by "DaftRyosuke - So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!" (daft-ryosuke)
Published 09/14/2017 at 23:29

Tags: today I learned ; MG
STARS: 5

2003-2005 MG XPower SV.

Sometimes in the early 2000s, MG acquired DeTomaso/Qvale, the company that made the odd but quirky Mangusta roadster . It was around this time when Rover decided to position MG as the sporty variant to the more pedestrian Rover (think Pontiac vs. Buick). So, to show this, MG decided to take the underpinnings of the aforementioned Qvale Mangusta and make a balls to the wall, TVR-esque supercar called the XPower SV.

The original design, a concept car called the X80 , debuted in 2001. However, critics called the design too, “sedate,” so the lead designers went back to the drawing board to bring out the mad combination of vents and scoops you see here. Models went on sale in 2003, with prices starting at 65k pounds, leading up to 85k for the top of the line SVR model.

The SV was powered by a 4.6L Modular V8 (Jesus, another Ford V8), which produced 320 horsepower in stock form. However, MG was proud enough to sell faster versions with higher ratings, such as the 5.0L SVR with 385 horsepower, the SVR-S with a supercharged 4.6, and customers could even opt for a 1000 horsepower model with factory-approved nitrous oxide injection kits. Basically, this thing was absolutely bonkers fast.

The MG XPower SV club records that around 85 cars in total were produced, not including a few models that found their way to different countries outside the UK (including one in the states). The SV proved to be the only attempt at an MG performance car of this caliber, as soon after the car was phased out, MG was reinstated as a cheap city car brand, now selling small hatchbacks such as the MG3 and MG6.

Replies (4)

"Rock Bottom" (rockbottom81)
09/14/2017 at 23:51, STARS: 1

That last pic... How the hell is it going 279 kph in 5th gear in an alley with no driver!?? Is that an early self-driving mode by Lucas Electronics?

;)

"Svend" (svend)
09/15/2017 at 02:10, STARS: 0

It’s a shame what MG is now When MGRover Group was bought by the Chinese, they uprooted the entire production lines of the Rover 75 and the MGF (this after a few weeks of training some Chinese workers how to use it).

They kept the MGF exactly as before and the Rover 75 became Roewe (because Ford didn’t want the Chinese having the Rover title as Ford owned Land Rover and thought any bad press for Rover would impact on Land Rover).

MGF.

Then these pieces of crap started arriving. At first assembly was done at Longbridge from parts shipped over from China but more recently they moved all production to China with only design and R&D done in the U.K.

GS.

MG3

MG6

"Svend" (svend)
09/15/2017 at 02:25, STARS: 1

MG made some nice cars.

MG RV8 (essentially a more modern MGB) with a 3.9 litre V8.

Later ones were just sportier Rovers.

MG ZR (aka Rover 25)

MG ZS (aka Rover 45)

MG ZT (aka Rover 75)

MG ZTT (aka Rover 75 tourer)

"SCARPS22" (SCARPS222)
09/15/2017 at 13:33, STARS: 0

Ok, MGA, MGB, MGC, MGF, What’s next MGG, and maybe MGGGT?