MEET THE OWNER – RICHARD MONK AND HIS MG ZT-T XPOWER 385
By Andrew Roberts |
1st February, 2021
‘It’s a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. No extended wheel arches, very discreet “V8” badges and not a lot to give away its performance, asides from the four exhaust pipes’. Richard Monk is the General Manager of the MG Owners’ Club, a valued long term partner of Lancaster Insurance, and the custodian of a very special MG ZT-T XPower 385 - the only one built on the production line.
Twenty years ago MG founded their XPower racing team, which marked the Octagon badge’s return to Le Mans. Richard points out, this was much in the company’s tradition promoting the brand in competition, and the lime-green liveried cars were undoubtedly distinctive. And in September of that year, they announced at the Frankfurt Motor Show their new saloon – the XPower 385.
Many enthusiasts were highly intrigued by the idea of RWD high-performance 4-door based on the FWD 75. Better still, an MG saloon powered by a 4.6-litre supercharged V8 with a six-speed manual gearbox was indeed a tempting prospect; a belated heir to the Rover SD1 Vitesse and a rival to the BMW M5. The 385 also raised hopes for the company’s future following Phoenix Venture Holdings’ acquisition of Rover from BMW in 2000.
Official sales were due to commence in summer 2002, with the saloon accompanied by a ZT-T estate version. The marketing copy proclaimed ‘With a price of under £40,000 it promises to deliver excellent power for money with a performance capable of propelling the MG to 60 mph in less than 5.0 seconds, to a potential 175 mph maximum speed’. MG Rover initially outsourced development to Prodrive, but as Keith Adams notes in www.aronline.co.uk:
the conversion was far from straightforward (for a start, there was not enough room for a rear differential without major body modifications). The development phase was, therefore, not trouble-free and it was reported that the collaboration went sour. One major issue was the cost of the project: according to one journalist, development costs were alleged to have spiralled, going some five times over their original budget.
The project returned in-house, and Richard’s car departed the factory on 13th December 2004. “MG Sport and Racing” had significant plans for the XPower, with the ZT-T offered to the public in 2005. Sadly, as most readers already know, MG Rover ceased trading on 8th April of that year. Richard observers that BX54 KJE became the transport of John Edwards, one of the “Phoenix 4”, before the 385 was auctioned in December – ‘I think it went to a dealer’.
Mr. Adams tested the MG in 2006 and raved about ‘the unmistakable whine of the supercharger; the V8 melody; the intoxicating, addictive soundtrack’. The ZT-T joined the Monk fleet in March 2011; ‘I think there were three owners in the period following 2005’. He finds it ‘a well-sorted car – pretty quick. It is a very safe means of transport’.
That “Ignition Blue” paint finish is distinctive, but while BX54 does receive second glances, the appearance is relatively low-key. Richard describes the 385 as very much of a ‘Q-Car’, and from a distance, it resembles an everyday 1.8-engine model. Admittedly this impression tends to be shattered on hearing the 16-valve supercharged engine in action.
Above all, the ZT-T XPower 385 is very much in keeping with the marque’s spirit and very much a cut above other cars. This is indeed an exclusive machine - a five-door supercar bearing the Octagon badge. Or, as Richard puts it is a car with a definite presence.
WITH THANKS TO: Richard Monk and the MG Owners’ Club - https://www.mgownersclub.co.uk/
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