MG XPower SV: the carbon-bodied V8 of MG Rover

The MG XPower SV was a sports car produced by MG Rover, manufactured in Modena, Italy and finished at Longbridge. It was based on the platform of the Qvale Mangusta, formerly the De Tomaso Biguá, and its carbon fibre body and V8 engine made it the most exotic car to wear the MG badge.

MG XPower SV at a glance

History of the MG XPower SV

From the Mangusta

After acquiring the Italian manufacturer Qvale, MG Rover allocated the project code X80 and set up the subsidiary MG X80 Ltd to produce a new model based on the Qvale Mangusta. One attraction was the potential for sales in the United States, because the Mangusta had already been homologated for that market.

The MG X80 was unveiled as a concept car in June 2001, but its styling was considered too sedate. When the production model, renamed MG XPower SV, was launched the following year, Peter Stevens, previously the exterior designer of the McLaren F1, had made the shape far more aggressive. The conversion from clay model to production car was done in just three hundred days by the Swedish company Caran, with a target retail price under £100,000; the base model eventually cost £65,000 and the uprated SV-R £83,000.

How it was built

Construction was complicated by the use of carbon fibre for the body panels. The basic parts were made in Britain by SP Systems, shipped to Belco Avia near Turin to be assembled into panels, then built into a complete body shell and fitted to the box-frame chassis and running gear before going to Longbridge to be trimmed and finished. Several exterior and interior parts came from Fiat models: the headlights were from the second-generation Punto, the rear lights from the Fiat Coupé, the exterior door handles from an MG TF, and the mirrors, window switches and interior door handles from the Rover 75. Each car visited six different companies during production.

Engines and performance

The base XPower SV used a 4.6-litre Ford Modular V8 rated at 320 hp, giving a top speed of 165 mph and a 0–60 mph time of 5.3 seconds. The XPower SV-R, released the following year, had a Roush-tuned 5.0-litre 32-valve ‘cammer’ V8 rated at 385 hp, though some sources put it nearer 410 hp; its top speed was estimated at about 175 mph with a 0–60 mph time close to 4.9 seconds, and unlike the base car it could be ordered with a manual or an automatic transmission.

The end and the WR

Approximately 82 cars were produced, excluding four XP pre-production prototypes. Most were sold in Europe and Asia, with only one, the supercharged XP, going to America. By the time MG Rover entered administration in April 2005 only nine had been sold, although Rowan Atkinson bought one in February 2005. In 2008 William Riley bought the SV assets and relaunched the car as the MG XPower WR with a 540 bhp supercharged engine at £75,000 to £90,000; the use of the MG trademark led to a legal dispute with Nanjing Automobile, which won the case in February 2010.

Design and features

• Carbon fibre body: panels made by SP Systems and assembled by Belco Avia.
• Ford V8: a 4.6-litre Modular engine with 320 hp in the base SV.
• Peter Stevens styling: the designer of the McLaren F1 sharpened the X80 concept.
• Mixed parts bin: Fiat Punto headlights, Fiat Coupé tail lamps and MG TF door handles.

MG XPower SV versions

• XPower SV (2002): 4.6-litre V8, 320 hp, £65,000.
• XPower SV-R (2003): 5.0-litre Roush V8, 385 hp, £83,000, manual or automatic.
• XP prototypes: four pre-production cars, one of them supercharged for the United States.
• XPower WR (2008): the Riley relaunch with a 540 bhp supercharged engine.

The SV used parts from the MG TF in its cabin and was the last MG built by MG Rover; more cars are in the MG collection.

Video: 2005 MG SV – R Xpower

Video by ClassicarGarage on YouTube.

Sources

• MG XPower SV, English Wikipedia: development, construction, engines, production and the WR