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ALL DAY Good day This article talks about how musicians in 2003 created the best sound roadster MG TF 160 PLEASE do not judge strictly for the translation googol MAGIC OCTAGON

MG TF160 • Studio «Major Auto Studio»

Andrew Elyutin

There are machines that are always on the ear and mind. Emergence of a new BMW, for example, waiting for all car world. There are machines that manage to travel around the planet in droves, but remain almost unnoticed. Who, tell me, holding my breath, meets the novelty of "Fiat"? And there are those that for decades attracted the attention of a completely inexplicable reason. MG just like that. And I hope readers will forgive for what, before reaching the music in the MG TF, I will take away from them the time to talk a little bit about something else.

Swan Song MG

MG, probably the best British car. More British than a Rolls-Royce or Bentley. Those always stand out, they are respected, but they do not fall in love. Breed their empire can rule the world, or to break up into pieces, to fight with Germany or to drag ammunition transatlantic uncle, and the "Spirit of Ecstasy" on the hood flies at the same speed and in the same direction, as if nothing happens. MG - other. They reflect not only the British character, but also the history of the country for over three quarters of the last century.

Using today's terminology, we should say that the MG brand emerged as a tuning stock car. Two letters, then enclosed in an octagon and revered by thousands of enthusiasts around the world mean Morris Garages. This is in the 20s was the distributor Morris cars in Oxford. Can be considered - wholesale shop. In 1922 the post of manager took some Cecil Kimber, who was little to sell cars, he began to offer customers modify the standard Morris Cowley with a lowered suspension and sportier than conventional Cowley, bodies, which in those days, of course, made separately from the rest of the vehicle.

«Tuned» Cowley diverged so well that two years later they began to sell under their own name «MG Special four-seater Sports», at the same time was born and octagonal logo, to see on the, then still, upcoming century ups and downs, but it has not changed 1924 is almost complete.

In the 30s the name is almost synonymous with MG sports car produced by Kimber body have become classics, and serious competitors MG almost was not. Rather, the competition was, but as it were home, with brands Austin Healy and Triumph, which, like MG, at various times included the concern British Motors, later - British Leyland.

The remarkable thing about cars MG, and the oldest and the newest, that, in fact, was the basis for a brand called "the most British" is that never any major technical innovations in these cars was not in sight, and the power of engines cylinder capacity not exceeding in most pre-war models 1300 cubes, was modest even in sport, and to usual standards.

In peace time chemberlenskoe MG sports car rivet one after another, from time to time trying to move beyond the stereotype created by them small English sports car with a full-size models, but each time returning to brisk crumbs, one of the most popular pre-war MG is called: midget, «midget."

In the second half of the 30th issued MG "T" series, in alphabetical order, always loved this brand: "TA", "TV" and so on. Model «TF» was supposed to be the next bestseller, and has become, but not right away.

Release it at the end of 1939, as planned, it was not possible because of the events in Europe occurred in the same year. MG factory in Abingdon, like the rest of the British people, stood up on the workload until the end of the war produced parts for aircraft guns, tanks and other serviced.

And when there was peace, rights holders octagonal emblem saw that everything has changed. Industry was crushed, raw materials (almost all) - in short supply, and a new, socialist (as the British themselves called it), the Government has put all manufacturers before selecting "Export or die." On the domestic demand especially not count. Most automakers did not have a portfolio of new models when they had to develop something ... So they shook off the dust from the former pre-war novelties and let them flow. For most it was a step into the abyss: luxury limousines prewar pattern of demand is not found. MG was in the minority, "crumbs" were more likely to sell. Slightly modified TF released on the market, including - American. The Americans were stunned and fell in love.

On the American highway, among bellied "Buicks», MG TF looked like "Ferrari" at the three stations. Hinged wings barely tidied them headlights, there is almost no carved doors, spoked wheels, - it all looked to Americans as refined British refinement, and has given rise to a certain style of driving around in the British sports car. At MG flying between New York and Boston's richest character once very popular novel (and movie) «Love Story». The Yankees did not know that this chic - not to boast, but from the lack of new models.

At this update took ten years, but in 1955 there was a body MGA no protruding wings, seven more years left on it to give up the frame structure, the first monocoque appeared at MGB in 1962. MGB sold very well, but the ensuing MGC was greeted very cold and became a regular, already the second, the swan song of MG.

In 1980, the leadership of British Leyland, trying to save the group from death (from which in the end was rescued Honda and BMW), decided that the only valuable thing in the brand MG, - a brand. Production of cars in Abingdon was told to stop, and MG octagon nail on the ordinary, lacking any special car will take Metro, Maestro and Montego, today completely forgotten. Did not save their magic octagon.

But the second swan was not fatal. The new owners, despite notable Japanese accent, were more British than the former. In 1992, carefully test the market by releasing model RV8, essentially - upgraded MGC. It turned out that the world has changed slightly again, the car "went". This was the signal for forcing started even earlier work on the first fundamentally new MG for 30 years - MGF.

MGF instantly became a cult, right in the Geneva Motor Show 1995. Mid-engined car at the price of a good but ordinary family sedan, and with British ancestry.

Improve their business English, and even more so sworn after Scarlett O'Hara never starve Americans have become very active in favor of MGF put signatures on checks, and, considering the historic significance of the new take-off MG, the company released an upgraded srednemotornik, calling it in honor of different historical models - MG TF.

As with all previous MG, this car emergency power is no different. The most powerful model, TF 160 is just 160 forces derived from a very compact engine, planted across the central part of a small, 20 cm shorter than the ancient VAZ, body. Behind get something like the boot, which designers are proud of, it is 200 liters ("enough to comfortably accommodate two bags of golf clubs", a quote from the press release of the company). At VAZ "penny" - more 400. But, apparently, two bags in the TF for some people better than trunk full of roots in the "penny". Four MG TF, received the dealership Major Auto, were bought during the week. Three left, moved to fourth box "musicians" ...

NELEBEDINAYA SONG MG

A lot of hiking around the main TF musicians Major Auto Studio Nikolai Polyakov and Maxim Crecy. Mikrobagazhnik, but still separated from the passenger compartment intact two defense lines - motor and folding top, in the argument put there subwoofer does not produce any hope. The space under the fact that other machines called the hood, it was for this is even less appropriate. Not only that, its volume is occupied almost the entire battery electric (!) Power steering, which is just a transition from the right wheel to the left, and every little thing necessary for the operation of the vehicle. The front luggage compartment (never intended to be used as such), as opposed to the rear - not an isolated bay, and windswept, the bottom of it does not, as a conventional engine compartment. Plenty of room for maneuver acoustic appeared minimal.

Still, the system delivered. As an established source Alpine CDA-7998R Wide Face, with a sliding panel one and a half size. The second source - compact 6-disc CD changer. Alpine choice was not accidental: it was clear in advance that you have to split hairs with a time delay, the acoustic environment in the open double cabin with very limited freedom of layout difficult acoustics. As it turns out, stands for placing tweeters are not suitable because of the atypical form of the windshield, and even due to the fact that in such machines glass frame and performs the function of the arc security. Pishchalki appeared in the upper part of the door upholstery, and in this arrangement the maximum wavelength path difference. Without time correction catch nothing. Midbass kit Boston Pro 6.5 in the door stood relatively easy, of course, with the alteration of the structure and the tightening of upholstery. Tweeter and midbass pairwise connected to its channels 5-GT-channel 50 in order to subsequently pick them for individual delay Wide Face possibilities in this respect is almost unlimited.

Amplifier and CD changer occupied the whole wall of the luggage compartment, facing the engine, but the luggage capacity (in the golf bag) is not significantly affected. Had to solve the problem with the subwoofer.

If the enemy does not give up ... well, if there is no trunk, we will put in the cabin. In gigs with toy rear seats them in such cases, you have to sacrifice. Here and sacrifice proved nothing: the formula 2 + 2 is incompatible with the dignity of the British sports car. Only two places.

Then subwoofer make a third: he sat down between the seat and hugged as if both hands on the shoulders of the driver and passenger. Not on the tide of tenderness, and for extra volume, which is located in the "hands" of the headrests. As a result, managed to collect 20 liters inside.

Subwoofer to work in an open cabin to play lower than intended for the sedan, which helps transfer function. Therefore, as an acoustic phase inverter design has been selected with the tuning frequency of 35 Hz. But by all accounts such frequency and such a volume mean quite a long tunnel. For which little space inside the subwoofer, and it is absolutely not out of it, do not pull the same pipe to the dashboard ....

The solution was found non-trivial: stepping into the case, the tunnel diameter of 66 mm to 120 mm passes, and then divided into two diameter of 48 mm, which is about equal to the total cross-sectional area. The resulting "trousers" wrap around the sides of the magnet and the speaker are located on the top, the expanding part of the body.

The case itself is made in these outlines, of course, entirely out of fiberglass. With the "native" armrest while he did not get along architecturally, so armrest made a new way, more convenient staff.

On the day of the shooting installers just started setting soundstage. Levels and frequencies section has been exposed, and the opportunity to drive the system was at a good level. Feeling of close working subwoofer was initially very unusual, but as far as the selection of the synchronous delay front "third passenger" suddenly started as if to disappear, and the bass has concentrated on the windshield. To delay the removal of the front channels when we just started, but already the first steps was noticeable how aggressively to attract attention Tweeters went out of the car, and the scene - to rise above the dashboard. Effect - a magical, as if we, together with the machine placed in a magic octagon ...

An underseat sub works well.