that big engine returned 40mpg on the open road. A 70 litre tank would allow 600 miles of travel.
A car that made no sense but is totally bonkers and l like your comment on the location of the alternator and a great idea to have a five speed manual transmission behind a Ford Mustang V8 infact a five speed manual behind any engine makes a lot of sense
I saw a ZT V8 at a car meet once in North Yorkshire. ...with a Roush supercharger added... I never did catch the owner but I bet those are interesting in the wet, for the tiny handful of people who did it.
Because americans want comfort, the engines are big for getting big torque at any rpm. Meaning you always got big pulling power at you foot. No need to rev or change gear, the car just moves on command if you push a little harder on the throttle.
For a long time, 50 BHP per litre was fair for an ordinary engine. And as people point out, the idea with big US V8s was that they were very low stressed and went on for ever (some US cars go on for amazing mileages compared with European vehicles). Want more power? Get more cubic inches. In a country where fuel was cheap, and before we knew about climate change, it made sense.
Thanks for the cool car compliment. I literally fitted that number plate the week before the video, the old one was a bit tatty. They are called banana plates and can be ordered online and are specifically for these cars.
@@MarkGalloway1066I like that number plate, because it fits so well In it's place, it s just something I haven't seen before. 😎 In Finland we only have normal very boring-looking plates, nothing special shape ones like that.
@@JS-1983 They hark back to the days of the Rover p5b which had a similar style number plate. You can also get a special sized plate for the s type Jag. I think if you have a Rover 75 or MG ZT you really should have these special plates anything else is just selling it short.
Yes i had one on an earlier ZT but that one was just vinyl and it started to bubble in places but these newer ones are proper laminated hard plastic. Much better. @TipTopMotors.
I believe that Mustang V8 swap was done by a tuner company that had a contract with MG Rover at the time when that car was in production. Great swap. I do love a V8 😉
@ goblin457 They’re not as comfy as your 75. A bit firm and bumpy around town, but excellent on the open road. The 75 is lovely everywhere though. Like a magic carpet ride😎👍🏻
my Triumph Herald with the old swing axle used to love trying to go from rear wheel drive to front wheel drive by putting me in a hedge backwards & trying to kill me.
If you think this thing scoots, imagine how barmy the rumored ZT 390 with the "Terminator" Mustang SVT Cobra's supercharged 32-valve 4.6 Modular would have been...
The problem would have been convincing people to pay 10k more for a less powerful V8. These were competing with the VT/VY SS and HSV clubbies with the 5.7 ls1, and the T series falcons which had a 5.6 hand built stroker engine. Would have been a hard sell. These days though... there was/is a grubby personal import MG V8 on carsales asking 33k, whereas the T series falcons with the 5.6 are all 40k +
They did try to aim them at the Aussie market and testing was done Down Under. But as mclouj says, it didn't compare that with Ford and Holden's offerings.
I doubt it, the falcon was already established and was a larger car with the larger 5.4 modular v8, an LS commodore and a 6.4 srt 300 id say the market was already filled with v8 sedans and Americans would want it to be more boy racer and aggressive looking and would struggle with mustangs, camaros, chargers, commodores, and challengers.
This was possibly the best car MG/Rover phoenix 4 brought out. In the grand scheme they were looking at bringing out the coupe and convertible 75 and with this V8 edition it would have been a great powerplant for rivalling the likes of Mercedes, Audi and BMW for a ultra powerful coupe/convertible. At the time the Phoenix 4 owned MG/Rover were also had the MG TF GT Prototype on the cards which had the KV6 in it to make it a fast coupe/sports car, I have luckily seen the MG TF Coupe when they did the three lost Longbridge prototypes evening at the British Motor Museum.
The whole idea of me providing my V8 for this video and Ian taking the time to put it all together in my own opinion was to give people pleasure and enjoyment and put smiles on people's faces. It's lovely to see nice comments from people who have obviously enjoyed watching the video but I have also seen some that are not so nice and some quite rude and nasty. Please don't get so serious about it, just enjoy it for what it is.
Some can’t help themselves. Given Hubnut is about appreciating the unloved I can’t help but wonder why they’re on here.
Exactly, isn't that what Hub Nut is all about celebrating the average? The mediocre and unexceptional the misfit the also-ran the not so perfect this is what makes them interesting
Well said. Thank you for sharing what has to be one of the legendary cars of the era. Flawed? Maybe but who cares. Much nicer than an M5 . Thanks for keeping these beasts for posterity
What would it take to fix the A/C? The A/C not working is a major let down on a GT car like this.
Thanks Mark! Your car got me to buy my own! Chassis #469. I love her! 😊👍
Many thanks to Ian, Mrs Hub Nut and little Hub Nut for putting together this video of my car which I have only owned since March. I have owned many Rovers and MG,s over the years and just before I bought this V8 i was seriously considering a Jaguar XF but I'm glad to say this V8 came up at the right price, I was looking at it for a while and I must admit I thought twice but since buying it I haven't regretted it for one second. Yes it's flawed, yes its relatively crude but it's one of a kind, great fun and no more expensive to run than my V6190. And it's only going to increase in value. So glad I didn't buy a boring old Jag because this V8 is definitely not boring!
That's all that matters Mark. Doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, doesn't matter if there are better cars out there its more about your experience and the enjoyment it brings you. You buy a car like this knowing its no supercar and that they have their failings but which car doesn't? I'm not saying Jonathans points are not valid, he's owned one and knows what it meant to him and how it compares but we are all individuals and would would be a boring world if we all held the same view. I'm pleased your happy with your purchase and well done for getting it out on video. They have a big following and there are plenty of people who would love to be in your position and be a proud owner.👍
Man, I'm from Poland, now owning both Rover 75 2.0 KV6 and MG ZT 190 since 2017 and to own or even drive the ZT260 was always a dream but the prices.... :/ Anyway, yes - those are flawed cars but at the same time - so much different than all of those BMW's, Audi's etc. and so much beautiful to look at. Many many thanks for letting the HubNut family drove it and make a video about it. It's always a big smile when another - a little sceptical of MG Rover cars tester - drives the 260 and admits that it is absolutely fantastic :) Any thoughts about supercharging it? ;)
I worked at JLR on S-type Diesel as an engineer when the V8 was dropped into the 75. it was like wow that sounds amazing. Especially when the jag 4.2 V8 was whisper quiet apart from the S Type R that got a bit vocal. Some of the most bonkers ideas don't make sense financially when new but they make for rare great cars of the future. Thanks for sharing a great video into a fascinating car
MG/Rover, lets not argue about how it ended, or the cause... but revel in the remembrance of how good it could be, when they tried!
4.6 Modular V8, a great, reliable motor. The smiles per gallon is high on this one.
So glad AR Online has someone to look after it - so much amazing work has gone into it.
I've had mine - Cristine - for ten + years now. Overall quite a practical classic although there are a few things you need to watch and prevent, all amply covered on the excellent owners club site: Two-Sixties. Keep your break down cover up to date and carry spanners, spare hoses masking tape and coolant for the odd steamy burst! Its just plain good fun to drive thundering round the highways of Devon, Somerset and occasionally further afield. Bystanders reactions are split between shaken heads of disapproval and thumbs up. Quite often people wonder where the sound - that of Judgement Day on full throttle - is coming from as its such an innocuous looking Q car Street Sleeper. They are looking for a motorbike or a Lamborghini buts its just an old bloke in a Rover 75!
My old car. Loved her then, and love her now. Pony Express.
It's being spoilt rotten it's his pride and joy 😂
They captured the essence of a mid size body with a decent V8. The type where you can immerse your head in the glorious exhaust music or just pootle about effortlessly. There is just something about them.
One of these in estate form would be cool! A V8 estate screams awesome.
The Sun is shining and the T-shirt on, not long and the Sandals will be coming out 😜
Bare knees for days!
What a car and nice shout out to Keith. He bought a car of my Mum which passed on to Michael Humble and documented our madness building and racing Austin Americas (1300s) in Houston on Aronline. I really would love a V8 ZT-T and friend of a friend has one here in the States which gets track use only.
You can tell how much fun he is having. Not just the power, the handling and the steering too (2.4 turns lock to lock). They are great cars.
Totally underrated (and, unsurprisingly, berated by Top Gear) when they came out.
Cracking video. Worked in Blackburn near an MG Rover Dealership around the time these came out and remember one whizzing up and down the road. What a soundtrack.
Oh my. That roar is quite intoxicating. 😯
One of the 3 Rover 75 V8 Estates is a left hand drive and is in the Netherlands. I spoke the owner with his car not long ago. It is a beautiful dark blue car with cream leather. He is a fellow member of the Austin Morris Riley Wolseley Register in the Netherlands.
I have so much want for one of these. Especially after going out in a supercharged tourer version through Sporting Bears. That exhaust note from the rear, and supercharger whine from the front. It was amazing!
I like that, the MG is a looker. And while 4.6 isnt particularly powerful, it makes great noises.
In 2004 I used to deliver the complete front end of the Rover 75 V8 painted by a company next door to us RDS components who also painted the body kit for the Rover mgzr. When delivered to Longbridge they were inspected and out of 10 nosecone delivered 4 /5 were rejected so who ever says there was no quality control there was. This is where I fell in love with the Rover 75 I've had 5 now
on my 6th a 75 V6 2.0 petrol.
Whoever at Rover thought that they should spend their last pocket change developing a V8 version was mad. Bless their heart.
Just like the Norton Nemesis V8 that Allen Millyard is sorting out.
The 4.6 was a fine little v8. Very smooth.
What a sound! Great video.
One of my favourite vids you've done.What a car, brilliant!
Absolutely brilliant video Ian miss hubnut mini hubnut what an amazing car fantastic wish I'd had one when I had my 75 brilliant
I have one - its a glorious thing. Flawed & crude, yes. But amazing & brilliant at the same time. The soundtrack alone is worth every penny of the stupid fuel bill. But its the torque that keeps you coming back. Power is OK, but the torque is what makes it a special car.
Drove my friends zt260 a while ago. Basically the same engine as in my Mercury Grandmarquis, but totally different experience 😊
I always remember a specific part of Jeremy Clarkson's review of these from when they were new "the Ford modular V8 has less power per litre than a Daewoo Matiz." I feel that's apt for this channel given Myrtle
Rover knew how to integrate a V8, it's ingrained in our psyche, after years of the Buick 👍
i needed to make sure that this wasn't one of your ideos from 2019 in Austrailia. Very nice weather.. Actual sunshine............
Driven a 4th gen Mustang GT and loved the car so much i bought a Cobra version with a blower and 750bhp, solid engines! (In the cobra)
Yes aronline is an extraordinary field of fascinating rabbit holes
I've lost count of the hours I've spent on that website...
Small child holding on for grim death but beaming from ear to ear 😂 brilliant car with a wonderful classic design,I love them 👍
I would agree with Hubnut the Younger ... that blast up the road looked "mildly terrifying"!
But that noise. I'd get addicted to that in a hurry.
That's a little bit like hooning around in V8 Ford Falcon GT, or a Holden Monaro. I seem to remember that you enjoyed the V8 utes when you were in Australia, Ian. Despite being Aussie, I never owned a V8 or big six cylinder car. When I was learning to drive, my dad gave me a few lessons in his Valiant Charger XL coupe. Three on the floor. 245 cu.in. six cylinder hemi engine. My car was a Morris Mini 850 (ten years old in 1975), and I remember my dad saying to me "Hey! You're not Sterling Moss!" when I gave it a bit too much accelerator taking off.
i thought you may have referenced the LH Torana that had a V8.
@@ianmontgomery7534 Geez! I forgot that one! Of course, the Valiant Charger R/T E49 was an absolute monster too!
I laughed with the drive by. Sounds like Ian was having fun. I was waiting for Ian to suddenly yell POWER!! Ian IS a "Hoon" at heart. (Aussie slang version of UK's Boy Racer). Power, less is more!... Is it? LOL :) That is the best thing about Hubnut it's not biased.
A friend had one of these from new and drove it up to Scotland from Devon to have the Dreadnought supercharger conversion (400bhp/400lbft). It was deceptively quick, no brutal power delivery but just a constant shove that would get you to instant ban territory in very little time.
I can imagine the board meetings: "OK team, the finances are terrible, it looks like we're going to go bust, any suggestions?"
"yes, lets go completely crazy"
Much like the Norton Nemesis V8 prototype bike that Allen Milyard is sorting out now. Except this car has a good engine
Fantastic, you picked the right day for having a good with the MG, Great scenery and you certainly out it through its paces, As you I'm glad they they built it, thanks for your wonderful review. ⭐⭐⭐⭐😃😃
The Phoenix Four were so frustrating. They managed to do some great things on a shoestring - the Z Cars, Streetwise - and managed to get people behind them and buying slightly outdated cars to save the company then let everyone down with greed and dishonesty. It was such a massive clanger
I remember a photo in the papers at the time of the wife of one of the Phoenix Four next to a dark coloured estate on their drive, complete with V8 badge on its side.
Those phenix 4 destroyed mg rover. The company should of went to mclaren motors . When they put bid in for rover ... Mclaren couldn't get his head around it.. why it went to those 4. The Rest is history
Great video!
Your presentation is a real joy to watch.
There must have gone a lot of effort into making this video.
Thanks. Again.
Mini hubnuts experience reminds me of a time I was probably his age. My dad had a Rover P6 V8 with auto transmission but one day I accompanied him when he test drove a manual 3500S, I was in the back, it was terrifying!
Where do i start with this. Well i was custodian of number 51 Trixie Lee for nearly 5 years. Thankfully a MK1 when the ZT didnt look like a nissan almeira that had spent too much time at the gym. And yes i was the one (with lots of weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth from the owners club) who started the facebook group for these cars. I loved mine with all my heart soul and genuinely has my blood sweat and tears ingrained in its chassis. If you ever wanted to experience what a manufacturer built car would be like built in a shed by 4 blokes with a budget of a family holiday to disneyland, then this is for you. Honestly its a parts bin special from the ground up and to think this was to be the entry level for the v8 specials of the 75 zt is a tad scary. I sold mine in 2020 just as the world went to hell and it was both the worst and best thing i could do. Its easy with these to sit with rose tinted glasses, marvel at the noise and rwd and power(?). Especially as at the time of launch we were a bit starved of this type of setup but, after driving a multitude of other cars i can safely say just how off the mark these cars were. I think your comment of a last hurrah rather than a serious attempt of a v8 powered british bruiser for mass consumption is probably accurate.
For comparison if you like and from someone who has owned and loved both, my S-Type R is on standby should you wish to do a comparison. Many similarities are drawn between the 2 vehicles which i myself have done in my ownership. The ZT 260. What could have been but we are all slightly grateful it wasnt. Less mustang more police interceptor with clinate control.
Yes i looked at the S-Type V8 as well but something just put me off them, maybe just because i was unfamiliar with them plus the fact ( maybe the V8 S-Type is different) that Jaguar depreciation is high. Their value plummets faster than a concrete parachute! 😂😂
Awesome car and video!! I love V8's, great soundtrack. On a personal note, I'm fortunate to own a 2001 Jag XKR with a Supercharged V8. Thank you for the continued hard work!!! All the very best, and take care.
Your boy had a great big smile on his face, he was loving it! My old work colleague had a Rover estate version that was automatic and pearlescent reddy orange sort or colour, he's had it from new.
Wow 🤩! Matt Furious “ The Furious Rover lover “ must envy you! 😂😂😂👍🏻👍🏻 🆙 like allways!
Wow. This is fascinating! I had no idea such a thing existed.
There were 893 cars including all variants of both phases, pre production, development, demonstrators and crash test cars etc.
Horsepower-wise, they actually made roughly 245 when new.
260 was a PS figure but still optimistic when brand spanking new (allegedly 10-20k miles frees up a few horses).
Good torque delivery though and you can take 2nd gear corners in 4th.
They’re impossible to behave yourself in and are as much fun as a MKII Escort in 2nd on any surface. Truly sideways to victory.👍🏻
Although you will only return about 15mpg, the rear tires won’t better 3K miles, plus you may find yourself on a ban.
Flawed but lovely cars😎👍🏻
I’m sure it was actually 883 made although I stand to be corrected. Great video. I owned one of these some years ago which Vicki Butler Henderson drove on a fifth gear feature. My biggest regret selling that one!
Believe some numbers were duplicated oddly.
@@HubNut Correct vin number 1 to 883 everyone says 883 built. But you are correct it's known that there were at least 887 if we forget spl prototype cars what you say is correct there were 2 number 4 ,5 ,7 and 8 built. They had slight variances in the build number.
It was a very good attempt to make something similar to the Vauxhall Monaro, they were so close too! There was one in South Wales that had a load of US tuning parts on it, sounded absolutely evil with a supercharger, big exhaust and an LSD. Haven't seen it for a few years now but it was almost a Dodge Charger Hellcat in character.
"Too much power." Wait till mini Hubnut meets some of the muscle cars of the 60's. Something I miss about my Olds Aurora, the sound was glorious. That 4.0L V-8 made some lovely music. The Ford 4.6L is a tough block, that'll go well over 250K miles with a bit of care.
Go on buy it! Perfect replacement for the GSA😂😂
I’ve had the pleasure of driving one, few years back. I loved it
Wow, my ideal scenario would be to have a manual Rover 75 V8 sedan and then "un facelift" it to the early bumpers and headlights 😄
I love how the Hub Nut hair styles are mandatory in the family 👏👍
For god sake remove the mullet on mr hubnut and get rid of mini hubnut’s trump inspired hair style both are equally horrendous…otherwise an informative and interesting video….cheers
They supercharged them too. 400 bhp.👍
Wonder if the MG/Rover engineers just got bored one day and were like "What if we put a V8 in our car?" To be honest though, 260 is pretty tame power from a 4.6 litre V8.
Another advantage over the I4s and V6, Ford V8s are reliable, easy to work on and cheap to maintain and repair.
Needs an addendum to the slogan “Power - less is more. But more is more, too!”
I remember having a quick go in one of the pre-production (?) 75 V8s that Keith Adams brought to an AROnline meetup. I wasn’t terribly impressed with it, though the brakes were pretty good as I found out at a junction when I stomped on the “clutch” pedal (wide brake pedal cos automatic) and nearly stood it on its nose!
I hope these V8s can be preserved as best as they can.
Would love a drive in one obviously.
Omg such a nice car, we sold only one trough our dealership in Belgium.
Rover 75 is a car which was manufactured from 1998 to 2005 and sold under the British Rover marque. It is a large family car and came in four-door saloon and five-door estate body styles. Initially built only with front-wheel drive, a rear-wheel drive variant with a V8 engine was later sold. There was also an extended-wheelbase model. In 2001, MG Rover launched a badge engineered variant, the MG ZT. A coupé concept was built, but did not receive further development.
I once had to drop some stuff at a customers place .he had a v8 tourer.he fired it up magnificent sound
Didn't even know these existed. Crazy. 👍👍
I owned one of these (no.368) in Trophy Blue a few years back...... brilliant cars that handle well and look amazing, and sound good too. But at the end of the day i sold it and bought a Vauxhall Monaro.🙂
Natural progression😎👌🏻
VXR8 next Dave😁😉👍🏻
One of the rarest MG's now and last year saw a black ZT-T 260 and a good chat with him about it.
It seems a bit like a modern Shelby Cobra. Insanely powerful, very lightweight...Love it!
The 75 had a really well sorted platform. It’s no surprise to find this has poise and calmness.
beast finally a rover that you would never want stop driveing
Awesome video and awesome car! You're looking pretty good too at the mo Ian , love the hair!
Agree about Aronline - that coachbuilt mini the other week took me back there
What I missed in this video was taking this car up on the ramp. Engine is one thing but where did the drive shaft come from? and the rear diff? the rear axles and suspension components? Was it all bespoke for these 800+ production units or did they manage to use some other Mustang parts (or other factory parts) for that purpose?
Good point. I've never seen underneath one either.
Almost all bespoke.
All bespoke work by ProDrive apart from the LSD. That was an off the shelf thing also used extensively by TVR.
@Sosin24
Tremec 5 speed gearbox, the same as a C5 Corvette or Holden HSV (can’t remember the origins of the clutch).
Bespoke prop shaft (possibly using some Land Rover componentry if I recall correctly).
Dana Hydratrak LSD
Brakes are a mixture of AP and Rover hardware.
Eibach springs and Bilstein dampers.
There’s two additional baby Bilsteins added to the rear end, fore and aft of the assembly to aid torque reaction control.
All metalwork and rear subframe unique and bespoke to the 75/ZT V8, including large rear alloy suspension elements.
I hope this clarifies some points for you🙂👍🏻
What a beautiful car
Awesome car. In my head the number plate almost reads "P'CHOO!!!"
Good video, the smile says it all, Whenever they are discussed the same issue comes up not much bhp for a v8. Its not all about bhp as you says its the effortless torque. If its bhp you want there is more you can do to upgrade them. It does sound nice.
Would love one of these. Always fancied the Rover version too with the premium grille. Loved our 2.5V6 75 but this is another level!
Incredible car!
Closest I got was the MG ZT 1.8 Turbo in silver, 160bhp from a 1.8 not too shabby, handled really nice!
Only reason I sold it was the boot turned into a swimming pool literally and the whole cooling system is a major weak point, with plastic unions that crack and degrade with age and heat/cool cycles.
Not something you want on a car with a notorious HG issue, although mine was one of the later ones that had the modded head gasket to help reduce the risk.
To be fair I wished I'd kept it...🤔
You just don't see many around anymore, prices only go one way in that situation.
I just did the conversion. 400n/m is only 295 lb/ft. In stock form, the 5.8 litre in my 89 Grand Marquis put out 390 lb/ft at 2,200 rpm. In a very unaerodynamic box of a 2 ton near luxury car, that big engine returned 40mpg on the open road. A 70 litre tank would allow 600 miles of travel.
A car that made no sense but is totally bonkers and l like your comment on the location of the alternator and a great idea to have a five speed manual transmission behind a Ford Mustang V8 infact a five speed manual behind any engine makes a lot of sense
I saw a ZT V8 at a car meet once in North Yorkshire.
...with a Roush supercharger added...
I never did catch the owner but I bet those are interesting in the wet, for the tiny handful of people who did it.
What a car, what a glorious sound, a excellent road test Ian, Carly and Has Mini Hubnut recovered yet?
I actually sympathise. Being in the back where you can't really see which way you're going to be thrown next isn't all that pleasant.
Oh no. Thanks very much Ian; now I want one. 😢😊
Nice vid Ian, nice camara work Carly, nice mild terror MiniHB...amazing car!!!
Modern day sd1 love it great video
How did they manage to get so little power out of such a large engine!? Jeez! Still a gorgeous car though.
It's the American way.
@@HowardLeVertHa! Agreed. God bless ‘Murica!
Because americans want comfort, the engines are big for getting big torque at any rpm. Meaning you always got big pulling power at you foot. No need to rev or change gear, the car just moves on command if you push a little harder on the throttle.
Well, they did make 385 & 500 bhp versions...
For a long time, 50 BHP per litre was fair for an ordinary engine. And as people point out, the idea with big US V8s was that they were very low stressed and went on for ever (some US cars go on for amazing mileages compared with European vehicles). Want more power? Get more cubic inches. In a country where fuel was cheap, and before we knew about climate change, it made sense.
What a cool car, just looks and sounds great 😎
That rear license plate has to be biggest ever put to a car 😳
Thanks for the cool car compliment. I literally fitted that number plate the week before the video, the old one was a bit tatty. They are called banana plates and can be ordered online and are specifically for these cars.
@@MarkGalloway1066I like that number plate, because it fits so well In it's place, it s just something I haven't seen before. 😎
In Finland we only have normal very boring-looking plates, nothing special shape ones like that.
@@JS-1983 They hark back to the days of the Rover p5b which had a similar style number plate. You can also get a special sized plate for the s type Jag. I think if you have a Rover 75 or MG ZT you really should have these special plates anything else is just selling it short.
Yes i had one on an earlier ZT but that one was just vinyl and it started to bubble in places but these newer ones are proper laminated hard plastic. Much better. @TipTopMotors.
Chap up this way has one, with a supercharger slapped on top. It sounds sublime.
I believe that Mustang V8 swap was done by a tuner company that had a contract with MG Rover at the time when that car was in production. Great swap. I do love a V8 😉
Prodrive did some early re-engineering work, but the project was then taken back in-house.
As a Rover 75 driver would love to have a go in one of these
@ goblin457
They’re not as comfy as your 75.
A bit firm and bumpy around town, but excellent on the open road.
The 75 is lovely everywhere though. Like a magic carpet ride😎👍🏻
Really enjoy these car reviews so interesting & enjoyable so fair play to ya 👍👍👍
Your permanent grin says it all!
my Triumph Herald with the old swing axle used to love trying to go from rear wheel drive to front wheel drive by putting me in a hedge backwards & trying to kill me.
The Mk. IV Zephyr and Zodiac would do that too - police drivers called them "flying pigs"!!
If you think this thing scoots, imagine how barmy the rumored ZT 390 with the "Terminator" Mustang SVT Cobra's supercharged 32-valve 4.6 Modular would have been...
I really dig the looks on them, I wonder how many they might of sold if they sold them to the Aussie/NZ market to rival the falcons and commodores.
The problem would have been convincing people to pay 10k more for a less powerful V8. These were competing with the VT/VY SS and HSV clubbies with the 5.7 ls1, and the T series falcons which had a 5.6 hand built stroker engine. Would have been a hard sell.
These days though... there was/is a grubby personal import MG V8 on carsales asking 33k, whereas the T series falcons with the 5.6 are all 40k +
They did try to aim them at the Aussie market and testing was done Down Under. But as mclouj says, it didn't compare that with Ford and Holden's offerings.
I doubt it, the falcon was already established and was a larger car with the larger 5.4 modular v8, an LS commodore and a 6.4 srt 300 id say the market was already filled with v8 sedans and Americans would want it to be more boy racer and aggressive looking and would struggle with mustangs, camaros, chargers, commodores, and challengers.
I remember reading an article in "Car" magazine about it. The V8 personality wonderful. Shame they are only available in few cars today.
This was possibly the best car MG/Rover phoenix 4 brought out. In the grand scheme they were looking at bringing out the coupe and convertible 75 and with this V8 edition it would have been a great powerplant for rivalling the likes of Mercedes, Audi and BMW for a ultra powerful coupe/convertible. At the time the Phoenix 4 owned MG/Rover were also had the MG TF GT Prototype on the cards which had the KV6 in it to make it a fast coupe/sports car, I have luckily seen the MG TF Coupe when they did the three lost Longbridge prototypes evening at the British Motor Museum.
Oh, and we missed you today at the EMWalhalla, Ian! It was great and beautiful weather.
I was so sad not to be there. 🙁
Love the sound
another great video has always Ian and Carly miss/mrs hubnut and hublets and hubmutt 👍
Such a shame. So nearly there but not quite. Happy they made them.
All full video of HubNut being naughty, completely forgetting his "less is more" rule....some times more is actually more. 😁
I like the custom PGV® - Panel Gap Ventilation!