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Words: Rob Bell |
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MGF/TF Spy Picture Page
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This page contains: RTS Pizza Delivery Van | MGF Mk2 | MGF Mk3 | MG "GTF" | MG TF2 |
This page is dedicated to the images of successive images of new variants of the MGF, as they were released. Interesting to look back at them now... how far away were our expectations from the mark? (For the MGF model history, click here)
| The MGF "Mk1" (1995-1999) | |
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"RTS Pizza delivery van"
- an early engineering prototype. This car was harrowing the locals in Warwickshire in the early 90s - proving the mid-mounted K-series installation... Who'd have thought that this uninspiring looking van would sire our favourite sports car??? |
| The MGF "Mk2" (nee MY2000) | |
| Our "discovery" of the MGF Mk2 (or Model Year 2000) was nothing short of extraordinary. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin... As the story goes, BMW Rover group lent a pre-production car to a German motoring journalist so that they could write an exclusive article for a German automobile magazine. Our friend must have been struggling to think of somewhere interesting to take this car that could function both as a backdrop for the car, and to inspire his writing. No point visiting Abingdon - everything that had been there is now long gone there, except for the MGCC offices on Cemetery Road (and even this building is outside the boundary of the old factory). And well, it's all very pre- BMW isn't it? Where else might our earnest motoring hack go to experience the full-on MG atmosphere other than the MG Car Club's annual festival, Silverstone? No, I can't imagine anywhere better either. Except that this is a very secret prototype that no one knew about, and our Germanic chum is about to enter the lions' den. | |
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"But the new car doesn't look that
different from the old car does it?" one presumes that our German scribbler reasoned.
"Who would notice it if I park it in the general parking area behind the grand
stand?" Half the world, it would seem! The very first thing anyone noticed about this car were its wheels - provoking some to wonder where exactly that flashy person had laid their hands on that set of very sexy 16" wheels (remember, 15" wheels were still very much the norm at this time [June 1999]).
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Wherein, enthusiasts moved in to have a
closer look. They spotted that these were MG branded wheels of a type never previously
seen. Puzzling. The mirrors looked different too - they're from a Rover 200 and are
electrically adjustable. Then the greatest surprise. Look at the interior! A completely new leather interior was evident - complete with a new pattern of seats and door cards.
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The design of the centre console had been
altered too. The heater had been moved, and 'alloy effect' knobs used on the heater that
now used a different set of graphics and colours. Also new was the gearknob - now also alloy, with an Allen-bolt motif to mimic the fuel filler cap. Similarly, alloy-effect plastic was now found around the base of the gear shift. Rather more contemporary in feel than of old, and seemed to be inspired by the Audi TT's interior.
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The interior plastics had been changed too - now to include this beige colour that really lightened up the interior ambience. Notice too that the stereo had been upgraded, and additional tweeters included for the first time. One can also see that a slice of wood had been incorporated into the door - to promote that 'Olde Worlde' English interior theme. But not really very MG? Personal preferences maybe. |
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And perhaps the biggest surprise was to be
found around the steering column. Here the prototype status was most clearly evident, as
the steering wheel was clearly unfinished. It is, in fact, a wheel from the yet to be
launched Stepspeed (not to be seen for another 12 months hence) - and the holes for the
paddle switches can be seen on top of the wheel spokes (1). Also in evidence were the new
aluminium-effect instrument faces, now incorporating a digital odometer (2). Very BMW. And
finally, an additional stalk could be seen below the wiper stalk - a cruise control (3)!!! What ever next???
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| It did not take long for news of this strange new MG to spread
through the crowds, and it wasn't long before the crowds were shuffling around the
vehicle, and many were taking pictures. I kid you not, at one point I saw a crowd
three-deep surrounding it! How damaging these revelations were to BMW Rover Groups launch plans cannot be easily determined - but it is thought that MG had to rapidly accelerate plans for launching the new car ahead of schedule following the appearance of pictures of this car in Autoexpress and Autocar. The MY2000 was eventually launched in November 1999. |
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| The MGF "Mk3" (nee TF) | |
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This is how we were predicting the new MGF 'Mk3' (now known as the TF of course!) would look. This was based on the outrageous appearance of the MGF Extreme 500 (more here). We certainly got the silhouette about right, with its new, more square-jawed bumper, projector head lamps and revised front grille arrangement. We also guessed that the engine bay air vents would be changed too - although the final production versions were somewhat less extreme that the ones shown on this illustration!!! |
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The first spy shots of the Mk3 were to
give a surprisingly accurate impression of how the new car would look. Aspects of our
artist's impression were confirmed - areas such as the bonnet, wheels and alterations to
the air intakes. Here the salient areas are highlighted: A: New front bumper with recess for what we now know are for the optional fog lamps. B: Safety Devices roll hoops - sadly a feature that was not to make it to production - but did leave a sizeable hole in the market that a number of aftermarket companies would later fill. C: multispoke wheels - the ones on this test car use the wheels from the then current MGF Trophy 160 - and note too the nice red brake callipers - again Trophy fare. D: New engine air intakes. As an aside - I think I prefer the look of this front bumper, with its MGF headlamps and indicators to the TF items that we are now familiar with... Oh well, so much for progress! |
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Rear end shot of the test mule. Here, some
thoughtful sole left one of the doors open (C). Ah, bless! ;o) This shot
does reveal that the interior for the new car was essentially unaltered from the MGF Mk2
(MY2000). Other mods are visible though, including that rear bumper assembly, new wheels,
and the new sill design (D). Again, the Safety Devices roll hoops are
clear visible (B). Interestingly, we knew that the boot lid had been altered for the new car, but this test mule uses the original MGF boot lid - as can be seen in this image (A). |
| The MGTF Coupe | |
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Some incredible rumours were being banded about in MG circles during much of 2003 regarding a proposed TF Coupe concept. The idea is not entirely new: artist impressions appeared of a TF coupe in Autocar at the Time when Jon Moulton was seeking to purchase MG from BMW back in 1999/2000. The plot grew thicker when during a factory tour one of the guides let slip that a Coupe monoside had been tried... and more intrigue when someone heard of a photoshoot with what was proposed to be a metal-roofed TF. The rumour mill eventually lead to this computer generated mock-up of a Coupe TF in Autoexpress... but the real deal wasn't to appear until a year later... |
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And this is how
the MG 'GT' appeared in November 2004 - an incredibly good looking coupe
that looks far better than even the Auto Express rendered effort shown above
(compare the roofline and rear window treatment, and you'll see what I
mean).
I've been fortunate enough to see this car 'in the flesh' - and believe me, it looks even better than the pictures give it credit! Novel features include TVR-like electronic door releases mounted in the door mirrors, along with door-mirror mounted direction indicators, a fantastic looking front splitter and futher modification to the boot lid trailing edge to further improve aerodynamics. |
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And the idea is
far from dead, despite the collapse of MG Rover group in April 2005: here we
have some further renderings of the proposed TF Coupe, released following
talks with Oklahoma-based consortium proposing a US-base for future
production of MG sports cars (July, 2006). There could be mileage in the concept yet! |
| Prototype TF2 | ||||
Why mention it here? You can't have failed to notice the four images above of a clearly mucked-around with silver TF (originally published on 28daysafter.co.uk). This isn't a Max-Power project gone seriously wrong... this is a serious engineering mule; someone broke into Longbridge in February, 2006 and found this car lurking in a corner. What is particularly interesting is that both the track and wheel base appears to have been extended (track obviously so, the wheel base less clearly), and the aerodynamic package has clearly been modified along the same lines as the 200HPD (read more about this here). What we may be looking at here is the first stages of the gestation of yet another of those 'what could have been' car projects that the British Motor Industry has become famous for... This appears to be that prototype TF2! |
With the collapse of MG Rover Group in April 2005, a
good number of secret projects have come to light - many just make the pain of
the company's demise even more acute - and amongst these were the plans
for the TF2, a thoroughly revised MG TF. After chatting to the development
engineers involved, a crude prototype had been built, based on the existing TF
chassis (which would have continued on, but now under-pinning a new "Midget"
- perhaps looking rather like the Peter Stevens rendition in the image to the
right).
The extensions in chassis dimensions were in part intended to enable packaging of the KV6 engine, as
well as an opportunity to re-tune the suspension. These specifications lead to
the car's wheel-base and track increasing significantly over the standard TF -
and the resulting car was, by all accounts, an absolute hoot to drive! The
prototype could be cornered sideways without any vices that effected the
earlier mid-engined MGs and the steering feel was said to be much improved.