The MGF has very few styling links with its predecessors beyond the octagon-badge grille, which is very similar of the MGB. The car seems the have an impressive ability to look thoroughly modern, whilst still having a certain classical MG look.
It is fairly high -waisted, and though the front arches cut well into the body at the front, they do little to avoid the MGF looking slightly flat-sided. The MGF looks very stylish with the roof down, and equally so when the neat and easy fitting hood is up. There is also a hard top which can be easily fitted without the need to remove the existing folding roof.

For such a small car the interior space is very spacious, there is a large amount of legroom and plenty of headroom even when the roof is up. Other interior features are typically Rover, which generally fit in well with the overall look of the interior of the car.  The mid-engine layout leads to a high rear end to the car, and the rapidly disappearing bonnet line behind the relatively high dashboard could lead to visibility problems for the shorter MGF driver. But to compensate for this the almost fixed driving position is quite high in the car, giving the feeling that you are sitting on the car rather than in it.

Rover has done well to cram so much equipment into a car so small. And it is claimed that the boot is big enough to take two sets of golf clubs. Although there is space under the bonnet, most of this is taken up by the radiator, battery, ABS unit, and space-saver spare wheel, and is exposed to road dirt and grime.

MGF Mechanicals

For the MGF, the K-series engine has been bored and stroked out to 1,796cc. This required Rover to come up with the "damp" liner, ultra-lightweight pistons, and a plastic inlet manifold. By the end of the year, there will be a more powerful version with VVC - Variable Valve Control. Unlike Honda's V-TEC engine, VVC offers an infinitely variable cam period between two limits, though the amount of lift remains constant.
By putting the engine in the middle, Rover have been able to use its tried and tested transverse engine layout, whilst retaining the ability to use rear wheel drive. This also means they are able to use an equally tried and tested gearbox (from Honda), which is the same as is fitted to the Rover 600 and hence offers a gear change with lots of feel, but it a little imprecise.

Like a true sport car the MGF has fully independent suspension with double wishbones both at the front and rear. This is damped by the now well-tuned Hydra gas suspension system instead of more conventional springs and dampers. This is fine tuned through the use of anti-roll bars both front and rear.
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Equipment, Safety & Security

In keeping with MG tradition there aren't too many toys in the MGF, but you do get electric windows and central locking as standard, together with a decent stereo which can still be heard with the roof down due to the MGF's low levels of wind noise and buffeting. On the options list is a six-CD auto-changer and air conditioning. Also available later will be a luggage rack for the boot, ski, & bike carriers, and of course MGF mud flaps.