MG TF LE500 (2008) CAR review

…And with those rose-tinted specs removed?

The changes can’t fully hide the fact that this car isn’t all new. The dash might have a new fascia but the switchgear is plasticky and basic, and the air-con is not much more than a flash blower. Driver elbow and left legroom is cramped, the soft-top is still manual and its separate cover is a leatherette button-down affair. Oh and don’t expect to hear the stereo or your passenger with the top down on the motorway, but it’s still really fun and it’s raw edges are somehow acceptable for a sub-£20,000 roadster in a way they wouldn’t be for a prestige saloon.

When’s the really new stuff coming then?

The TF LE500 will be followed by 3-4000 sales of more basic, sub-Mazda MX-5-priced MG TFs across Europe in 2009, expanding up to a full range of cars within five years. This range will include an upper-medium family car based on the China-only Roewe 550 by 2010, a compact Ford Focus rival, a new supermini and an all-new sportscar.

Selling in these segments with many more rivals, and to customers who might not already be MG enthusiasts will be the real test of MG’s prospects. But don’t underestimate MG’s new Chinese parent company SAIC. It is a Fortune 500 multi-billion automotive dollar operation, has joint ventures with VW and GM and a desire to make MG a global brand again. It could just get exciting.

Verdict   

The MGTF is still fun, and fully loaded at £16,399. But matched up against modern competitors, that are not only cheaper but better to drive too, the TF really does feel its age. Without your patriotic British badge on, it doesn't make sense.