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Back In The Fold

MG Enthusiast Editor-at-Large Andrew Roberts returns to TF ownership with a new 135 and is hugely impressed.

While I have gained something of a reputation among those who know me of being a dedicated MG person, I have never been a one-eyed individual in terms of the MG marque. Indeed, as a motoring writer I have been fortunate to have driven all kinds of cars from Rolls- Royces to budget-price family buys. My ownership experience includes the original Minis that I loved, MG’s arch rival the Mazda MX-5 which I really couldn’t get on with and a BMW MINI Cooper that could not be faulted but never really inspired me, good as it was. T-types, Midgets, MGBs and an MG ZR have all numbered among the octagon contingent, while in the long-gone happy days of company vehicles an MG Maestro Efi and Turbo featured at someone else’s expense.

So where does the MGF/TF figure in my ownership experience? The first of these, and undoubtedly the best, was the 1995 1.8i while the last of the quintet was a late MGR TF135 that was frankly disappointing and showed obvious signs of Longbridge cost cutting. Latest was certainly not best and the prospect of my returning to MG ownership seemed remote. Although I attended the relaunch of MG at Longbridge, I couldn’t envisage future MG ownership. If I am honest I did wonder about quality issues under Chinese ownership and whether the reborn TF could rekindle the magic of the first MGF. But at least the marque was very much alive and the commitment appeared to be there.

But there was another factor that would prove to be significant. Here in Eastbourne, Sterling Automotive looks after MG interests. Patrick Warner and his team have pioneered the five-year warranty head gasket repair and he is a member of the XPart Dealer Council. Speaking from personal experience with both the ZR and TF, I found Sterling’s expertise and customer service to be exemplary. So it was no surprise that MG Motor UK appointed them as an authorised MG Repairer in the new dealer network. Now, with the full blessing of MG, Sterling has a satellite sales agreement with Apple MG of Gravesend to retail new MGs and with Eastbourne already having sold five new MG TFs, the link is clearly working.

I had skirmished with the idea of an early MGF to run alongside the MINI, but this didn’t seem a sensible proposition. Then, as readers of Chequered Flag might recall, I drove a TF LE500 demonstrator and to say that I was impressed would be something of an understatement. Granted I was critical of the instruments and switchgear and still am, but the way the MG drove made me realise how much I had missed the one-ness of driver and car, the sharpness of handing and the sheer enjoyment of a proper sports car. The TF was one of those cars that said, ‘drive me’. The MG brochure says: ‘Fun is Back’, and that is absolutely true.

Events happened quickly after that drive. My wife, Pamela, said she could see just how much I enjoyed the TF and that the sensible four-seater should be replaced by an MG. As MG’s 80th anniversary slogan said: ‘Life’s too short not to’. We pondered whether to go for an LE500, but the prospect of the competitively priced TF135 coming with leather seats at no extra cost as one of the first 100 cars, plus a passenger airbag and no hardtop to store won the day. Our first choice of White was awaiting parts from China and so we opted for a Radiant Red example, a colour close to both Firefrost and Nightfire but a tad richer in tone, which sets the car’s lines off to perfection. A totally unexpected bonus was the numberplate. Reminiscent of the old University Motors, supplying dealer Apple MG had negotiated a block of MG numbers. Just one was left and being told that it was GN 09 MGE, Patrick Warner said an immediate ‘yes’ without any reference to me. Some would say serendipity; me, I simply could not believe it. Couldn’t be better for the magazine, we all agreed.

As luck would have it, the weather on pick-up day was horrendous and typical of late July. Torrential downpours were followed by equally brilliant sunshine and everyone was reluctant to move the car out of its dry environment. What was immediately evident under the unforgiving fluorescent light was just how good the body and paint were. Shut lines were excellent and the paint finish quite superb and certainly to BMW standards. Actually the bodies for the TF135 are painted in China before being shipped – only the LE500 cars were hand-sprayed at Longbridge – and the finished result must augur well for the forthcoming MG6.

One of the features that had most impressed me on the LE500 demonstrator was how good the gearchange was, quite the best I had ever driven. However, Patrick Warner’s view was that ‘MGE’s’ change was not as good as the LE500 and he immediately ordered replacement parts from MG. This was before I had even driven the car. When I did, I could see what he meant, but in the intervening time I have not found it a problem as the box has loosened up. Yet how many old MGR dealers would have bothered, I wonder? If Sterling is typical of the new dealer network, (as I believe they are,) this quality-first approach must build brand confidence.

Driving the new TF for the first time – there were just 18 miles recorded – was the usual nerve-wracking affair with every other car a hazard. We elected to take it onto the roads around Beachy Head that are a great driving route, particularly when you are able to avoid the tourist buses and foreign-registered cars. Just like the LE500, the 135 was absolutely rattlefree and felt as solid as the proverbial rock. The wonderful directness of steering was there, the brakes spot-on and the response of the new engine surprisingly good. But best of all was the ability to drop the hood as soon as the sun came out. Leaving the car at lunchtime saw the hood back up in seconds. The glass rear screen is such an improvement, too.

The reaction to the new TF has been entirely positive. True, you do get a little tired of saying that yes, MG is still a live marque and that this car was assembled at Longbridge. Countering any questions on Chinese quality, the answer is simply: ‘take a look’. Then remind the questioner how much is now sourced from China, including computers, mobile phones and even the superb die-cast models that many collect. But the problem for MG isn’t really where much of it is sourced, or even Chinese ownership, for the world is fast changing and this is an inevitable fact. No, the big problem is that it is only the enthusiast market that seems to know of MG’s continued existence and the brand’s profile is still low to non-existent. This has to change, particularly with the MG6 on the near horizon. Budgets are inevitably tight, but surely this must be an urgent priority.

So, how is the new TF viewed in the enthusiast world? We decided on the spur of the moment to take the car to the MG Car Club’s South Eastern Centre Summer Gathering at Chillingstone Castle in Kent, a truly idyllic venue and a relaxed and friendly event. Parking up anonymously, it was astonishing how quickly everyone realised that here was an 09 car and the interest was amazing. This must have been one of the first 135s released from Longbridge and while everyone seemed familiar with the TF LE500, this was a different model.

The reaction was universally positive. More than one visitor seemingly decided to book a test drive having seen ‘MGE’, while another who had sold MGFs and TFs in Rover Group and MGR days in a dealership commented favourably on the specification, notably the return of twin horns, fog lamps and a full size spare wheel in place of the cost saving and often ineffective aerosol spray. With a longer memory than most, he recalled how the spare wheel had been an integral part of the MGF crash protection, something that MGR conveniently forgot in cost-cutting measures. He also commented favourably on the underbonnet finish, with memories of early MGFs frequently having virtually no paint in a number of cases. What was evident with everyone who examined the 135 was that there was no prejudice because this was no longer a totally British product; rather one of relief that here was a new MG again, something that more than a few had never expected to see again.

But back to the driving experience. On open road driving, the 135’s sure-footed and flat cornering remains much as I nostalgically remember it from the first press drive in 1995. Here the return to Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres, as on the original MGF, is a stellar improvement over the last MGR examples. My preference has always been for a suspension set-up that is firm rather than soft and the settings on the 135 are very much to my liking. Steering is as sharp as ever and MG’s engineering team have wisely left well alone with the EPAS installation. The engine seems willing and keen, although the first few hundred miles are seeing a light throttle and limited revs. An LE500 owner I met at Chillingstone commented that a couple of thousand miles would see the engine loosened, but it is hard not to be impatient in the first few weeks of ownership.

The amount of work carried out on the N-Series engine to ensure its long-term reliability has been well documented, and the instruments now include a temperature gauge and warning light. In very heavy traffic and stop-start motoring at the end of Airbourne, Eastbourne’s huge free air display, the temperature was safely rock steady and the car totally untemperamental. Nothing more than one should expect of course, but reassuring none the less. Better still was the performance of the lights. These have apparently been upgraded since my previous TF ownership and the illumination on dip is greatly improved. Having endured what I can only describe as a disappointing performance on the MINI, this came as a pleasant surprise. For anyone taking the car abroad, there is a switch to alter the dip from left to right, which was previously introduced on the Rover 75. A simple and great modification.

I remain critical of the instruments, which I consider a retrograde step from the previous easy-to-read dials and I am still puzzled as to why it was necessary to reverse the positions of the tachometer and speedometer. In bright light, visibility is compromised, a case of function being sacrificed for, in my view, doubtful aesthetics. Another criticism is that the indicator lights on the dash are well nigh invisible in strong light, and the problem is compounded by the repeater being particularly quiet.

On the plus side, the instrumentation is easy to see when the dash lights are illuminated. The rest of the cockpit works well. The leather seats are supportive and good quality, while an unexpected bonus is the passenger airbag. In the boot – now with an automatic release on the key fob and full marks for that – the previously exposed wiring for the rear lights is neatly hidden under new mouldings, removing the worry of packing a full luggage compartment. The hood is taut, well fitting and easy to raise and lower but has demonstrated the usual tendency to be a magnet for the neighbouring cat! Its cover now comes without the foam rubber bolster of the previous cars and, as a result, it billows. Seemingly the change came because the previous set-up tended to push the boot lid out of shape, but since most owners don’t use it, maybe it is not a problem.

So, what are my reactions on the first few weeks of ownership? I wanted to believe that here was an MG that would deliver its promises and since this is our only car, it simply has to. I have not been disappointed. Where the TF135 scores so heavily in my view is that it has returned very much to the purity of the original MGF design and indeed many of its predecessors. There is nothing extraneous here and this is surely as it should be for sports cars, whatever their marque, should concentrate on delivering the most rewarding driving experience. This is a car that I am more at one with than I could possibly have believed and I seriously love driving it. At the end of the day I am a sports car person rather than a saloon one and this MG is true to the tradition of my much-loved TC and TF, not to mention the MGBs. The fact that it is far better built and finished than any MGF/TF I have previously owned is very much to the credit of the MG Motor UK team. Last, but by no means least, the value is incredible. But for me, what really counts is being back in a TF that is still so patently an MG.