MG XPower SV

By: David Knowles .

There are a few names in the motoring world that stand head and shoulders above all others in the affections of the public; without doubt MG is one of them. But this much- loved marque has seen more ups and downs than most — the most recent being the collapse of MG Rover. Up until this watershed, though, the MG name had been at the forefront of the company's efforts to revive their business after emerging from the ruins of a five-year marriage to BMW, and a significant part of this effort was channelled into a new high-performance sports car — the first since the 1960s at least. That car is the MG XPower SV.

This is the story of how the specialist Italian car industry came to form part of an ill-starred venture with a major American backer that led to a car — the Qvale Mangusta -- which was, in turn, seized upon by MG Rover as the basis for a new flagship sports car. This project, which saw the Mangusta extensively re-engineered, and restyled by team leader Peter Stevens, led initially to the MG X80, which was unveiled, with unfortunate timing. on 11 September 2001.

That car would not see production, but it led directly to the XPower SV, an altogether more purposeful-looking machine. Powered by a V8 engine from the Ford Mustang. and constructed in fr large part from carbon fibre, the SV represented a complete departure for MG, and the car's raw looks and performance drew praise from much of the press.

This book has been written as the project has evolved: no stones remain unturned; no facts have been airbrushed from history. The author had access to the key personnel involved from an early stage. and the various project detours and crises are set out in detail against the background of the trials and tribulations of the parent company. Whatever the future holds for the MG marque, the important part that the MG XPower SV has played it its evolution will remain. This book is its testament.

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