RE: MG SV-R | The Brave Pill

RE: MG SV-R | The Brave Pill

Author
Discussion

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 17th November 2019
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300bhp/ton said:
CaptainMorgan said:
Christ I bet that's horrific to drive with that gearbox.
???? what an odd thing to say.
Yes, what sort of utter dhead would ever think that a stone age four speed slusher is a bad choice for a sports car. I can't think of anything sportier than 2 second waits for kickdown and wide, wide gaps between ratios personally.

Funkstar De Luxe

782 posts

182 months

Monday 18th November 2019
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I’m interested in one of these, in the right colour and spec. 30k max

I think it’s a very interesting thing and I’m lucky to have known a couple of people who worked in its development and attended the TopGear shoot (where the fkers tried their hardest to damage the car)

Plate spinner

17,649 posts

199 months

Monday 18th November 2019
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Good brave pill!
Personally I wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole.

leedsutd1

770 posts

185 months

Monday 18th November 2019
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Around 8 years ago i looked into buying one,there was a trader in the south of England that had around 10 cars for sale.
At the time they were £50k each, so did not look into it

Adam B

27,142 posts

253 months

Monday 18th November 2019
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preciousmetal said:
I had a Manual 4.6 SV in 2006
@ £34k it was a quirky sports car and it certainly got some looks and intrigue in XP Grey
as in you bought it for 34?

was it reliable?

did you manage to sell it on easily?

cookie1600

2,094 posts

160 months

Monday 18th November 2019
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Jenson Button



Jensen Healey


AnneTeak

167 posts

108 months

Monday 18th November 2019
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At the time this car was one of MG Sport & Racing’s demonstrators (the majority were dealer demonstrators) .

Paulm4

320 posts

156 months

Monday 18th November 2019
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I'm sure I sat in one of these at a motor show when they were launched, was there a stripped interior track version?

I also reckon the 1000hp factory NOS kit was legit, MGR's accounts team must have known they wouldn't be around for long enough to have to honour warranty claims so could fit whatever the customer asked for 😁

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 19th November 2019
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stickleback123 said:
300bhp/ton said:
CaptainMorgan said:
Christ I bet that's horrific to drive with that gearbox.
???? what an odd thing to say.
Yes, what sort of utter dhead would ever think that a stone age four speed slusher is a bad choice for a sports car. I can't think of anything sportier than 2 second waits for kickdown and wide, wide gaps between ratios personally.
Are you on crack or never driven such a vehicle?

Kickdown would unlikely to be any slower than most modern 6-8 speed auto's.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 19th November 2019
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300bhp/ton said:
Kickdown would unlikely to be any slower than most modern 6-8 speed auto's.
Yes, I've owned plenty of cars with four (and three) speed automatic gearboxes and most would have been vastly improved with a modern transmission,

That statement is demonstrably untrue and a stinker even by your standards. Allow me to paraphrase:

"Kickdown on a 21st century 8 speed automatic transmission is no quicker than a 4 speed Ford 4R7xx automatic transmission with it's design roots in the 1970s."

Because ZF et al have spent the last 40 years fingering their arses rather than actually improving things, obviously. Not to mention that kickdown is just one aspect of transmission performance. I have to ask - do you think manual transmissions are improved by having more than four ratios or is four gears enough for anyone?

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 19th November 12:54

300bhp/ton

41,030 posts

189 months

Tuesday 19th November 2019
quotequote all
stickleback123 said:
Yes, I've owned plenty of cars with four (and three) speed automatic gearboxes and most would have been vastly improved with a modern transmission,

That statement is demonstrably untrue and a stinker even by your standards. Allow me to paraphrase:

"Kickdown on a 21st century 8 speed automatic transmission is no quicker than a 4 speed Ford 4R7xx automatic transmission with it's design roots in the 1970s."

Because ZF et al have spent the last 40 years fingering their arses rather than actually improving things, obviously. Not to mention that kickdown is just one aspect of transmission performance. I have to ask - do you think manual transmissions are improved by having more than four ratios or is four gears enough for anyone?

Edited by stickleback123 on Tuesday 19th November 12:54
4 speed manuals are certainly fun yes. Even more so with an OD unit.

I do however disagree, all of the 6, 7 & 8 speed boxes I've driven are dithering dimwhits that take an age to kick down if you go to WOT. At least as slow as any of the electronic 4 speed ones I've driven and worse than some.

Modern forced induction engines might be more perky and give a better instant jolt. And part throttle response is quite good, but there is no denying (as I've witnessed it first hand) that they can be very slow on kickdown. I even posted it about it on here earlier in the year, where I drove a Merc A-Class. An odd car in many respects, although I thought the engine was a peach, but if you went to WOT while cruising or at part throttle, you'd wait wait wait then it'd select a gear.

The only ZF 8 speeds I've driven have been in 4x4's/SUV's, but at least in those, they were no better in this regard. I currently own two 4 speed automatic cars (coupled to n/a V8's). Neither of these gearboxes annoy me as much as the modern ones do and both I would say feel more responsive to kickdown.

irocfan

40,153 posts

189 months

Tuesday 19th November 2019
quotequote all
stickleback123 said:
Yes, I've owned plenty of cars with four (and three) speed automatic gearboxes and most would have been vastly improved with a modern transmission,

That statement is demonstrably untrue and a stinker even by your standards. Allow me to paraphrase:

"Kickdown on a 21st century 8 speed automatic transmission is no quicker than a 4 speed Ford 4R7xx automatic transmission with it's design roots in the 1970s."

Because ZF et al have spent the last 40 years fingering their arses rather than actually improving things, obviously. Not to mention that kickdown is just one aspect of transmission performance. I have to ask - do you think manual transmissions are improved by having more than four ratios or is four gears enough for anyone?

Edited by stickleback123 on Tuesday 19th November 12:54
actually chap what you really want is a 2-sp powerglide hehe

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 19th November 2019
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The 4 speed auto fitted to the old boat anchor early 2000’a V8 Mustang was a terrible gearbox. Not just the ratios but the way it seemed to lose itself on changes and lurch you up the road on WOT. It actually made you want to cruise, which is what it was designed for. As said. No place in a proper sports car. Also, the 8 speeds are actually decent, no comparison to the crappy old slush boxes of yesteryear.

WTFWT

841 posts

222 months

Tuesday 19th November 2019
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300bhp/ton said:
The only ZF 8 speeds I've driven have been in 4x4's/SUV's, but at least in those, they were no better in this regard. I currently own two 4 speed automatic cars (coupled to n/a V8's). Neither of these gearboxes annoy me as much as the modern ones do and both I would say feel more responsive to kickdown.
The ZF 8SP in my XFR-S is unbelievably responsive. If you are on the motorway and bury your foot, it's dropped 2 or 3 cogs before the pedal even touches the carpet. With the F-type derived quick shift technology, it goes up and down the gears in an almost DSG like fashion, only smoother. Left in "sport" on a backroad it is seldom, if ever in the wrong gear, varying ratio on load, throttle position, gradient etc. At times it is spookily perceptive. The 4SP in my Defender 50th is unbelievably agricultural in comparison. In fact, there really is no comparison.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 19th November 2019
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WTFWT said:
300bhp/ton said:
The only ZF 8 speeds I've driven have been in 4x4's/SUV's, but at least in those, they were no better in this regard. I currently own two 4 speed automatic cars (coupled to n/a V8's). Neither of these gearboxes annoy me as much as the modern ones do and both I would say feel more responsive to kickdown.
The ZF 8SP in my XFR-S is unbelievably responsive. If you are on the motorway and bury your foot, it's dropped 2 or 3 cogs before the pedal even touches the carpet. With the F-type derived quick shift technology, it goes up and down the gears in an almost DSG like fashion, only smoother. Left in "sport" on a backroad it is seldom, if ever in the wrong gear, varying ratio on load, throttle position, gradient etc. At times it is spookily perceptive. The 4SP in my Defender 50th is unbelievably agricultural in comparison. In fact, there really is no comparison.
The only time a ZF8 would shift and behave even remotely like a 4 speed automatic is if it's broken and in limp mode. Bearing in mind this car is from 2003 ish, even the then current 5 or 6 speed gearboxes were much better but still not really sports car material either.

Pothole

34,367 posts

281 months

Tuesday 19th November 2019
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JerryF said:
...driven in icing conditions
Piece of cake?

Loplop

1,937 posts

184 months

Tuesday 19th November 2019
quotequote all
stickleback123 said:
WTFWT said:
300bhp/ton said:
The only ZF 8 speeds I've driven have been in 4x4's/SUV's, but at least in those, they were no better in this regard. I currently own two 4 speed automatic cars (coupled to n/a V8's). Neither of these gearboxes annoy me as much as the modern ones do and both I would say feel more responsive to kickdown.
The ZF 8SP in my XFR-S is unbelievably responsive. If you are on the motorway and bury your foot, it's dropped 2 or 3 cogs before the pedal even touches the carpet. With the F-type derived quick shift technology, it goes up and down the gears in an almost DSG like fashion, only smoother. Left in "sport" on a backroad it is seldom, if ever in the wrong gear, varying ratio on load, throttle position, gradient etc. At times it is spookily perceptive. The 4SP in my Defender 50th is unbelievably agricultural in comparison. In fact, there really is no comparison.
The only time a ZF8 would shift and behave even remotely like a 4 speed automatic is if it's broken and in limp mode. Bearing in mind this car is from 2003 ish, even the then current 5 or 6 speed gearboxes were much better but still not really sports car material either.
Yeah but BMW were talking out of their arse when they decided to replace the DCT in the M5 with the ZF 8 Speed because the 8 speed does the job just as well rolleyes

Alpina shouldn't of wasted their time developing a new valve body, torque converter and transmission software for the B10 V8/V8S, they should've took a leaf out of MGs book and put a 4 speed in.

anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 19th November 2019
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Loplop said:
Alpina shouldn't of wasted their time developing a new valve body, torque converter and transmission software for the B10 V8/V8S, they should've took a leaf out of MGs book and put a 4 speed in.
Lolz. Not just any 4 speed, a 4 speed meant for the 90s US domestic tripe. Racing Pedigree right there, that is.

MartinGLeeds

123 posts

137 months

Saturday 4th January 2020
quotequote all
WTFWT said:
300bhp/ton said:
The only ZF 8 speeds I've driven have been in 4x4's/SUV's, but at least in those, they were no better in this regard. I currently own two 4 speed automatic cars (coupled to n/a V8's). Neither of these gearboxes annoy me as much as the modern ones do and both I would say feel more responsive to kickdown.
The ZF 8SP in my XFR-S is unbelievably responsive. If you are on the motorway and bury your foot, it's dropped 2 or 3 cogs before the pedal even touches the carpet. With the F-type derived quick shift technology, it goes up and down the gears in an almost DSG like fashion, only smoother. Left in "sport" on a backroad it is seldom, if ever in the wrong gear, varying ratio on load, throttle position, gradient etc. At times it is spookily perceptive. The 4SP in my Defender 50th is unbelievably agricultural in comparison. In fact, there really is no comparison.
I agree about the 8-speed ZF box and how responsive it is. I also had it in a Jag XFR (non S though). I loved it, silky smooth and I questioned if a DSG could be any better?

After that I had a E63-S. The Auto box in that nowhere near as good as the Jag. Not a patch.

I can now answer the DSG question. It’s in a car with similar power to the XFR (500 playing 455) and it’s 7 years newer that the Jag.

Does the DSG put the ZF in a box?

Faster?

More intuitive?

Slicker?

No.....the ZF was better on all 3 points.

Court_S

12,764 posts

176 months

Wednesday 8th January 2020
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I actually saw one of these in the wild a few weeks ago, it did have some presence on the road in an old school, OTT kind of way.

Can’t help agreeing with others that there are better ways to spend £50k on a car.