As I said in my first response and backed up by others this steel pressing is to help stiffen the bodyshell. MG Rover found that the MGF needed stiffening even more and the TF included extra braces under the spare wheel well, the dashboard braces and the above engine braces. MG Rover would not have added extra stiffening if it was not needed, however if you just potter around then as I said it may not make a noticeable  difference.
Until I get another "run around" car we are using the TF to take garden rubbish to the tip and despite it being smaller than my old Fabia estate I can get almost as many bags in the boot! It never bottoms out on the speed bumps that our other car scrapes the under body on, the TF never touches them. It must be a problem to some though because someone else asked the same question about removing the reinforcing panel on another forum a few weeks ago.

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