Rover V8 SALOON
A Top Line
Rover Gets Some Serious Power At Last. Andy Enright Reports
Think of the core value Rover has traditionally stood for. Solidity, discreet elegance, understated power and a certain British sense of fair play. Although some of these values may have been diluted down the years, theyre back in bold-faced type now with the introduction of the Rover V8, a car that tackles the executive market with a straight bat.
Derived from the 75 range, the V8 was announced at the 74th Geneva Motor Show in the marques centenary year. Opinion has been divided over the aesthetics of the cars front end, the full height grille being vaguely reminiscent of the latest
Audi A6. Personally speaking, I feel Rover has pulled it off a little more effectively than their Ingolstadt cousins, the added gravitas of the British cars front end suiting its rather stately air slightly better than the resolutely high-tech Audi. A V8 derivative was first introduced on the archetypal Rover P5B decades ago and the latest incarnation uses the same engine found in the rip snorting
MG ZT 260.
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Although the car may appear dignified and regal, it can certainly lift its skirts and hustle if necessary. Prices start at £31,995 and theres a choice of saloon or Tourer estate bodystyles. The V8 label was a constant fixture for this British marque between 1967 and 1986 and
Rover claims its a hallmark of British cars with power in reserve. The Queen owns two Rover V8s and the cars were favourites of Prime Ministers Harold Wilson, James Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher.
The list of V8-engined Rover models is long and includes classic names like the P5B, the Vanden Plas and the Vitesse. With a maximum speed in excess of 150mph and acceleration to 60mph comfortably below 7 seconds,
MG Rover are adopting a similarly overstuffed tactic to
Rolls Royce who once merely quoted power outputs as adequate.
"Where the Rover V8 scores significantly over other rivals is in its sheer sense of occasion"
Rover have taken the Connoisseur SE specification used on standard 75 models and have tweaked it for an even more demanding audience and if thats not good enough, there are Contemporary SE models to consider. The car can be personalised via the Monogram range of paint colours, trims and individual features, the standard trim being leather seating with a tasteful Light Oak wood theme. Theres a lot of lumber about the cabin, but few manufacturers integrate it better, the old-school charm of the interior resembling a refined gentlemans club with pleasantly overstuffed seating and a raffish air. The steering wheel is a wood and leather combination and improved carpeting and tailored convenience mats help to muffle what is in MG ZT260 guise at least quite a rorty engine note.
A long list of high tech features is available to complement the opulent interior of this flagship model. These include GPS guided satellite navigation, in-car Teletext TV and a multi-disc DVD player with motorised screen, while audiophiles will appreciate the exceptional Harman/Kardon Hi-Fi system. These interior refinements are complemented by large diameter alloy wheels and discreet exterior badging. Although the car looks and feels as British as they come, the engine underneath the imperious bonnet of the V8 is a pure hunk of Uncle Sam.
Still, in many ways that follows a tradition of sorts too. The 3.5-litre unit used in the shapely SD1 models of the seventies and eighties was derived from a Buick design and this 4.6-litre monster is a
Ford powerplant, tuned to generate some 410Nm of torque more than a
Porsche 911 GT3! Mated to an automatic gearbox, power is delivered seamlessly via a traction control system that ensures a certain decorum.
Revised engine management software and unique exhaust and intake systems offer refined cruising with but let you know theres a serious piece of hardware up front when you prod the throttle pedal. The chassis has been modified to offer a more genteel ride than the somewhat nuggety MG ZT 260. Despite this, the enthusiast corps at MG Rover havent been utterly overwhelmed and the V8 has been given a relaxed yet rewarding chassis. Although a long wheelbase version based on the 75s Vanden Plas chassis seems a natural for a car of this ilk, no stretch version has yet been announced.
The traction control system has been developed in a partnership between MG Rover, British electronics experts Racelogic and American engineering company Roush Industries. Where the Rover V8 scores significantly over other rivals around the £30,000-£35,000 price bracket is its sheer sense of occasion; the reason why slipping into the drivers
seat of a
Bentley or a
TVR is always more of an event than it is in an equivalent Mercedes or Porsche. Its about letting the heart skip a beat in anticipation of enjoyment, of knowing that youre about to drive something that youll remember, that is in some inestimable way on a different plane to the norm. Its an attribute that decent British and Italian cars have in spades.
Some would call it character, others would call it clever design. Whatever it is, sliding into the Rover V8 feels very special indeed. Accommodation is one area where those glorious junior Bentley looks flatter to deceive. The 75 chassis may be somewhere between a 3 and a 5 Series in exterior length but inside, theres no more room than youd find in the smaller Three.
This is surprising when you consider the natural packaging advantages that the front wheel drive Rover enjoys over its rear wheel drive German counterparts. In compensation, the boot is a reasonable size. If the Rover V8 doesnt appear sometime soon behind Andrew Marr in Downing Street on the 10 OClock News, then the nations leaders really need to ask themselves some searching questions why not. Although ministers may love it, theres no reason why it shouldnt also appeal to those of us who appreciate the bold and pragmatic face of new British industry.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
CAR: Rover V8 range
PRICES: £31,995-£33,395 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 18A
CO2 EMISSIONS: 319g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 6.8s / Max Speed 151mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 21mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS / TCS
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 3910/1780/1270
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