THERE was a time when the British ruled and the Japanese were the pretenders in the sports car market. Today the situation is reversed, as cars like the Mazda MX-5 redefine what a good open-top sports car should be. The MG TF may never reach the market penetration of the stunningly successful Mazda but, really, it's a car that embodies the true sports car spirit and maybe shows England is still in the race. It may have a few ergonomic frailties, but the MG is a consistently fun car to drive and is a worthwhile improvement over the now six-year-old original. Importantly, it is also the sort of car that grows on you the more time you spend with it.
![](/assets/contents/2ccc9d709aac364ebf5e4252fc55441d3c9c50a9.jpg)
MG MGF Roadster
Released: March 1997
Ended: August 2002
Family Tree: TFMG's new generation MGF roadster went on sale in Australia in March 1997, both in entry level 90kW 1.8-litre form and the more expensive 107kW 1.8-litre VVC guise. Air-conditioning was added to the base car in April 1999, with both models scoring clear indicator lenses for the MY2001 upgrade in December 2000. Various limited editions were offered before the MGF was replaced by the MGTF in August 2002, including the Volcano (August 1998), the Abingdon (September 1998), two 75th Anniversary models (September 1999) and the 118kW Trophy 160 (September 2001), which offered similar power to the top-shelf MGTF 160 tested here.
Facebook Twitter Instagram