I am very glad to see a such interesting club about MG XP.
We are working for built the new official website of mg x-power (as you know Mg x-power is again in production by Mr Riley) and will be glad to post in our website all your comments, techical advice, pictures,,,etc.
A coll idea could be if all you would like to write a page of our website .
MG X-Power SV-R
MG’s doomed SV-R is reborn as the everyday supercar.
Auto Express Car ReviewsText: Mark Nichol / Photos: Nathan MorganJune 2018Rating:
There have been better times to launch a supercar. In fact, there probably hasnt been a worse time: fuel prices are sky rocketing, green issues grow stronger by the day and the credit crunch means even the most affluent are tightening their belts.
So what chance is there for a supercharged 520bhp MG costing £85,000? Better than you might imagine…
But to really answer the question, its important to understand exactly how the MG brand has arrived at this place.
To summarise, a handful of cars, badges and mechanical parts slipped through the net when Nanjing Automobile bought MG Rover in 2005, and they were acquired by a British enthusiast called William Riley.
One of those vehicles was this, the MG X Power SV-R, which MG Rover had conceived as its halo supercar a flagship to revive the firms fortunes.
While the original model was famously under-developed, with a scruffy interior and teeth-rattling ride at low speeds, Rileys team has gone back to the drawing board to substantially improve things.
The result is a heavily reworked car that promises to answer the critics. Six a month will be built initially, spearheading a grand plan which also involves selling a soft-top, a fibreglass-bodied entry-level V6 and an electric version capable of 150mph and 0-60mph in five seconds.
First impressions arent great, as the exterior and cabin are the same as the old SV-Rs. Theres a fairly bland collection of parts, including Rover 75 components swathed in leather although bespoke options are available. A raft of tweaks under the skin has transformed the driving experience, however. The main change is the addition of a supercharger to the hand-built Ford 5.0-litre V8 engine used in the original SV-R. The unit has also been remapped and the cam timing altered, taking power from 385bhp to 520bhp.
New springs and dampers mean the ride is more akin to a hot hatch than a ferocious rear-wheel-drive supercar, yet traction control and a limited slip-diff keep the power in check when rapid progress is being made.
While the retuned hydraulic power-steering is light at first, it stiffens with speed, and what it lacks in outright feel it more than compensates for with accuracy.
The SV-R has a relatively mild-mannered nature when cruising. But floor the throttle, and the supercharged V8 propels it from 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds, while the maker claims the maximum speed is in excess of 200mph.
The MG is calm and docile, and never feels intimidating to drive. On more challenging roads the chassis offers huge amounts of grip. Even so, the traction control cuts in early to cancel out the inevitable wheelspin when cornering hard in second gear.
Theres no doubt that the SV-R is capable, but at £85,000, its competing with big-hitting heavyweights such as Porsche, as well as established British sports car firms such as Noble and Morgan. And prospective buyers may be put off by the MG badge on the nose.
Rival: Morgan Aero 8
The Aero 8 mates a BMW V8 with old-school open-top appeal. Driving dynamics are superb, thanks to the well judged suspension and aluminium body. Whats more, it costs £20,000 less than the SV-R.
I was just wondering if the chinese are making a new ZR as i have owend one for almost 2 years now and think they are such a nice fun little car and if the chinese were making one a would b realy tempted to buy it
Chinese-built MG TF sports cars will finally roll off production lines in Nanjing on May 20, it has emerged.
Nanjing Automobile (NAC) confirmed the date to a group of British journalists during a tour of production facilities.
The date is four months ahead of the expected relaunch of production of the two-seater at Longbridge.
NAC, which is far more open than of late, said there was a high degree of anticipation in China for the car and that it already has hundreds of advance orders for the model.
In expectation of the high demand, the company is arranging to take on an extra 1,000 people at its plant.
Yang Junhu, vice general manger of Nanjing MG, said: "It is a very exciting time for us we started work on this in 2005 and we think the car will be popular."
The success of the car in China may have a bearing on what happens at Longbridge. While confidence in MG in China is strong, in Europe there are fears the brand may have difficulty re-establishing itself.
The MG TF is based on a design which first appeared on UK roads back in 1995 and is thought to need something of a facelift if it is to grab the attention of more demanding European drivers.
This being said, the design of the TFs nearest rival Mazdas MX-5 is even older and that has retained its popularity with very little alteration.
NAC has pledged additional new models will be built at Longbridge in the near future, with one of them being an updated roadster and coupe.
Others are thought to be a new large car, possibly an updated version of the former 75 model, together with two new mid-range models. The Nanjing plant is already supplying engines and other body parts to the UK for eventual assembly at Longbridge.