Phil Royle meets the one-off, 160mph, 500Ps, 380lb.ft, £250,000 MG Sport and Racing Development Department factory-built MG TF500 Extreme – by name, and by nature.

Word and pictures: www.roylemedia.co.uk

The dictionary describes the adjective ‘extreme’ primarily as ‘being of a high or the highest degree or intensity,’ and there can be no doubt that the MG TF500 Extreme is certainly that – three times more powerful than even the hottest TF, and yet still road legal. Looking solely at peak power, the standard K-series 1.8-litre (1.8i and Steptronic) started at 120Ps, while the more powerful VVC came in at 145Ps. Even the special Trophy Edition only pushed the K-series envelop to 160Ps thanks to a large bore exhaust and ECU re-map, while the most powerful MGFs, like the MGF Super Sports special edition built for the Geneva Motor Show, topped out at 200bhp from a supercharged 1.8-litre K-series. In contrast, the MG TF500 Extreme – or MG TF XPower 500, or MG TF XPower Extreme as it is also known – produces a spine-tingling 500Ps from its Le Mans race bred (XP20) turbocharged Cosworth two-litre engine. And rumour has it that this was a de-tuned figure on a small turbo at low boost pressure and that an easy 600+Ps was achievable.

2012 marks the MGB’s 50th birthday, and what better way to celebrate Britain’s best-loved sports car than with an uprated and updated version for the 21st century?

Words and pictures: Adam Sloman

The words ‘legend’ and ‘icon’ are all too common these days. However, if one car deserves that tag, it’s the MGB – a car not only popular with MG loyalists, but a sports car that has come to define much of the classic car scene. 2012 sees the car celebrate its 50th birthday, and MG specialists Frontline Developments chose to mark the occasion by creating what is, in their eyes, the ultimate MGB.

Tim Fenna founded Frontline 20 years ago and recalls how the concept for LE50 began. ‘Back in February 2010 we were looking for a way to celebrate MGB 50; we’ve been designing and building cars for 20 years and it’s our anniversary as a company too, so we thought: Why don’t we build a special? Then we thought: What gives us the right? But we talked about our idea with the MG Car Club and British Motor Heritage who were both very supportive, so we decided to go for it.’

Kyle Reyner has taken a Mk1 2003 ZS180 and transformed its appearance with suicide rear doors, a flip-flop boot, a Mk2 bodykit and hard-to-miss paintwork.

Words and pictures: Rob Hawkins

Like it or loathe it, there’s no denying the work that has gone into customising this ZS. We love it, and think it is a credit to Kyle Reyner and his dad Keith, who have spent the last four years figuring out how to fit a wide selection of parts to a Mk1 ZS180. And while the custom car scene may not be to everyone’s taste, there is no denying that it has been a platform for some of the world’s most talented designers who have gained the reputation and the funding needed to make the leap from custom car to concept car. Basically, we need a custom car scene to allow talented designers to develop their ideas on a low budget.

Kyle Reyner is one such designer who should take his talents further. Despite being a fully qualified panel beater, the recession has made it difficult to find work in this field. However, he has made great use of his spare time modifying a car that is not a natural first choice in the custom car scene. Indeed, five years ago Kyle was a typical teenager, whizzing around in a Peugeot 106, which was equipped with an outrageous bodykit. After a year, though, he had lost the hot hatch bug and fancied something else. ‘I wanted something bigger than the Peugeot 106, but not the usual Astra or Focus type,’ he comments. ‘The ZS or ZR seemed to fit, but I wanted a large engine, so that ruled out the ZR. A ZS V6 was the one I wanted, but it still had to be on an affordable budget.’

The MGB marks its 50th anniversary in 2012 and to begin our celebration of this major achievement, we talk to Don Hayter,one of the key players in creating this landmark model.

Report by: Mike Taylor

On the wall in Don Hayter’s study is a stylized poster of the MGF with a personal note to Don that says: ‘From one class act to another.’ It is signed by the MGF’s designer, Gerry McGovern, and is one of Don’s prized mementos.

Born in 1926 in Maidenhead, Berkshire the son of a policeman, Don joined Pressed Steel in 1942 as an engineering apprentice. ‘As well as aircraft parts, I worked on a parachute mine for the navy, parts for a Barnes Wallis sea mine and midget submarines,’ says Don. But when he is asked if he can trace his technical and drawing talent back to any family influence, he shakes his head and admits that he is unsure where his skills came from.

It was pure coincidence, though one that turned into a career-affecting decision, that saw Don joining a company in war time who, in peace time, made motor car bodies. When the conflict was over, all the old pressings were brought out of storage, cleaned up and body manufacture for companies such as Rootes, Jaguar and even Rolls Royce resumed.