UK Insurer Parts the Most Unreliable and Costly Car to Fix

In an article on a BMW-faced Honda Accord we found for sale on Craigslist back in 2008, we wrote that in a perfect world, our ultimate car would be “designed by Italians, engineered by Germans, built by Japanese and marketed by Americans”.

So, what’s the worst car one could imagine? Well, if we played around with the above statements, we’d say one designed by Japanese, engineered by Americans, built by Italians and marketed by Germans.

But UK insurance firm Warranty Direct had something a little bit different in mind. Instead of playing the origin card, the company decided to check out its database of 50,000 live policies on cars aged five years on average to part the UK’s most unreliable vehicle that would break down every other month and cost an average of £2,050 (equal to US$3,270 - €2,330) to fix each year.

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Posted on 08.34 / 0 comments / Read More

Silverstone Organisers Ask: What is the Best British Sports Car of All Time?

The fifteen finalists in the Silverstone Classic’s, “Best British Sports Car of All Time” vote-in have been announced, and boy is there some choice picks. Before we get to that though, can I just point out a misnomer in using the, “of All Time” qualifier?

This assumes (prophetically?) that Britain will not be making any more sports cars in the future, whereas, “Best British Sports Car So Far” would be a far more accurate description. But enough with semantics: who are our lucky finalists? Read on….

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Posted on 09.01 / 0 comments / Read More

MG Preparing an Array of New Models to Conquer Europe

SAIC Motor Corporation, the owner of MG Motors, plans to develop several new models for the British brand in order to boost sales outside its home market in China. The Chinese owner of MG Motors has already spent £1 billion ($1.64 billion) to re-launch the MG and Roewe brands (former Rover) and intends to invest another £2.2 billion ($3.6 billion) to achieve annual sales of 700,000 by 2015.

In 2010, the two brands sold 160,397 cars, most of which were delivered in China, with only 2,000 units exported to other markets. This past April, MG launched its new mid-size MG6 in the UK, the first new car to be assembled at the British firm’s Longbridge plant in 16 years. The company said that when it completes the development of a diesel version, it will offer the car to rest of Europe. "We will not go into mainland Europe without a diesel," UK managing director, William Wong, told Autonews.

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Posted on 09.16 / 0 comments / Read More

Canadian Man Throws a V12 into a 1967 MGB GT

If you are a car guy like Mark Sawatsky of Winnipeg, Canada, and you happen to have a Jaguar 5.3-liter V12 and an old 1967 MGB GT lying around in your garage, it doesn’t take too long to come up with an impressive project. For Mark it was the creation of racecar to compete in the modified class of the SCCA (Sports Car Club of America). Read more »

Posted on 13.34 / 0 comments / Read More

MG6 to Start Production at Birmingham site on April 13, Prices Start from £15,495

The fastback version of the all-new MG6 will soon become MG Motor’s first all-new model to pass through the gates of the firm’s Longbridge factory in 16 years. The last time MG showed a brand new model was in 1995 with the MG F, a mid-engined, rear-wheel drive roadster. According to the British automaker, the first series production model will roll off the assembly line on April 13, 2011 at precisely 11:00 am.

MG Motors, which now belongs under the umbrella of China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) group, will follow up with a sedan version of the MG6 this summer. Both the four-door saloon and the five-door fastback will be offered with a 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine that’s good enough for 160 ponies and 215Nm of peak torque at 1750-4500 rpm.

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Posted on 11.04 / 0 comments / Read More

New MG6 Saloon First Photos, Goes on Sale in the UK this Summer

Having been delayed for a couple of months due to some negative consumer feedback, the MG6 four-door Saloon model has now taken over the social media scene. The first photos of the ₤17.000 Focus rivaling MG have been posted on the British firm's facebook page. The MG6 Saloon is scheduled to land in UK showrooms this summer, a few months after the first batch of MG6 fastback's reach their owners.

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Posted on 10.51 / 0 comments / Read More

MG to Build First All-New Model in 15 Years at its UK Plant

MG Rover's old Longbridge car plant is set to comeback in a big way when SAIC / MG begins building its first all new car in 15 years at the end of the year. The plant will start producing the MG6 mid-size model from knocked-down kits imported from China, preceding the UK relaunch of MG as a "value brand" in 2011.

The all new car will be available initially as a five-door fastback, with a four-door saloon to follow later on. The automaker optimistically told the Financial Times that customer clinics have compared the MG6 with the likes of the Ford Mondeo, Skoda Octavia and even with small BMWs. Prices in the UK are said to range between £16,000 to £20,000 (US$25,425 to US$31,780).

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Posted on 13.44 / 0 comments / Read More

Rover 55 Sedan: A Proposal for a British-Flavored Chrysler 300 Than Never Was

Once upon a time, back in the days when the MG Rover Group was alive and fairly hopeful for the future [...] in the hands of BMW, the Bavarian carmaker was dreaming up a new lineup for the British company. Among the plans was one for the development of a replacement for the outdated, fifth-generation Honda Civic-based, 200/400 series, later called the 25/45, positioned under the 75 in Rover's car lineup.

We remember many proposals and concept sketches for the car from the period, but the folks from "Aronline" managed to secure some exclusive photos of a full size clay model that we've never seen before. Named the R55, it's a design proposal for a compact sedan slightly larger than the BMW 3-Series said to have been completed back in the Spring of 1997.

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Posted on 17.29 / 0 comments / Read More

Last-Known MGB Works Rally Car Going Under Auction

An extremely rare 1964 MGB which is said to be the last known genuine MG works rally car is being offered for auction, 35 years after bidding farewell to the world of motorsports.

One of two only official MGB rally cars built in 1964, the specific example made its racing debut in the Spa-Sofia-Liege rally in August 1964. It then went on to race another five times as a works entry, at the Tulip Rally, The Acropolis Rally, Geneva Rally, the Castrol Danube Rally and the RAC Rally, all in 1965.

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Posted on 09.14 / 0 comments / Read More

MG XPower to be Well-Represented at UK's Historics Auction

Set to hit the block at the UK's Historics at Brooklands event are these two MG XPower SVs.

The carbon fiber-bodied MG XPower Sport Veloce, based on the less aggressive X80 concept, was designed by Peter Stevens (responsible, among others, for the McLaren F1 and Jaguar XJR-15) and is underpinned by a platform from Qvale's Mangusta.

Powered by Ford's 4.6 liter 4-valve Cobra V8, the standard SV made 320 horsepower with an advertised top speed of 165 mph when new.

Roughly 82 of the rear-wheel drive MG coupes were built and sold to consumers before a lack of sales forced MG to stop production. At around £75,000 when new, it's easy to see how that could happen.

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Posted on 16.35 / 0 comments / Read More

Beijing Show: MG Zero Supermini Concept

This year's edition of the Beijing Motor Show saw China-owned MG unveiling the 'ZERO', a thinly disguised concept of an upcoming production model in the supermini segment -most likely called MG3- that could go on sale in China first and then in Europe as early as next year.

The company emphasized the fact that the 4m long supermini was developed in the UK by MG Global Design team, led by British MG Design Director Anthony (Tony) Williams-Kenny, based in Birmingham.

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Posted on 07.57 / 0 comments / Read More

Holy Rover! 1980's Metro Ad Featuring Batman and Robin

The Rover, MG Rover, Austin and whatever other brand the Metro was sold under, was a forgettable mini that wasn't taken very seriously, even by the company that made it. This may explain this late 1980s-early 1990s advertisement spoofing the 1966 Adam West-era Batman and Robin TV series.

The one-minute long commercial shows the dynamic duo swapping their funky 1960s Batmobile for the British mini because "it's rush hour in Gotham city and the Batmobile is big"...

The ad ends with the message, "When you got to.... pick up a penguin, Metro gets you going." Holy priceless collection of Etruscan snoods.... Enjoy the video after the break.

Posted on 11.34 / 0 comments / Read More

MG to Launch Two New Versions of TF Roadster

Ah yes, the MG TF roadster, still fun to drive but let's face it, no makeup can cover its mid-1990s roots. Still, the British firm's Chinese owner is trying to make the best of it by announcing the launch of two new variants of the mid-engined roadster. First up is the new entry-level TF 135 that will go on sale in the UK this spring with an OTR of £13,511 (approx $20k or €15k) or about £2,500 lower than the TF LE500. Later in the summer, the TF 135 will be joined by a special edition model produced to mark the 85th Anniversary of the brand, the MG TF 85th Anniversary.

MG has yet to disclose photos of the anniversary model, but the firm said that it will be available in three special colors overlaid with "striking graphics" (whatever that means), new alloy wheels, specific trim options in the interior and a revised suspension setup with Bilstein shocks, Eibach anti roll system, lower ride height, an all new anti torsion pack and a modified wheel set up.

Prices for the MG TF 85th Anniversary will start at £15,664 on the road or £13,664 with the UK Government's scrappage scheme deduction.

Posted on 08.38 / 0 comments / Read More

Shanghai Show: MG Rover's MG6 to Enter Production in 2010

At the Shanghai Auto Show, SAIC Motors' MG division presented its first all-new model since acquiring the rights to the British firm's brand name in 2005. The sporty looking MG6 Concept, which is in fact a near production model that is scheduled to enter the Chinese market in 2010, was penned in the U.K. The five-door fastback is heavily based on the Roewe 550 four-door sedan which in turn uses a modified version of the old Rover 75's front-wheel drive platform and 1.8-liter K-Series engines.

Just like the 550, the production MG6 will be offered with naturally aspirated and turbocharged 1.8-liter gasoline engines producing 130 and 160-horsepower respectively. Power will be transferred to the front wheels via 5-speed manual or automatic transmissions.

Though not officially confirmed, rumor has it that MG's Chinese parent is considering to bring the MG6 initially in the U.K., and if the circumstances allow it, to other major European markets also.

Posted on 18.50 / 0 comments / Read More

MG6 Turbo: First Photos of China-Made MG Rover Liftback

At the center of MG's stage at next week's Shanghai Auto Show will be the all-new MG6 Turbo. The midsize five-door liftback is based on the platform and the mechanics of sister company Roewe's 550 sedan which in turn uses the underpinnings of the Rover 75 that was developed back in the late 1990's when the MG Rover Group belonged to BMW. The MG6 is powered by an upgraded version of Rover's K-series 1.8-liter turbocharged engine.

Speculation has it that the MG brand, which now belongs to China's SAIC Group along with Roewe, plans to sell the MG6 initially in the UK as early as 2010, and if all goes well, to the rest of Europe.

Posted on 07.35 / 0 comments / Read More

Roewe N1 Concept Sketches Surface on the Net

SAIC's renamed Rover division, Roewe, plans to unveil a new near-to-production concept car codenamed N1 at the 2009 Shanghai Auto Show that runs from April 20 to 28. While Roewe is being quite secretive about its new concept study, two official renderings of the subcompact sedan found their way into the net outlining the vehicle's sleek exterior styling. Speculation has it that the N1 is based on the underpinnings of the Chinese firm's 550 compact sedan which you can check out here.

Via: Worldcarfans

Posted on 11.53 / 0 comments / Read More

MG Rover MG6 Concept Based on Roewe 550 to Debut in Shanghai

Having already announced the Roewe N1 Concept, China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) that owns the rights to the MG Rover brand, revealed that its 2009 Shanghai Auto Show booth will also host the world premiere of the MG6 Concept. The five-door liftback model is based on the underpinnings of the Roewe 550 which was designed as SAIC's successor to the Rover 45.

Although details are still sketchy, the MG6 will most likely lead to a production version that might very well find its way into Europe where MG Rover already sells the resurrected TF LE500 in the U.K.

Powertrain options for the MG6 will be identical to those offered in the Roewe 550 including a 1.8-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine.

Posted on 08.39 / 0 comments / Read More

Resurrected MG TF LE500 hits UK Race Tracks

UK-based auto-repairer XPart is supporting one of the first MG TF LE500s to hit the race tracks since the model was raised from the dead last September by the firm's new Chinese owner, NAC MG. The British-built TF LE500 that has been prepared for racing by one of XPart's approved MG Rover specialists and MG Motor authorized repairer, Dreadnought Garage, will take part in this season's 12-round MG Trophy Championship. Among the car that run in the race are earlier MG TFs and the front-wheel drive MG ZR.

Posted on 06.55 / 0 comments / Read More

MG to Bring Three New Cars to Europe – U.S. Plans Scrapped

In addition to a revamped version of the current TF LE500 roadster, NAC, the Chinese owner of MG is planning to introduce three new models in Europe according to company’s managing director, Gary Hagen. “We’re planning a four-car range of MGs – first to arrive will be a mid-sized saloon sharing its platform with the Roewe 550. The planned introduction for this car is late 2010 and, looking at today’s marketplace, I see the main opposition as being the Mazda 6,” said Hagen in an interview with the British website Austin Rover Online. -Continued

“After that, there will be a C-segment compact and a B-segment supermini – and, no, that won’t be the MG3 SW, which has been a major success for us in China. Clearly, we have the capacity to build these cars in Longbridge and the Chinese are keen for this to happen,” added Hagen.

NAC MG’s managing director also took the opportunity to shed some light on the company’s ‘on and off’ plans for a return into the North American market. “We’re starting with the UK and Ireland and, once we’re up to speed, we will be pushing to sell in Europe. The USA 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,” Hagen told Austin Rover Online. The MG brand disappeared from U.S. dealerships in the early 1980s.

Via: Austin Rover Online

Posted on 11.13 / 0 comments / Read More