Autoblog

Rendered Speculation: Will a new Roadster spearhead MG's return to America?

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, China, UK, Rumormill

Inside Line has a rendering of that still-in-the-works successor to the MG TF. It isn't exactly a shock, as it looks much like a slightly evolved version of the current and soon-to-be-dead MG TF. The real revolution will be what the body rests on and what powers it - Chinese owner SAIC is reportedly still playing around with platform possibilities, but it doesn't look like the company is any closer than before to finding a partner for that aspect of the project.

The roadster's motivation will be thanks to an engine in front turning the wheels in back, just as God intended. Powerplant options are said to be a small General Motors diesel, a conventional V6 and an in-house hybrid. The natural question posed is: where is the four-cylinder? Who knows, maybe SAIC plans to skip that step and pwn the Mazda MX-5 Miata with its revelatory handling chops. No matter which they choose, if the body in the illustration can be trusted, it will be handsome enough to make the attempt. No hurries on a decision - we still have three years before it goes into production, and we've heard promises of MG's revival in the States before, so we're not holding our breath.

[Source: Inside Line]

Rendered Speculation: Will a new Roadster spearhead MG's return to America? originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: All-new MG roadster in the works with gasoline, diesel and hybrid powertrains

Noah Joseph — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Hybrid, China, UK, Diesel, MISC

Hot on the heels of a report from one British car mag declaring the new MG6 - the company's first clean-sheet new product since its acquisition by Chinese automaker Nanjing - possibly the best-handling vehicle in its class come new reports that another all-new product is in the works for the iconic British marque.

According to Auto Express - which has, mind you, been known to jump the gun on the old rumor mill - engineers at MG are working on a new roadster. Unlike the aging Rover Metro-based TF (pictured above) and the plans to update the same, the new MG will go with a front-engine setup with a variety of powertrains on offer. Among them, a GM-sourced turbodiesel, a hybrid system similar to that found on the Honda CR-Z, and a gasoline V6. Sources expect to see the new MG roadster on the road by 2013... in the UK, at least. But if it proves as promising as the aforementioned MG6, we could have another hot Euro roadster to pine for Stateside.

What about the X120 project, supposedly aborted due to lack of funds? That could be back on the table as well, stretching the TF's mid-engine platform into more versatile dimensions. One roadster at a time, blokes.

[Source: Auto Express]

Report: All-new MG roadster in the works with gasoline, diesel and hybrid powertrains originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Apr 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Aborted plans for trio of new MG sportscar unearthed in new report

Noah Joseph — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Roewe, MISC

MG Project X120 - Click above for image gallery

As recently as five years ago, iconic British marque MG was in the midst of developing three - count 'em, three - new sportscars, according to various reports. Unfortunately, as MG Rover ran out of capital and was sold off to Chinese investors, the plans never saw the light of day. But that won't stop us from wondering what could have been.

The plan - known internally as Project X120 - included a replacement for the aging TF model, a successor to the diminutive Midget, and an up-market sportscar to take on the likes of the Porsche Cayman. The project, however, reportedly got itself into trouble when engineers realized that their plans revolved around using the TF's chassis, among whose shortcomings included a cramped cockpit with an awkward driving position. The injection of an extra £2 million to the £50 million overall budget could have afforded the program a new all-aluminum tub, but they just didn't have the cash.

The real kicker, from an American perspective at least, was that the business case for developing the new line of MGs necessitated the return to the North American market to pursue new potential buyers. And that's where we begin to weep and lament the MGs that could have been.

Gallery: MG Project X120

[Source: Auto Express and Austin Rover Online]

Aborted plans for trio of new MG sportscar unearthed in new report originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Mar 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Chinese-owned MG planning TF roadster successor

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:32:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, China

Although it probably plummeted off your radar around the time "My Humps" and "Don' Cha" were topping the charts, the MG TF remains in production. Well, kind of - the factory was idled last year, but it will restart in April. After this year, however, the owners of MG, China's SAIC, have called full-time on the mid-engined convertible. As an encore, MG is considering building a front-engined, rear-wheel-drive convertible that has the cojones to say "I'm looking at you, punk" to the Mazda MX5/Miata.

Of course that will necessitate light weight chassis, peerless dynamics and a cozy cabin. It also necessitates a new RWD platform, which is something SAIC isn't currently in possession of and doesn't want to foot the bill for alone. Assuming SAIC can hook up with a partner or the MG6 and its sibling sell like bottled water when they're introduced to Europe, the new roadster will come online around 2013. The odds are long, surely, but the fact that we're still talking about the possibility of a brand new MG warms the cockles.

[Source: Autocar]

Rumormill: Chinese-owned MG planning TF roadster successor originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Feb 2010 08:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Production lines halted at MG's Longbridge plant. This is not a repeat from 2005.

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, UK

It is a travesty that the initials "MG" are coming to be a convenient epithet for the term "woe." The British sportscar maker has had an exceedingly trying history recently, and things haven't got any better with word that its owner, MG Motor UK Ltd. (which is really Nanjing Automobile Corporation), is reportedly closing the company's Longbridge plant.

Production of the MG TF was back in order early last year, but economic turbulence made the factory's fortunes equally bumpy. It hasn't helped that the last couple of special editions the company has put out, the MGTF LE500 and the 85th Anniversary MGTF, haven't been so well received. MG Motor said it couldn't guarantee stability and now, 2009 production has ceased. There were rumors of a new 2010 MG model coming out... but that was a long time ago, and things have lately been as quiet as the now-shuttered Longbridge factory.

[Source: BBC]

REPORT: Production lines halted at MG's Longbridge plant. This is not a repeat from 2005. originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MG hatchback pictures surface

Dan Roth — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:31:00 EST

Filed under: China, Hatchback, UK

Nanjing is still hanging IV bags on the battered carcass of MG, and there's a new hatchback model coming for 2010 that the automaker hopes will breathe new life into the the brand. Based on SAIC's Roewe 550, the new hatchback is about the size of a Euro Focus, and will reportedly be built at the historical MG home of Longbridge, in the UK. The car looks a little flashier than the Roewe version, and engineers from Ricardo are lending development expertise to make sure the suspension settings are all that they should be. Inside, there's a BMW-esque instrument panel, and underhood will be a 1.8-liter four cylinder, either naturally aspirated or turbocharged. With the flurry of new activity at MG -- there's the MG TF and ZS, as well as more models coming soon -- color may be returning to the cheeks of a brand once thought as good as dead.

[Source: Auto Express]

MG hatchback pictures surface originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Roewe 550, 750 arrive in Chile as MGs

Alex Nunez — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:07:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Roewe

Remember the Roewe 550? Pretty nice-looking ride, especially for a Chinese car, considering some of the freakishly awful stuff that comes out of the country. SAIC apparently realizes that in terms of name recognition, MG > Roewe. Case in point: the introduction of the 550 and 750 sedans in Chile, where both cars are now being sold under the MG moniker by importer SK Bergé. The two four-doors will reportedly be joined by the TF roadster in November, but despite the traditionally British nameplate adorning their respective bonnets, all three are made in China. You know, like everything else. You can see a gallery of the brand's launch event in Santiago here. Thanks for the tip, Potts.

[Sources: Autoblog Spanish, Austin Rover Online]

Roewe 550, 750 arrive in Chile as MGs originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doh! All plans for return of MG to U.S. dead

Chris Tutor — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, China

Blame gas prices. Blame the housing market. Blame the dollar for being worth much less than it was in 2005. But ultimately, you'll probably need to blame the Chinese for the total lack of MGs being sold in the U.S.

Despite initial plans by MG's new owner, Nanjing Automobile Group Corp., to sell a U.S. version of the TF roadster, the company now says conditions are just wrong here in the States. "The U.S.A. isn't on the short-term radar as an anticipated market for us, but with the right product, it would be good to return there," Gary Hagen, marketing director of NAC MG, says in a story on Austin Rover Online. Of course, with the car also goes any hopes of a U.S. assembly plant in Oklahoma. The final twist of the knife is Hagen killing any hope of the company shipping Chinese-made kits to the U.S. for assembly.

Buck up, MG fans. You've waited 20 years. What's another 20? Right?

[Source: Austin Rover Online via Automotive News]

Doh! All plans for return of MG to U.S. dead originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rendered Speculation: MG TF is coming...

Dan Roth — Thu, 08 May 2008 07:58:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Roewe, Rendered Speculation

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]

Rendered Speculation: MG TF is coming... originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 May 2008 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nanjing turns the lights back on at MG's Longbridge, UK plant

Dan Roth — Wed, 30 May 2007 08:04:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, China, Europe, Plants/Manufacturing

It appears that despite the incredulous whining and snarky commentary about Britain's MG being purchased by Nanjing and renamed Modern Gentleman, the Jiangsu, China based automaker has the best interests of MG in mind. They've been exceptionally careful stewards so far, quickly ramping up production in a huge, modern facility in China so that MGs could once again roll off the assembly line for the 60th anniversary of the brand. The familial MG homestead in Longbridge, UK has been reinvigorated as the UK and European headquarters for NAC MG. Cars will once again be manufactured in Longbridge, and the location will also play a role in R&D, engineering, workforce recruiting and of course, sales. Not only has the move garnered goodwill for the Chinese parent company, it shows that they're committed to MG and have a long term plan in mind.

Press release after the jump.

[Source: NAC]

Continue reading Nanjing turns the lights back on at MG's Longbridge, UK plant

Nanjing turns the lights back on at MG's Longbridge, UK plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 May 2007 08:04:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MG still looking for dealers in the US

Frank Filipponio — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:54:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, China, Plants/Manufacturing

Do you remember the fight over the scraps of the once-proud Morris Garages (MG)? Remember how Nanjing Automobile Group ended up with the rights to produce MG vehicles? The ones that ended up being relabeled Modern Gentleman? And remember how there was a joint venture formed to build MG cars in the United States out of Chinese or British-made kits? Well apparently you're not the only one who forgot that last bit. After reading reports out of the UK that said the joint venture was dead, the venture's largest investor, Marc Nuttle, did a Mark Twain and told those involved that it is very much alive.

The apparent confusion resulted from the fact that Oklahoma Global Motors doesn't have its licensing proposal finalized. They fully expect to have it ironed out by April 16, however. Nuttle says the group is also looking to start establishing its 40 dealer network starting in April. Company President and former head of Lotus, John English, will conduct the dealer search. Nanjing recently restarted production of the "new" MG TF and MG7 sedan at the old MG works plant in the UK, nearly one year to the day after MG went on the block. The "new" TF is the model that should make it Stateside. If all goes as hoped, kits will be shipped to Oklahoma where they will be assembled and sold to U.S. customers.

[Source: Automotive News (Sub. Req.)]

MG still looking for dealers in the US originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MG may yet find a home in Oklahoma

Dan Roth — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 08:53:00 EST

Filed under: China, Plants/Manufacturing

The first Modern Gentleman has come off Nanjing's reconstituted assembly line in China, but we're getting conflicting reports about whether or not a rumored factory in Oklahoma will happen. Nanjing has been offered $20 million in incentives to come and build the MG TF where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain, but according to a recent report, the Ardmore, OK plant plans have been scrapped.

Nanjing hasn't made any formal response, but it appears that officials in Oklahoma are still working toward bringing the Chinese carmaker stateside and the Ardmore Development Authority is continuing to make efforts to bring the plant, as well as a parts distribution center, to Oklahoma.

Nanjing is China's oldest automaker, so it's not like they're neophytes; but, there's likely a learning curve about our emissions and safety regulations. Judging from how quickly the MG tooling was up and running after being shipped to China, we have no doubt that there will be a determined Chinese automaker offering cars for sale in the US in the near future.

Work continues on developing the airport and corralling the details among companies on three different continents, and supposedly they're currently completing due diligence before finalizing agreements. At least that's the rhetoric. We'll see how it all shakes out.

Thanks for the tip, Luis!

[Source: KOTV]

MG may yet find a home in Oklahoma originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Mar 2007 08:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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MG Rover returns to U.K.

Stuart Waterman — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Plants/Manufacturing

The Chinese owners of defunct British carmaker MG Rover have confirmed that car production will resume at the former MG Rover factory in Longbridge. Nanjing Automotive will build cars in China and the U.K., with Autocar suggesting that the MG TF Roadster (right) is the most likely vehicle to come out of the Longbridge plant.

A formal press conference is scheduled for the British Motor Show later in July.

[Source: Autocar]

Related links:
Rover vs. Rover in Chinese cage match!
Britain coughing up £660,000 to Nanjing to help restart MG-Rover factory
Nanjing Auto signs long-term lease for MG-Rover plant

MG Rover returns to U.K. originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 05 Jul 2006 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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