Before you drop your oily rags and throw off your cloth cap in delight at the return of MG, don't. The new TF LE500, announced on MG's new website www.mg-uk.co.
uk isn't exactly revolutionary; indeed, you'd need to be a proper TF spotter to point out the differences between the China-backed MG TF and the one that went out of production when MG Rover's Longbridge production facility shut its gates in 2005. So while the world has perhaps moved on and forgotten about the little roadster, China's Nanjing Automobile Corporation (NAC) hasn't. Instead, it's made some changes and is offering 500 'special edition' TF LE500s for sale in the UK.
Denoting their special status is that very subtly revised body styling, leather seats, standard air conditioning and unique LE500 badging and trim items. Details are rather sketchy, but the new company states that the new TF 'represents a fresh addition to the UK sports car market and from the outset our objective has been to produce a desirable sports cars that offers performance, fun, reliability and value for money in equal measure.' We'll need to wait to see if it delivers on the promise, as there's no mention yet of prices, nor are any performance figures quoted. Power of 133bhp from a 1.
8-litre is offered, as is a combined consumption figure of 35.8mpg and CO2 emissions of 185g/km. A 0-62mph time of around 8.2 seconds is what the old TF managed, so this TF LE500 is likely to be in the same ballpark.
What the TF LE500 does signal is the return of some automotive industry activity at MG Rover's old Longbridge plant. Longbridge's role for NAC MG Ltd's ambitious development strategy is as an R&D, engineering and test, purchasing, logistics centre for the firm. It'll also be used as a base for sales and marketing in the UK and Europe. It'll be interesting to watch how NAC MG Ltd performs, though it'll need more than a re-hashed roadster to make inroads into a highly competitive marketplace.
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