TOP OF THE DROP TOP POPS? (some text hidden) --NONE--

BY ANDREW ENRIGHT

Introductionword count: 162

The MG TF range vies with the Mazda MX-5 as Britain's favourite roadster. A development of the massive selling MGF range, the TF offers a more upmarket feel and improvements to the driving characteristics. The TF has continued to sell well despite a difficult market for roadster models, testament to its enduring appeal. Offering sharp styling, an evocative badge and some punchy engines at attractive pricing the TF makes a decent used buy. With a decent number of low mileage cars now appearing on the used market, the TF looks an attractive bet. TF residuals haven't proved as resilient as early MGF values were, many recognising it as a progression from the MGF rather than an all-new vehicle. The market has moved on as well. The TF is no longer perched on the cutting edge and is often a little too focused for many owners who merely expected a sharper looking MGF. That means it can often represent a canny used buy.

Modelsword count: 11

Models Covered: 2dr roadster 1.6, 1.8 (115, 120 STEPSPEED, 135, 160)

Historyword count: 215

It's not an exaggeration to say the TF was born in a period of intense turmoil at MG Rover. BMW had just done their best to scuttle the company and the buyout by the Phoenix Consortium had resulted in a company desperate for new models but without sufficient cashflow to develop them. What they achieved in such a short space of time was little less than amazing. Aside from the ZR, ZS and ZT model ranges MG Rover also overhauled the old MGF into the TF. Out went the overly complicated Hydragas suspension units and in came traditional steel springs. The styling was given a few nips and tucks to effect a much sharkier appearance, the range being extended to four key models identifiable by their approximate power outputs. The 1.6-litre TF115 acted as the entry-level model and three 1.8-litre cars were also offered, the TF120 Stepspeed, the big-selling TF135 and the range-topping TF160. A series of small modifications were made to the car in time for the 2005 model year. A heated rear screen improved rear visibility, various trim materials were altered and the suspension settings were tweaked to improve ride comfort. These cars can be identified by their chrome finished badging. The TF's lifespan ended in 2005 with the demise of MG Rover.

What You Getword count: 621

The TF of course, is the replacement for the successful MGF, which managed to be the best selling British sportscar of the late Nineties, despite being owned at the time by a parent company that wasn't over-keen to promote it. Things have changed of course since then, so you can expect to see one of these on every street corner. With the MGF, that street corner was likely to include a hairdressing salon. Put quite simply, it developed an unfortunate reputation as something of a 'girlie' car, despite its promising mid-engined configuration. Worse, early examples had a dire build quality record which, though solved in later versions, blighted the car's reputation. One of the chief culprits in this area was the unloved fluid Hydragas suspension system, which in some instances failed at some inopportune moments. With the MG TF, the overall story is very different - as it had to be. Hydragas (a concept which after all goes back to 1964) was dumped in favour of more conventional coil spring and damper units. Moving to the sheet metal, you might be surprised to find that most of it was completely re-worked for this model. At first glance, you might be forgiven for seeing this as a minor facelift. In fact, stylist Peter Stevens dictated that the whole side of the TF should be new, with contoured curves that give a more aggressive feel to the profile and a 'lowered' look to the whole car. There are also bigger air intakes to allow the mid-mounted engines to gulp in more oxygen. The rear deck, which sits above two chromed tailpipes that displace the foglamps, also has a curvy look, now on all variants including the small lip spoiler originally developed for the MGF Trophy 160SE. High speed stability is far better as a result. However, it's the front you'll notice first, with projector-style headlamp units that also incorporate the indicators. Between them, there's the latest MG sportscar two-bar grille and below that, a deeper front bumper incorporating a mesh air intake and twin foglamps. It all looks mean enough to frighten off the hairdresser types - though given that these people bought the majority of the 40,000 MGFs sold here, that might not necessarily be something of which MG's shareholders would approve. With all this effort having gone into making the TF its own car, it's a little disappointing to climb inside and find a sense of deja vu. True, the seat cloths and the instrument graphics are different - but that's about it. To be fair, the Longbridge budget probably only stretched so far and in any case, the cabin did get a bit of a re-work at the turn of the century. Still, we could have done without keeping the narrow, rather highly-mounted seats. The Fisher Price-style controls for the Stepspeed model's gearshift could have been consigned to history too. This is a car you just have to get in and drive - an addictive experience on narrow twisty roads, thanks to the near-perfect mid-engined balance. The rigid steel bodyshell helps here too as well as creating one of the safest cars in the class. That the MG TF is a soft-top makes it extremely unusual amongst the ranks of mid-engined cars, due to the difficulty of packing the folded hood on top of the engine bay. Not only have the designers managed this (albeit with the drawback of a perspex rear screen), they've also created so much boot space that there's still no need to carry luggage under the bonnet, where it could interfere with safety. You'll still need to specify the optional boot-mounted luggage rack if you want to take more than a couple of soft bags however.

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