Guide to fuel efficiency
James Timpson has been in touch to say "I've been reading the V8 website on and off for a few years now and always found your useful links page great for finding more helpful info for my cars. I thought I'd return the favour by suggesting a resource I've found really useful recently. It's the Truck Fuel Efficiency Guide. It's about making your vehicle (and your driving) as fuel efficient as possible. What with Christmas coming up, we all need to save money somewhere! Really interested to know what you think of my suggestion". More

We are pleased to hear visitors enjoy the V8 website as I have tried since it was launched in 2002 to create an information resource with material which is interesting, lively and topical. My approach to maintaining the website has been content, functionality and design although earlier this year I did a design change so the core webpages are now 900 pixels wide. So the emphasis is on good content - our aim is for quality and an active website and that also applies to the V8BB. The Recent Changes webpage is an idea recommended by Dr Gavin Bailey some years ago which provides a place regular visitors can go to see what's new.
Posted: 141124
Whilst the guide is clearly aimed at truck operators and drivers, James Timpson feels it is a useful resource for general motoring. The guide covers a checklist that can be applied to general motoring - what affects fuel consumption, essential daily checks of lights and tyre pressures, route planning with a satnav and traffic congestion alerts, weather conditions, the choice of fuel and the use of any upgrades like electronic ignition and rechipping an ECU.
My response to James was I felt many MGV8 enthusiasts would read the information on the Trucker's Guide website with two mindsets:

First driving an MGV8 when frankly on a limited mileage and driven for fun, acceleration and gear changes and within limits speed are part of the fun of having an MGV8. But on the motorways I find driving an MGBGVTV8 can be uncomfortable in heavy traffic because getting out of the nearside or centre lanes at 70 mph to overtake is often difficult with the slow relative speeds of modern cars on cruise control. They often hang off your rear wing and block you as they cruise along as centre lane hoggers or CLODS. I feel they no longer drive in a way which anticipates other road users needs and likely moves. So often I feel accelerating to 85mph (which you can do easily in a V8 - you have 105 mph available in third overdrive for example) simply to get out ahead of a cruiser is necessary and occasionally accelerating to get away from a bunching pack of cars which drive with so little space with the car ahead is a wise safety move. Another disadvantage of an MGV8 on even moderately congested motorways is modern cars have become so much bigger and taller, so in the MG you are low down which in heavy traffic restricts the view of the road ahead and behind too. So I usually try and drive the MG early in the mornings and avoid, where I can, "rush hour" periods. Then the pleasure of the open road in an MGV8 can be enjoyed - not sheer speed, but the joy of flexible V8 power where hills melt away and the car burbles along.

Second driving a modern car as I enjoy the comfort and fuel economy - London to Inverness on almost one tank, if I did not refuel at fuel stations I know have good prices before getting north of Stirling. With an average from new of 46mpg, 55mpg on some routes and frequently approaching 60mpg on stretches of road, it's also an economical car. I enjoy the comfort with aircon, the quietness, good visibility and cruise control. I do not have an automatic and find the 6 gears are good with 40 mph/1000 rpm in sixth gear. The MGBGTV8 was always regarded as long-legged at 29 mph/1000 rpm so my daily car is a quantum leap on.


V8 Register - MG Car Club - the leading group for MG V8 enthusiasts at www.v8register.net