Classifieds' Car Of The Day: V6 MG ZS 180 For Under A Grand

We allowed ourselves to dream of expensive Aston Martins on yesterday's COTD, so for today's edition we thought it'd be best to bring things back down to Earth. And what better way to do that than with a dirt cheap V6 MG.

As we explained when featuring a V8-powered MG ZT recently, at the turn of the century MG was busy churning out tarted-up versions of ageing Rovers. As well as the Rover 75-based ZT, there was this, the 45-based ZS.

Under the bonnet of the 180 version there's a 175bhp 2.5-litre V6 sending power to the front wheels. 60mph comes in a respectable 7.3 seconds, and at the top end it'll do 139mph. The underpinnings may be ancient, but it's a good chassis, and due to the ZS using a sportier suspension setup than the old 45, it's damn good to drive.

This 2002 model is an utter bargain at a mere £895, and has only 64,000 miles on the clock. We're not sure it's possible to get a better performance car for the cash.