THINK of an estate and you would not normally imagine it smashing world landspeed records.
But that is exactly what the lightning quick MG ZT-T did on the salt flats of Utah in America in September 2003.
The Longbridge-built vehicle became the world's fastest estate car by roaring to an astonishing 225.609mph - and this was without any kids in the back demanding 'Are we nearly there yet?'
The road version of the ZT-T became MG Rover Group's first large family estate three years ago after BMW sold its interest in the Birmingham company to Phoenix Holdings.
The new car was a deliberate attempt to take fresh aim at the lucrative executive market and it has proved a sales success.
The ZT-T 1.8T I had for the week was big, bold and powerful and offered a combination of sports style, performance and handling.
The vehicle, which comes with chunky 18 inch alloy wheels, is fitted with a five-speed, 1.8-litre turbo petrol engine which provides a powerful 160bhp.
The stats show that, officially, the ZT-T takes just under nine seconds to achieve 0-62 mph and it has a top speed of 130mph. But put your pedal to the metal in this larger-than-life model and those statistics seem a little wide of the mark.
I found the acceleration for such a big car very impressive. And with 160mph on the speedometer dial, I suspect the 130mph top speed figure could be beaten pretty easily - if there was a salt flat around to test my theory on.
But of course, speed and power are not necessarily the main selling point for estates - space is. And the ZT-T has bags of it.
This is an absolutely enormous car which is 4.7m long, 1.8m wide and 1.4m high. It comfortably fits two adults in a very spacious front compartment, three kids in the back - and the family dog in the large boot.
The interior is smart and comfortable and nice little touches like a leather steering wheel and sports-style seats and door casings give the car that little bit extra over other standard estates.
Handling, aided by power steering, is pretty good although I found negotiating tiny roundabouts a little tight because of the car's length.
Braking too, is excellent, with ABS fitted as standard.
An optional extra on my test car was the £425 'Driver's Intelligence Pack' which includes a beeping ultrasonic parking aid. I'd say splash the cash for this as it's great for getting into those tight car parking spaces.
Overall the ZT-T is a classily engineered, good looking motor which has lots to offer the executive/family car buyer and is fairly reasonably priced at £21,000.
At least one ambulance authority has bought these estates to use as rapid response vehicles to attend emergency incidents - making the ZT-T a real-life ambulance chaser.
FAST FACTS
MG ZT-T Plus 160 Estate
Price: £20,995
Mechanical: 160bhp, 1,796cc, 4cyl petrol engine driving front wheels via 5spd manual gearbox
Max speed: 130mph
0-62 mph: 8.9 secs
Combined mpg: 34.9
Insurance group: 15
CO2 emissions: 194g/km
BiK rating: 24%
Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles; 6yrs anti-rust; 6yrs paint