BY the time Rover came up with the chunky ZR, the 25 it was based on was already well behind the times.

But the rework turned a staid family car into great looking and properly focused warm hatch.

It's agile and fun to drive even with the smallest 1.4, 104bhp engine - partly thanks to a close ratio gearbox - and prices are now down to very low levels.

And it's a measure of the design success MG-Rover's team came up with that the MG versions of its cars are still in demand years after the company went bust.

Bodykit, spoiler, fat tyres on pretty alloys and bright in-your-face colours have appealed to a wide range of buyers who would never have considered buying the 25.

Marvellous suspension gives excellent grip and road holding but the downside is a pretty hard ride. Sharp power steering with a chunky wheel gives all the right road feel and adds to the fun.

Other engines include a 115bhp 1.8 and the range topping 157bhp tuned version of the same size. There is also a 2.0-litre turbo diesel with 100 or 111bhp.

Inside are all the 25's failings of a poor driving position and cramped rear leg and headroom for taller people.

But it is available as a three or five door hatch and the re-worked interior is much more funky to look at and good to live with.