There's a new MG TF on its way to replace the current TF, which is once again rolling out the doors at its Longbridge, UK ancestral home. The new TF will be available as a roadster, natch, and as a coupe, and based on the Roewe 550. AutoExpress has worked up some renderings based on insider information about the new rear-drive MG, and the car amounts to a smorgasbord of cues from a variety of unfortunately styled vehicles. There's a lot of X80 concept, a dash of the crosseyed Qvale Mangusta, and a peppering or two of the MG SV, too. The end result looks like something Noddy assembled in a candlelit workshop, but then again, so does the existing MG TF. The underlying platform for the new TF is one of the last vestiges of MG Rover, and would have been used for the MG ZS/Rover 45 replacement. Ricardo also played a role in the development of the chassis, which will have a turbocharged 1.8-liter four and a 2.5-liter V6 as power options. Still, more coupes in the MX5's sandbox can't be a bad thing, so we wish the new MG TF well, and hope that it comes to the United States for a proper taunting.
[Source: Auto Express]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Yago Bal @ May 8th 2008 8:04AM
How on earth can it be based on the Roewe 550 and be rear-drive? Can someone explain me? Dan? :)
JayP @ May 8th 2008 9:21AM
The old Rover 75 chassis was based off the BMW 5 chassis when it was part of BMW. Whatever is left of the old 75 must still be in the 550.
There were V8 powered sedan based off the 75 in '04, both as MG and Rover.
Yago Bal @ May 8th 2008 9:33AM
No it wasn't, JayP. :)
The 75 is/was front-driven.
OB1 @ May 8th 2008 9:51AM
MGR produced a rear drive version of the Rover 75, with the V8 engine.
As the rear suspension is based around BMW suspension, adding rear driveshafts wasn't too hard.
This platform as I understand is a shortened R75 platform, hence they can produce a RWD version.
Yago Bal @ May 8th 2008 10:22AM
Thanks: that's a precious detail! :)
SPG @ May 8th 2008 8:21AM
Awesome, keep the brand alive.
John Starnes @ May 8th 2008 8:26AM
I find it to be both beautiful and very creative looking.
Chen @ May 8th 2008 8:33AM
what is a natch? is another autoblog term for "nasty hatch?"
Gstill @ May 8th 2008 8:49AM
That ain't no MG.
JayP @ May 8th 2008 9:10AM
Agreed.
epilonious @ May 8th 2008 1:48PM
stick a pencil through the roof in a few places.... and break off any fan-control knobs.
Then it will be nostalgic enough.
Mike @ May 8th 2008 9:25AM
British/Chinese cars always have been a little...uh...different looking.
Dazza @ May 8th 2008 9:54AM
JayP: the Rover 75 was not based on the BMW 5-series.
Yago Bal: all 75's were front-drive with the exception of the V8 models which were rear-drive.
Azrael4h @ May 8th 2008 7:42PM
Which is the same as saying not all Rover 75 were front drive.