It's a shame they just didn't update the Trad.
That's pretty much what they did, isn't it? You can picture the thought process.
1. What's the biggest problem with the trad? - Suspension
2. Front?: we need to get rid of the sliding axle and go to wishbones
3. Rear? We're stuffed by the underslung chassis, need to get rid of that.
4. Chassis Compliance? The chassis is nowhere near stiff enough, let's get rid and go for bonded aluminium like Lotus, plenty of expertise in that area
5. Engine? The Rover V8 is ancient, let's go to BMW, they're very helpful
6. Anything else? Well, it's all a bit dated. Let's update the styling a bit.
7. What about all the traditional stuff like poor build quality, leaky hood, ropey ergonomics? Oh, they're all part of the character, we'll keep them!
