Rover 75 1.8 Turbo Goes for a Drive
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- čas přidán 1. 09. 2021
- The Rover 75 was the last and last great Rover, this time we see what the 1.8 Turbo was like
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When I was younger I never thought anything of the 75 but as I have grown up I have grown to really appreciate it, especially the PPD models. Such unappreciated quality.
I'm on my fourth. Still in love. ❤
@@troo_story why you keep selling and buying? that dont make sense at all, unless you have all 4's
A Great Car.
This is the car that my exMG Rover Mechanic chose for himself in light metallic green. He loved the comfort and the power on demand. Sorry to disappoint all the Rover Bashers but he kept it for years and it gave him no problems whatsoever. It was 100% reliable.
Forget the could have beens, the 75 WAS the best car that MG Rover ever built.
The Rover first version is such a beautiful old- school British modern classic car of which as they say we will never see their like again R.I.P , Rover... Reliable yes if well looked after.
The facelift versions, updated wheels and revised interiors were bad steps which marred the elegance. I also preferred the badged 75 to the MG versions for the same reason. The non turbo 1.8 was, however, hopelessly underpowered.
These are so underrated. My dad has a P5B and this is a fantastic nod to that. It bought the P5 to the newer generation, like the 800 did with the SD1. 👍
@@freddieparrydrums I fully agree with you, as a boy my dad had a 3500 SD1 and I have had the 800, 45 , even a Rover badged Montego and the Ronda (!) 600. I fell in love with the P5B as a boy, there was a specialist dealer down the road from me and, of course, it always looked magnificent on TV as ministerial transport and indeed that film with hammy Roger Moore, The Man Who Killed Himself (or something like that). Oddly, I prefer the standard model to the so called Coupé, I think it suits the lines better and is probably slightly more practical. Oh, that majestic grille and V8 burble! I'm sure that the Chrysler 300C took design cues from the P5B but it doesn't, in my opinion, really work in a modern context.
@@thomasgray5406 Thanks for your response Thomas! I’ve always been a Rover lover. I think it was my dads P5 that brought me into it as I’m only 14 so I never had a chance to see them back in the day unfortunately. My dads is an admiralty blue Saloon, and I’ve always thought the same; I prefer the saloon because I think it suits it better. They’re rarer but not worth as much (which doesn’t bother me because we’ll never sell it!)
My dads friend (who owned it before us) had it for 27 years and bought it when he was 20. Unfortunately he died at 47, but I’m glad we got the car as we’re looking after it for him forever. He also agreed with us, that the 300C shared cues from the P5, however we always thought it was too boxy. The grille is the signature piece of the P5 (as well as the rear, much like the 75) and I think it looks like the Routemaster bus slightly. :)
@@freddieparrydrums I must say that you're incredibly literate at just fourteen! That particular blue was a popular P5 and P6 colour and it suits both very well. I agree that the 300C is too boxy and looks incongruous in modern traffic. The film I was referring to is The Man Who Haunted Himself, the car is the star in many respects. The P5B was still widely used by politicians in the 80s. The interiors are so beautifully appointed although the carpeting is difficult to maintain. For decades, Rovers had headlinings that were notorious for eventually sagging.
Ah the 90s where I could say I had Corona (in the fridge) and Isis was my favourite (Egyptian god) without fear of people backing away.
They back away anyway after talking to me for 5 minutes, but that's a different story...
Isis is also the name of the upper Thames in Oxford before the Cherwell merges. It was also the name of a 50's Morris and the University 2nd rowing eight.
@@tonys1636 that’s is not an good name
@@louisbeerreviews8964 Only because of the recent terrorist group, the River Isis has been that name since the Romans.
I was test driving a new 75 estate with a salesman when news of the closure came through on the radio. Very sad.
I didn't buy it but I'm currently on my third. Its 22 years old and I love it.
The first and so far the only British Motor Show I've ever attended. I remember my dad driving my friend and I down in his Volvo 850 company car of the time. We sat in the back and rigged the portable CD player up to the tape player so we could play our tunes. The Rover 75 looked so different compared with others out there and properly well built too. I remember seeing the Clarkson, Willson, Needell triple act too or "Everyone pick on Tiff"
The 75 still looks great today; especially in dark red. Like its wooden eyebrow over the centre console
Anyone who, like me, has driven almost as many cars as a Top Gear presenter, will recognise the distinctive quality of the 75. Yes you can enjoy driving whilst gliding and be confident that like an affectionate labrador, it will put a smile on your face and wont let you down. Ive had mine for over 20 years and 179k miles. and it feels like it did when new.
More unattainable exotica to my American eyes. As uniquely British as an SD1 or a Princess. They definitely nailed it with the interior. Upper class Jaguar levels of wood veneer on an middle class car. That alone would makes me want one. I’m also a sucker for a dash that sweeps into the door panels...lovely. I’ve never liked the headlamp treatment on these but the rear 3/4 view and tail lamp to tag aperture detailing is just gorgeous! Great review.
I've had one of those for 6 years. Nice car but there is no real wood in there whatsoever.
@@gustavmeyrink_2.0 The series 1 had real wood up to about 2003 and after that a plastic veneer was used in the series 2 .
@@PhilipKerry mine was a pre-facelift Connoisseur CDTi Tourer. Definitely no wood in there but it looked exactly like the one in the vid here except of course leather seats and chromed mirrors.
It annoys me when Americans call Land Rovers “Rovers” this is a Rover. 😂
These are so underrated. My dad has a P5B and this is a fantastic nod to that. It bought the P5 to the newer generation, like the 800 did with the SD1. 👍
The 75 is a very lovely car.
Yes, as you say, BMW did eventually do the dirty on Rover. I find it impossible to forgive.
You and me both. BMW needed small cars in their otherwise "gas guzzler" range to address that imbalance or run the real risk of punitive EU financial penalties. A punitive scenario JLR currently face with their model line up apparently. The two small Rovers; the Bini and 25/45 replacement off set that imbalance. Those were asset strip retained and the rest cast aside. Other cherry picked components of the once massively asset rich Rover Group were retained or sold off. With a bonus of setting the huge R&D development costings of the two small new cars against the Rover Group Balance Sheet. Cue their description .. "English Patient" and other niceties like the 75 launch. Not too "clever" accounting there and a mug Nation yet again got ... mugged.
Unless News of the all too frequent FAKE variety, BMW sold off the JLR asset to FOMOCO for more than they paid for the whole asset rich Rover Group.
Many Brits saw the Rover Group uber-cheap sell off to the Bavarian outfit as the answer to UK's indigenous Automotive Industrial problem. "Foreign Investment" indeed. Others saw those entrusted to the longer term well being of UK's assets as failing miserably to protect indigenous UK industry. Mugs will get mugged. The Rover debacle is just one of many National assets allowed to slip into foreign ownership and control for peanuts. Cue asset stripping and run ... still ongoing.
All very sad. It means I can never again have the pleasure of buying a new MG or Rover as I have done in the past thus sustaining good careers and jobs to the good folks of the UK Midlands. I can of course buy a new MG ZS EV or HS tomorrow like two of my close neighbours have done. I have no problem with that except those MGs should have been built in the UK Midlands. Not the Peoples' Republic of China.
Only in the UK .. :sigh:
Meantime I shall continue to creep about in my aged MG ZT 1.8Ts and MG ZS.
OK hold my hands up. I lied... about the creeping about bit!
I always liked seeing the car. Unfortunately, when it came to me buying my current car which is a Honda Civic 1.8i VTEC in 2007, the 75 had ceased to be in production. I can only imagine what the 75 would have been like if Rover had been taken under the wing of Honda, rather than BMW. You cam only imagine what it would be like with the 1.8i VTEC engine. But the car is a modern British classic.
A Civic 2008 Mk8 1.8 iVTEC was my previous car. I never imagined a Rover 75 with the amazing VTEC engine, until now.
Coupled with a good automatic, it would have been sublime!
0:42 OMG bless you for that commercial. They're always unwelcome but no one could have done it better than you and kept your integrity intact
I have a 51 plate diesel. I bought it in 2012 as a 12 month run about...and instead of selling her on, I modified her in several ways. I have had it remapped and it delivers about 160 bhp, with loads of torque and I get about 40mpg around town...and about 60 mpg on a run with cruise control on. It currently has 215,000 miles on the clock and it never misses a beat. I spend about £500.00 a year on meticulous maintenance and the odd small repair that is needed. It is dark blue and I have put a white vinyl roof on it...and removed the 75 badge at the rear, so most people think it is much older than it is. I get more compliments about my car than any other car I have ever owned. I call her "the old girl" and as you can probably tell, I am emotionally attached to her.
Love the 75 so much. I still get loads of compliments from mine the design inside and out has just aged so much better than for instance it's Jaguar rivals of the time, just such a shame mine is on it's way out what with 340k km on the clock. If I didn't have one in green, it'd have to be this red.
Note the string back gloves. For "a bit of extra purchase".
Always loved the so under rated Rover 75. Some might say last real British designed model , like the last also British made Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph , both first seen the same year - 1998. Both of them now true real classic vehicles. Sadly of which we will never again see....
I loved my 75. Those dials looked beautiful at night. Was just as comfortable and smooth as my X-Type is.
Better than a Mondeo in a nice skirt.
@@Steve-gc5nt Hmmm.... At least the X-Type looks like a Jag, as opposed to the new Jag's that look like Mondeo's..... 🤣🤣🤣
If this had been launched as both 75 and MGZT it would have cleaned up. Then again the Bavarians wouldn't want something that would properly compete with the previous 3 series
@furiousdriving I am in Australia and I currently daily drive a lovely burgundy red 2002 Rover 75 V6 in luxury connoisseur SE spec, full leather interior which I think is the only way to go, as here in Aus a Rover was all about luxury. We never did base spec stuff All Australian spec cars came fully loaded with all the bells & whistles. It has approximately 120,000 miles on the clock & is hands down the best car I have ever owned. Sadly we only got the V6 in Australia & not the 1.8 Turbo. Still I love all things rover & my 75 is my pride and joy 🤩.
I always end up buying one of these when I have a job that requires a commute, nothing else can touch it in terms of comfort-per-pound.
I’ve owned a 2005 75 CDTI for a year, lovely car to drive, had the inevitable (on the diesels) master cylinder go, but it rides beautifully averages 48-50mpg and just needed 2 tyres for the mot (15,000mi)
Love it!
I didn't like the 75 (or the S-type) at the time, though I always loved the 800, but the old girl has grown on me. I've even considered buying a V8 but had forgotten they produced a turbo. Thanks for posting this, Matt.
Just sold my '99 Connoisseur 2.5 V6 and after watching this, wonder if I've made the right decision?
Great review of a very underrated car, I learnt bits I never knew from your brilliant review.
Black puddings are more associated with Lancashire than Birmingham though. You're forgiven for being very very southern tho 😂
I've said it before, but the Phoenix Consortium's total mismanagement of Rover meaning these cars are no longer available is the biggest of their crimes. Always thought the 75 was great, but never had the money to buy one before Rover went under.
Oh I suspect the Phoenix Consortium think they managed things pretty well if you think about it.
bmw made sure rover failed when they sold it by withholding all the new product designs. disgraceful.
Rover failed long before Phoenix.
Didn’t get these in Australia. Only the turbo diesel and V6 and later just a few V8s. This looks like a good combination. Love the quality feel of these cars. They are bargain buys. Lots of them on the market here in Aus.
can you still get parts easily for them there?
@@furiousdriving Not really and the prices for 75's remain strong here, much, much, higher than the UK.
Always loved these cars, they are so elegant. They were (are) quite rare in Denmark. And this one sure sounds cracking 😉👍🇬🇧
They were a lovely car. It's such a shame that Rover are no longer with us along with Saab.
It is a lovely car that has aged well. The interior is a work of art and shows how much love went in to it.
I thought this might've been the car that Regular Car Reviews featured - I recognised the gloves! The owner is a character.
Also your Mini parts are on the way Matt ;)
Hes a top chap, glad to have finally driven this car, and thanks, will keep an eye on the post!
As soon as I saw those gloves I knew it had to be! Perfect for keeping that steering wheel light. Glad to see that owner still has it, was it his first car or am I imagining that?
@@edithclement5973 yes something like that, I know he has no plans to sell it ever
Such an elegant car, together with the Lybra one of the nicest cars of the late 90's early 00's. Interior is just beautiful. Such a shame Rover went bust...
These are so underrated. My dad has a P5B and this is a fantastic nod to that. It bought the P5 to the newer generation, like the 800 did with the SD1. 👍
At 15:00 is that a single-tone horn? The twin-tone was deleted, possibly by Project Drive penny-pinching. I had the twin-tone restored on my ZT - much improved.
I once switched from a Citroen Xantia to a 75 and the 75 felt as if it was made from granite by comparison.
Great looking car, always find my eyes drawn to them when I see them on the roads. As a Jaguar X-Type owner I think of the Rover 75 as a bit of a long-lost sibling. Thanks for another great review!
Still a fantastic looking car, inside and out. I’d still like to own one! That interior has to be one of the best of all time imho, very nice ambience.
I was at that very motor show when the 75 and S-type were launched. Always felt the 75 looked the better if the two.
I've driven a diesel one once a several years ago and to what I remember it didn't feel especially dynamic but was very refined. Something I tend to appreciate all the more these days.
I agree
I ran a 2.5 V6 for about 3 years, absolutely brilliant car, really comfortable.
Just spent a horrible Sunday replacing the brakes and some suspension parts on my V6 so this video came along at just the right time. Thanks - feeling much better now!
Re: tea shelf snackage - if it’s in B’ham, it’ll either be buttered pikelets, a bag of pork scratchings, or perhaps even a balti!
Some cow in Bovril as Jasper Carrot used to say! Ill save that for the next one
@@furiousdriving ‘Urry up an’ finish yer cowin’ Bovril.......!’
What does a southerner know about food, they don't even put gravy on chips 😂😂
@@neilwalsh4058 Add cheese curds to the chips with gravy and you poutine, a French-Canadian delicacy.
@@michaeltutty1540 loving the sound of that 👍
I had a 2003 vectra with a lot of weird features, you just made perfect sense about throwing everything at the cars left behind! I was driven into and insurance paid for writing it off. I always loved the E39 and found 1 for £900, it was immaculate. It was a 2001, green with tan leather. But it drove so bad. It was a boring drive. I had the option of an MG zt for the same price.may be the same car but I sure as hell regret not getting the dirty MG
Had 5 of these over the years, all 1.8 Powertrain K series, 4 blew the head gasket without notice, they had years to modify the head, they never bothered.
Lovely Rover 75 the colour is great, much better looking than the Chinese looking project drive ones.
Always loved the 75, preferably in 2.5 automatic form. Well, as long as there's a long time to go before the next timing belt change!
my change coming right up. can t wait.
I think this design has aged so well, even at the time I thought it was spot on. I'm amazed it didn't save them, I guess therefore nothing could.
These are so underrated. My dad has a P5B and this is a fantastic nod to that. It bought the P5 to the newer generation, like the 800 did with the SD1. The design is just perfection and I’m very surprised it couldn’t get them going again
What a beautiful car this is. The first time I saw one was on Dalziel & Pascoe. Tom Barnaby on Midsomer Murders had several, both pre- and post- face lift. To me, the earlier cars were just that bit more special. Sadly I will never own one, as they did not come this side of the pond.
If you are ever in the north east of England I’ll take you for a spin in mine. I’ll also take you for a spin in my 1960 Sprite. Tea too. M.
The plastic wood ages well! Love the 75. The year before I emigrated to Australia I bought a 2001 (pre-project drive with the real wood dash) 2.5 V6 Connossieur SE in Wedgewood Blue with every option including blue leather for £500, got a few bits done, used it to travel to Scotland and back as a commuter when I worked there for 6 months, brought it back to Hampshire and sold it for £1,200. Loved it, great car.
Great review Matt. Totally agree about the miss with company car market with younger generation. I had the option of company car in the ear.y 2000’s and most of the 20-40 year olds went for BMW, VW or Audi (although I went Alfa 156, which was the right choice I’m sure you would agree!), and the more senior chaps went with the 75 or Merc. The 75 image was of classy solid dependability and as a passenger I found it a very comfortable but it lacked the sporty feel I was looking for.
yes, I went for the 156 with my own money when it was a toss up between that or an MG ZT/75, I don regret the Alfa at all, should have bought both..
Always thought this car had a very classy design, like a junior-silver seraph and as far as homy interiors went, they took that to a new level. Not a car perhaps for the dynamic executive, but they would have bought BMW's or Audi's anyway. On the BMW-Rover-story I tend to think sometimes that, if Rover had stuck with Honda, they would still be around today. The arrangement between these 2 companies worked very well, I think. But then, we wouldn't have had the 75.
I think that Rover is now no longer there is a mix of every thing. When you look, that the target group of Rover was pretty simmular to BMW. Before the BWM takeover, rover had a 200 hp coupe and an estate car. Both disapeared with BWM. Why the Rover 400 didn't have an turbo in it with the T-Series or even light tuned K-Series? Sure if they wantet to keep with the other brands they would had need to overhaul the engines that they are more tuneable with turbos and the general thing witch the Chines did. Don't get me wrong, I realy like these engines. BMW wanted Honda to get out more from europe. Especially in Germany, I don't often see Hondas anymore. BWM split the Rover Group, so Rover manly had 4 cars left. And thats it. No Landrover, no Mini. BWM kept some realy nice arts of the next generation cars from rover, which look a bit like the Golf 6/7 from the side and also the 1-Series from BMW. But you just cant only blame BMW. Take the Mini redesign, they just didn't come to an end, like they did in the Layland days. They should have made more aggressive cars to get a sporti image in some cars and not just adding vvc. There should have been more to come to the youth market to stay allife in my oppinion. As I said, don't get me wrong I realy like these cars even they just have an 1.6 with 111hp in it. Sometimes I just dream with chances and configurations there could have been now...
I always liked the car - but I seem to recall that the design wasn't that well received at the time.
Especially in the UK, Rover's image had suffered during the SD1 quality problems and the times when Rovers were merely slightly modified but still nondescript Hondas.
So even the 75 was perceived as "yet another car for old farts out of touch" whereas people harped and drooled at the S-Type Jag.
Even James May hammered the 75's design by famously suggesting that the only thing missing in this "Olde England" theme park was an official portrait of the Queen.
I never shared that perception (to me, the 75 was way less retro than the faux MkII) but it clearly was there.
Top Gear didnt like the dials but the les entertainment, more actual car review motoring press liked it, Top Gear always had it in for Rover so we never expected a positive review from them!
It was erroneously compared the much more expensive S-Type, when it was really a car to compete with the higher end Vectras, Mondeos and mid-range Omegas and at the price point, nothing could beat it quality and finish wise. I think if they had marketed the turbo as a sporty version with mesh grille, bigger wheels and stiffer suspension and as somewhat of a halo car they might've had a chance making the car more aspirational rather than the grandpa image it got.
I remember hating it when it was launched. Although I suspect it wasn't aimed at the younger driver. Strictly boomers.
@@KarlHamilton When the car was launched, the younger boomers (like me, from the mid-sixties, when births actually peaked) were still in their mid-thirties.
The average buyer was way, way older than that - many of whom were old geezers who had bought new Rover P6s back when they were around 40 themselves and were glad to find a decent new Rover again. Those initial buyers created a slightly geriatric image.
I think the 75 was too large to address a youthful audience, anyway. Could you ever figure a 20ish guy wearing a base cap backwards lusting after one?
If Rover had landed a solid hit among people in their forties (like the E-class or BMW 5-Series), it would have been just fine. Intentionally or not - they missed those....
It's strange though, James May really had a turnaround on the 75. Towards the end of its life he was singing it's praise.
I love rovers. I thoroughly enjoyed the 4 I've had. I've had 1 gold 620 and 3 75's, still got a tourer now. Yes there's problems but they're 20 years old now. To say the only real rust issues are the back sills and upper swing arms is amazing for a car of this era
I always loved Rovers too. Had a 620, 420 and a 75. The 75 was in a different league to the others. Even compared to my Dad's 825.
Such a shame that BMW didn't keep the brand. Imagine what they would have become - the alternative which is more focused on comfort.
You are right. Rover is too close to BMW for the people at BMW to keep the brand alive. M.
I didn't appreciate these much at the time, but a great bit of design under unfortunate circumstances. That velour interior looks nice and comfy!
I don't know if its a project drive thing or not because I've never been in a post-project drive automatic car. However the '98 75 we had in the family for about 18 years had cupholders on both sides of the cigar lighter. I always assumed they removed it on manuals becuase engaging 5th would hit the mechanism.
I'm currently returning a ZT Turbo to the road and I must admit I think for the ZT the engine suits the sporty feel really well. I'd much rather have the V6 in a 75. Currently mid-way through rebuilding the engine, I'll send you a message once it's done as I don't think you've done a ZT yet. Also a monogram TF160 of thats on your list too!
Incidentally as the story goes the transmission tunnel is due to Rover wanting the car be RWD in all forms. The usual BMW meddling supposedly put an end to it under the "we don't want it to be sporty" stuff.
I was on the point of buying a 623ti in Gold when I saw a 75 2ltr Connie for sale. I enjoyed the 75 for its comfort and style, but it nearly killed me with a sticking throttle cable. WD40 fixed it but it needed regular application. Other problems, the leather was nice but too slippy and I put the child lock on the rear offside door only to find it wouldn't open from outside either. I had two S-Type Jags after that.
I always felt the pre facelift 75 looks better than the later ones both in the exterior and interior, I also think the 75 looks much nicer both inside and out than the MG ZT. I have been wary, though, of the K series having had Rovers in the past with inevitable head gasket issues, when mated to a turbo I'd be worried about it even more. I have an X Type Jag but have some regrets about not keeping my loyalty with Rover. 75s do have their foibles such as the bulkhead which you need to inspect before buying.
Great review (with loads of interesting background facts) of a great car, definitely worthy of the saying ‘they don’t make em like they used to, a future classic but also a symbol of the final nail in the coffin of what was once a truly great and innovative car company, such a shame.
These are so underrated. My dad has a P5B and this is a fantastic nod to that. It bought the P5 to the newer generation, like the 800 did with the SD1. 👍
This is really well informed comments! I've been following the rover story for 20 years and still managed to learn something! Thank you for all the huge amount of research you must have done for this video 🙂
Always liked the ‘t’. And the 75 just gets better with age. Remember the very day it was launched as the baby Jag. Some royal seen in it.
During the transfer of the assets from Cowley to Longbridge i was lucky to visit Cowley this as the Mini Line was being installed. My Wife worked for the monorail company that produced the production line, her company spent a year moving both lines over. The terrible thing i noticed was part built Rover 75 being crushed at Cowley as they didn't want to transfer to Rover at Longbridge.
I love these cars I'm on my second CDT my first one was a facelift my current one I just got for a bargain price being a bit unloved currently a running daily project
Mmmm, the action on that cupholder and the ashtray.... to quote the great philosopher Rab C. Nesbitt: "Soft eject. A moment of sanity in a world gone mad."
I love these cars and owned a ZT 190+ in the past. The KV6 is a lovely sounding engine, but a nightmare in terms of maintenance and needs to be revved a bit.
I would also have this over the V6 too.
Just a correction about the 75 development; BMW considered using the outgoing E34 platform (this was 1996) for the new 75, not the E39.
Every time i come across a Rover 75 V6 i think i should own one at some point. I do love the combination of those looks, and that engine note. Perhaps one day..
Had a 2002 75 2.5 V6 Connoisseur SE, was a beautiful car and sold on. Wish I'd kept it. On the hunt for another 75...
Doing a trading plug in the backseat of a 740, i love it.
A member of my family had two, he loved them both as company cars and previously had always had Fords. Great video again Mat, you never let us down.
Liking the review of the 75 👍👍. I just repaired my 1.8T after a cambelt failure. I've learned my lesson and will replace the belt every 3 years! 😅
Great video particularly the potted history at the start. The rear 3/4 of the car is superb piece of design, glad they are now being appreciated.
Great review!
Such a shame we never had this imported into the US. I'm not sure if this would have sold well, many remember the Rover 3500, and you do know how well that turned out!
I think it will be a matter of time when we can import this into the US.
Many have complimented on the quality of the vehicle.
There are a few items one must do to prevent problems from happening, it is shown on other channels here on CZcams.
There is a younger generation that does love this Rover, and feel this is the best vehicle they have ever owned! Once when one knows the weak points of this Rover (rear taillamps, certain drain points clogging with detritus, etc), and addresses them, they come to the same conclusion you have; this is a modern classic worth owning!
The 1.8 k series is the best engine for this model.
What a nice car, always liked the 75, lovely interior, very retro.
I must be one of the few people that prefers velour seats over leather.
Certainly a car that’s on my “to own” list.
Thanks for this vid Matt!👍
Great video as usual 👍 I've owned many 75's facelift and pre facelift, had a beautiful 2003 wedgwood blue 1.8 that I wish I still owned, the new owner took it to live in Spain 😊 You did not mention the 75's that were powered by the BMW turbo diesel engines, you could get some serious torque from one of those ☺️
I've always liked the 75. I went to the Motor show when it and the Jaag S type were launched. Thought the Rover was 'Baby Bentley' whereas the S type was just Meh. I thought then, and still do, that the MG versions and later facelift spoilt the design purity.
I fitted the wheels on this car for the last five years of its production 👍
I had Rover 600ti then 318 BMW I changed job as was given the MG version of 75, interior design and build quality were tremendous much nicer than the BMW
I loved my 2003 Rover 75 Turbo Connoisseur. I loved it until it died. Beautiful inside with lots of kit. .
I had a 1.8 Turbo Club SE about 8 years ago. I was really impressed with the engine, very tractable from low revs and came alive as the turbo spooled up. It was a much better car than the BMW it replaced and I thought I loved the BMW. I would love another.
The 75 is such a beautiful car, a proper Rover you could say, and this dark red colour is of the two best looking for me, together with the Light Blue, and those are some very good looking wheels, too!
The version that made the majority of the 75 sales in Greece (due to the taxation)
I will probably never have the chance to at least drive a 75. This is the best model from Rover although 820 is the classic of classics. Thanks for the great reviews.
Owned one for two years, I've made countless videos saying how good it is. Amazing cars.
Always loved the styling of the 75. Looks like a cousin of an old Jag.
Growing up in the 90’s, this is the first Rover I remember that was actually decent. Always loved them. I’m sure it did have two cup holders in the front, though
I had an identical 75, but diesel turbo. A flying machine. Uncatchable in third gear on full song. Still miss it.
Got a rover connoisseur racing green 1800cc 50000 miles like new my weekend summer car excellent car smooth quiet comfortable love going for a drive head turner 👍🇬🇧
Although my mind tells me never to buy a British vehicle again , I have owned a Range Rover and a couple of Jaguars in the past, if this vehicle had been available in the United States I probably bought one listening to my heart.
This car is beautiful and exudes Old World charm and British understated elegance.
I wish Rover could have had the money to do a "XJC" 2 door coupe of this, with a large BMW straight-six.
Love your attention to detail, great history.
You can also get into the boot by removing the skinny chrome trim around the numberplate, and with a screwdriver flick the lever open.
Useful consumer advice there!
An interesting appraisal of a fine old Rover.
When I bought my first MG ZT 1.8T years ago, reading comments on the enthusiasts web sites for these cars I was surprised to learn that those with greater experience of these fine old cars, were of the opinion that the 1.8T K-Series was the best engine option. Yes, better than the superb sounding smooth V6 and the BMW Diesel Engine versions. Ten years on, I now understand why they formed that opinion. You appear to confirm that in your description of the 1.8T drive.
They are a much better car than many sadly for whatever reason would have you believe.. Parts are still easy to obtain at reasonable prices too. The bonus with the 1.8T being the K-Series is a doddle to DIY service, maintain and even work on.
So impressed with my first ZT 1.8T purchase, that I bought very, very cheaply an MG ZT-T 1.8T from friend enthusiast with a partly dismantled engine. That was six years ago and it was easy to slot in an MG6 1.8T engine I had earmarked for a project car. The Chinese bought the MG-Rover IPRs and made a fine job of their version of the Rover K-Series 1.8T. That ZT-T has been my daily driver workhorse ever since having the very useful extra load carrying capacity.. Now seventeen years old still a delight to drive with that sharper MG ZED handling. On a long run I get high 30s mpg NOT driving with economy in mind. Ten years ago, tidy half decent examples could be picked up for little money. That is no longer possible.
It's impressive for not having an overly slow steering rack, something I was expecting to see when you were cornering. A chap not for from my house had a silver coloured V8 model but I've not seen it for quite some time. Maybe he'd dead and the widow sold it on !
One of the last cars ever that was an instand classic. The whole world loves them (except the British. They never wanted to be a Rover-owner). I have a very early PPD sample in a very rare colour scheme only availible for 1 year: pewter grey with aubergine (so, purplish) leather interior. 2.5 v6 automatic.it is a real head turner and people everywhere think you are loaded rich when they see it.
This car doenst even have the real wood dash and like the guy said. Even this looked soooo much better than others. The real wood dash (on early cars and optional on later ones) looks even nicer.
Early cars had a very loud dual tone horn.
Bmw acted on purpose killing Rover with the speech at its release. They needed 4x4 tech from landrover for their druglord car: the X5 and nicked the new compact designs, stuck a bmw nose on it and >bam< 1 series was born. Mini also looked promising so they kept that as well. Thats how you kill a company.
Note to the owner: clean your car before having it in a video. It NEEDS a polish in and out
I did indeed recognise the RCR reviewed car. The early Longbridge cars are generally regarded as just as good as the Cowley cars, I personally prefer the colour coded sills & find the quality of the 2001 cars & early 2002’s to be just as good as Cowley built cars. Having owned a 1.8T manual & owning a 2.5 V6 auto I can say the snobbery surrounding the V6 over the 1.8 engine was unfounded in my opinion. The 1.8T was better on fuel & quite punchy on performance but I never liked the sound of the engine or it’s slowness to get hot on cold winter mornings. The V6 isn’t as bad on petrol as popular received wisdom would have you believe although it’s still about 2-5mpg less. The V6 sounds much smoother but has to be really revved hard to get it to move fast. Overall I prefer my V6. As for auto vs manual, it’s really personal taste. I didn’t like the manual, the clutch was heavy & the gearbox knotchy & it was for this reason I switched to an automatic 75. Always happy to see a Rover 75 review & yes the time to buy is now, the values of good ones are rising & bad ones are fast disappearing into scrap yards.
nice to see the headgasket survived the journey....
I also heard that BMW kept the power back on the MGF so that it didn't compete with the Z3. I love that as soon as BMW sold rover they came out with the MGF Trophy 160 and the Z cars. Also there is a drivers cup holder but they always get stuck for some reason
Drivers cupholder was an option.
Great review! Bought a beautiful light sky blue 1.8 turbo this year. I absolutely love it and I can relate to your review so much. The boost from the turbo is very impressive, especially in 2nd and 3rd gear, totally unexpected, in fact I would call this a sleeper car. You are spot on about the V6. It is powerful but does take time to get up to speed and does have a lovely note. I also own a nice old English white diesel and for a diesel is fairly refined with good torque and usual 75 comfort. I think the turbo 1.8s are quite rare and as you say pricing can vary, I certainly see the v6s creeping up in value.
still in 2021 a beautiful car! you still see them on the road in Australia
Great Review Matt, I cannot wait to go out for a nice drive down the coast tonight for some fish and chips in mine. I liked the car when it came out but would have never considered one until a few years ago and prices are starting to creep up on these. I have Diesel auto in Connoisseur SE Spec in British Racing Green and it's a thing of beauty to look at. Loved the back story to how it was designed and codenamed ISIS...... Still a beautifal car today.
Im looking forward to seeing some video of your new toy soon, Ill probably be a bit jealous!
Project drive I worked at rover at the time and they experimented changing the rear to a h frame, we had an engineering car going around with a fiat rear suspension installed, but it was dropped. Pro drive engineered the v8 zt but it wasn't up to production std and so had to be reworked at rover
This really hurts! I remember following this 20 plus years ago, and had hoped it would come Stateside. Although it supposedly has retro looks, it still looks fresh and classic then and now. There were rumors it would arrive Stateside, but of course, that never happened. I remember seeing one (at least) in the Devon several years ago, and felt compelled to take a selfie with it.
I had a ztt cdti in grey as a company car. I felt very cool in it. The interior was superb. The engine was only 129 bhp and never lived up to its looks though.
This car with RWD and a 6 cylinder (you can hear in this video, why you want one) would have been very nice. Too nice for BMW, I believe.
I have the ZT version with chromactive paint finish. Had many "special" cars, but I love my MG. Owned it for 8yrs of it's 16 since manufacture. I still turns heads everyday.