MG X-Power SV-S WRC

[Pebb]

Source: Auto Express

It's the British supercar set to raise the roof! This is the MG X-Power SV-S WRC - and Auto Express is the first and only magazine to get up close to the newcomer.

Set to be officiallly unveiled in January next year, the car you see here is an early development prototype - but as you can see it already looks stunning in neon orange paintwork.

Based on the MG X-Power SV-S we drove in issue 1,016, the WRC (William Riley Convertible) retains the coupé's supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine but replaces the roof with a manual cloth hood. This means the open top SV-S gains very little weight, even with the chassis strengthening required after losing the fixed head.

There'll also be a non-supercharged SV-R version and, later, a fibreglass-bodied variant - set to cost less than half the Kevlar-bodied SV-S pictured here!

The SV-S WRC is our issue 1,032 cover star, so make sure you pick up your copy when it hits the shelves tomorrow to get all the details on this amazing newcomer - as well as a scoop on what's coming next from the UK maker!

 

[Jim Prower]

Wait, what? where did this come from?

 

[Jondot]

Wait, what? where did this come from?

I would say...

One of these:

Some of this:

And one of these:

Not really impressed. I'm getting a little tired of re-heated MG leftovers, and I'm rather surprised that Auto Express have got so excited. Particularly as they don't appear to have done anything more than chopped the roof off - I'd expect at least a mild facelift. Meh.

 

[homeforsummer]

As ever, Jondot, that cracked me up

I'm not impressed either though. I do actually like the normal SV, and I was at the motorshow a few years back when they originally unveiled it, and it looked stunning. But the lack of roof looks like a really heavy-handed approach... though I guess the car isn't on the cutting edge of sophistication. The Mustang engine looks like peering into the workings of a washing machine.

 

[Joey D]

It looks like someone slapped a Dodge grill on the front of Z3 and took some TVR tail lamps. I don't really care for it at all.

 

[Holdenhsvgtsr]

It looks like someone slapped a Dodge grill on the front of Z3 and took some TVR tail lamps. I don't really care for it at all.

You forgot the Fiat Punto headlights.

 

[Joey D]

You forgot the Fiat Punto headlights.

They still look very Dodge to me. In fact the whole car could've come out of Auburn Hills, MI about 7 years ago and I would have never though twice.

 

[Jim Prower]

Would've arguably had a better engine, too, at least by now.

 

[TheCracker]

Looks like a badly made kit-car.

 

[Famine]

Amazingly, the MG XPower SV was almost completely unaffected by all the shenanigans surrounding MG/Rover and has, bar a short hiatus in 2007, been in constant production since 2002.

Admittedly this only stretches to about 80 actual vehicles, but even so... That said, no two are the same. There's a whole bunch of colours, trim specifications and at least 5 engine options (4.6 and 5.0, both available with superchargers, and a factory nitrous option on the 5.0 supercharged) of which I know. I guess an orange convertible adds another colour and a body style.

And they are Punto headlights.

 

[TheCracker]

Sounds even more like a kit-car now

 

[Tornado]

That said, no two are the same.

As in, Jaguar XJS no two are the same? Or was that just a comment on how many different options it has?

 

[Famine]

As in, Jaguar XJS no two are the same? Or was that just a comment on how many different options it has?

A hefty portion of both.

There is an MG X-Power SV register on the internets. Even if you can find two the same colour (which isn't easy on its own) with the same trim level, they'll have different engines. And now we get a body style option as well...


Mind you, I encountered a drag MG X-Power SV at the weekend - silver with yellow stripes and a parachute (compulsory for 150mph+ 1/4mi cars)...

 

[Sting]

Prefer it with a roof to be honest. I thought the XPower had died long ago, guess I was wrong.

 

[Famine]

They've been in constant production since 2002 - albeit only 64 were made before Riley bought the rights in April. It's alleged he can build up to 6 of them a month and has taken nearly 50 orders so far, delivering 5 cars.

Considering the top spec car was a supercharged 5.0 V8 with wet nitrous, pushing out over a thousand horsepower 3 years before the Veyron, it's something of a beast.

 

[Tornado]

Especially when it is built on a chassis designed for re purposed Mustang parts in the late-90s by a crazy Argentinian man.

 

[Jim Prower]

And engine parts built by a company owned by a Cat in a Hat.

((Sorry to any Jack Roush fans out there.))

 

[Eric.]

It looks like someone slapped a Dodge grill on the front of Z3 and took some TVR tail lamps. I don't really care for it at all.

You saved me some typing.

 

[Moglet]

They've been in constant production since 2002 - albeit only 64 were made before Riley bought the rights in April. It's alleged he can build up to 6 of them a month and has taken nearly 50 orders so far, delivering 5 cars.

I've seen a few of them around here in the Midlands, since it's their 'home' and they look awesome IMO, especially up close. A guy I know had one for a bit, he took it to a Rover show I went to. The interior was spot on.

 

[JCE]

Nothing gets my pants more happy than a V8 with a roots supercharger. Yummy.

 

[Dead_Poetic]

Thats ugly. This looks a lot better.

 

[buickgnx88]

Thats ugly. This looks a lot better.

Looks great! 👍

Love those red x's!

 

[Robin]

I really liked the original MG Xpower SV, looked really nice and all im proportion... this new one doesnt look all that, nothing has been really updated and it looks horrible in neon orange... GIVE US AN ALL NEW MG ALREADY!

Robin

 

[Famine]

I really liked the original MG Xpower SV, looked really nice and all im proportion... this new one doesnt look all that, nothing has been really updated

It's the same car.

Riley has been building the MG Xpower since the start of the year, having bought the rights to the car - and the car only. The MG Xpower SV (or more correctly, the MG Xpower WR as it is now) he builds is just the same as the original car. This convertible version merely sits in the range as an optional body style - which means there's now 10 body/engine combinations for a car that only ever sold 64 in the first place

GIVE US AN ALL NEW MG ALREADY!

He can't. All Riley can build is MG Xpower SVs - he has no rights to the MG name.

 

[Robin]

It's the same car.

No I know that! Im just saying it could have maybe done with a facelift... a good example is the Veyron coupe and convertable... same car, just new bits of panel and new light clusters... basically what im saying is that they could have freshened it up with some LED's or something!

I take it Riley also have the rights to the MGXPower name and badge... Im glad they took up its production because it does look really nice, even with Punto lights!

When I was taking about giving us a new MG I was taking about Shanghai Automotive giving use a new MG!... which they can do, actually I heard a while back that there would be an all new MGZS based on the new Roewe 450.

Looks really good!

Robin

 

[Moglet]

Looks really good!

Robin

They need to get those wheels off though, they looked terrible in the early 00's and they look terrible now.

 

[buickgnx88]

They look just like the wheel covers off the early 2000's Malibu or Impala.

 

[Tornado]

He can't. All Riley can build is MG Xpower SVs - he has no rights to the MG name.

So what does he call it?

 

[Famine]

The MG XPower WR. He bought the rights to the car and its name, but they must wear MG Xpower badges only.

 

[Tornado]

So the car isn't actually an MG officially anymore, MG is just part of the car's official name?