RE: MG to reinvent sports car
Discussion
kambites said:
odyssey2200 said:
A modern take on the Sprite/Midget, Honda S800/ Suzuki Cappuchino.
There is nothing else like it in the market place.
Maybe MG could buy the rights to the Smart Roadster and do what Kimble wanted to originally. There is nothing else like it in the market place.
but Please put a proper gearbox in it!
odyssey2200 said:
What ever happened to that?
but Please put a proper gearbox in it!
Well they failed to get the MG name (obviously) but didn't they buy the AC brand or something? Nothing seems to have happened for a long time, though. but Please put a proper gearbox in it!
If the Smart had had a conventional gearbox and a slightly lower price tag I think it would have sold well. Stick a little diesel engine in it and get it through the European test at 100+mpg and it'd sell in droves.
300bhp/ton said:
There's 3 areas I'd love to see a company explore:
1. Diesel sports cars. Something MX-5 sized and weighted but with a 170-220hp 2.0-2.5 Turbo diesel engine - the important bit being tuned for performance. Handling should be pretty much on par with the petrol counterpart, only faster and with better economy. And a tuned diesel engine is actually quite a nice motor to enjoy.
2. 4 door RWD sports car. This needs to still be a sports car, so doesn't need massive power and should be a bit impractical and somewhat basic spec and options list. But it should be RWD and offer up just that added bit of extra ability to those that have a family. The reality would be a no less practical car than an Abarth 500 or Cooper S, but in a lighter more focused package that looks like a sports car.
3. A RallyRaid style sports car for the road. Again a basic sort of car just like the MX-5, but taller and designed to handle rougher terrain. It should look chunky without actually being too heavy and should still focus on handling and performance.
great ideas...1. Diesel sports cars. Something MX-5 sized and weighted but with a 170-220hp 2.0-2.5 Turbo diesel engine - the important bit being tuned for performance. Handling should be pretty much on par with the petrol counterpart, only faster and with better economy. And a tuned diesel engine is actually quite a nice motor to enjoy.
2. 4 door RWD sports car. This needs to still be a sports car, so doesn't need massive power and should be a bit impractical and somewhat basic spec and options list. But it should be RWD and offer up just that added bit of extra ability to those that have a family. The reality would be a no less practical car than an Abarth 500 or Cooper S, but in a lighter more focused package that looks like a sports car.
3. A RallyRaid style sports car for the road. Again a basic sort of car just like the MX-5, but taller and designed to handle rougher terrain. It should look chunky without actually being too heavy and should still focus on handling and performance.
To be honest asking PH to help them along will never bear fruit.
Asking a nation that doesn't want/need to understand our fascination with RWD, small, open top, light, but is more concerned with profit...it just wonn't equate to what we demand of a 'sports car'.
I think given the marque we're dealing with they need to have a pincer movement...something bigger, flashier and appealing to the East and something that explores the back catalogue to appeal to - us... I remember seeing a re-badge'd Smart Roadster as a Healey somwhere, fitted with a propr manual gearbox and a bit of extra BHP, thought that looked and sounded great... not radical, but it sets the precident and a good position to build on...
Martin 480 Turbo said:
I don't know why people make simple matters complex.
What do people expect from MG?
China will discover the roadster within the next decade, as the market gets
into a ripe phase.
+1What do people expect from MG?
China will discover the roadster within the next decade, as the market gets
into a ripe phase.
With a characterful, punchy, low CO2 3cyl turbo. 1.0 & 1.6 versions weighing around 1000kg and less for a stripped out lightweight option. I'd favour RWD to key into heritage (better to associate the design with the retro appeal of Midget & MGB than the MGF/TF) and provide greater packaging flexibility, increased bootspace and facilitate folding hard top and practical coupe hatch versions. If MGR could afford to develop a rwd platform for the ZT260 I'm sure SIAC can afford it.
The styling has to be characterful, cheeky, appealing and British - the current MG6 & also the forthcoming 3 & 5 look like totally anonymous white goods that could have been made by anyone to me.
The interior needs to be equally appealing and characterfulwith simple, elegent architecture, possibly modular with some exposed aluminium substructure which can be simply upgraded with different plusher trim finishes and accessory packs.
marcosgt said:
I think a mid-engined 1.0l Turbo engined roadster's the way to go.
If it's going to appeal to a mass market of real buyers rather than the fantasists on PH ("If it doesn't have 500+ BHP and no traction control, I won't buy it!") then it needs to be cheap to make and buy, so taking bits from an existing cheap model is the best bet and I'm sure MG will have something that fits the bill soon, if not now (They can always just rip off the Ford engine
).
Soft top, not a folding metal one. Small, so strictly two seats and a little bit of luggage space in the front.
Sell it for under 12K (current prices) and it'll fly off the forecourts, especially if they make it handle well too!
Cheap to buy, cheap to run (fuel, RFL and insurance), fun to own, fun to drive - That's all it needs.
Don't make it fast (ie powerful) or super grippy with massive tyres, that just takes the fun away at legal speeds and drives up insurance costs.
M
This is a sports car recipie for me also. The 1.0L Ford Ecoboost would be a good start for an engine.If it's going to appeal to a mass market of real buyers rather than the fantasists on PH ("If it doesn't have 500+ BHP and no traction control, I won't buy it!") then it needs to be cheap to make and buy, so taking bits from an existing cheap model is the best bet and I'm sure MG will have something that fits the bill soon, if not now (They can always just rip off the Ford engine
).Soft top, not a folding metal one. Small, so strictly two seats and a little bit of luggage space in the front.
Sell it for under 12K (current prices) and it'll fly off the forecourts, especially if they make it handle well too!
Cheap to buy, cheap to run (fuel, RFL and insurance), fun to own, fun to drive - That's all it needs.
Don't make it fast (ie powerful) or super grippy with massive tyres, that just takes the fun away at legal speeds and drives up insurance costs.
M
Get Gordon Murray on board,
make a t25 longer and lower,
add a fun, small engine (fiat twinair style or maybe that cripplingly expensive little ford triple- SAIC does seem to have worked with EVERYONE before)
simple, manual soft top
simple, "manual" gearchange
iStream
Get Peter Stevens to style it? (again)
Not much weight, not much grip, not much power, reasonable brakes, balanced handling, good looks and real-world costs.
All the things that we pretend to not like on this site
make a t25 longer and lower,
add a fun, small engine (fiat twinair style or maybe that cripplingly expensive little ford triple- SAIC does seem to have worked with EVERYONE before)
simple, manual soft top
simple, "manual" gearchange
iStream
Get Peter Stevens to style it? (again)
Not much weight, not much grip, not much power, reasonable brakes, balanced handling, good looks and real-world costs.
All the things that we pretend to not like on this site
GT86 is one digit off. I'd like to see a modern interpretation of the GT6. The hatch should open sideways, and the bonnet come up like the original. A six cylinder would be unlikely, of course, but in reality if it is gong to sell in any numbers it would need an efficient petrol and a diesel option, anyway. It can't be too basic, because nobody would buy it, but it should be simple to keep costs down and provide a mix of everyday usuablity and an ability to put a smile on the face of drivers and bystanders. Unfortunately, I have the drawing capabilities of a plank, so you just need to close your eyes and imagine it..
300bhp/ton said:
Not seen this before:
Or any of these http://www.themgzr.co.uk/vb/35-brm-r200-zt-zs-tf-s...BoRED S2upid said:
New Midget 2 seater RWD small LIGHT! (1l) turbo engine cheap to run cheap to maintain and cheap to buy.
This is the closet I reckon. Nowadays it's all about small turbo engines. Small, light car, will only need a small engine, rear drive two seater - based on the MG TF? Do a 160 bhp version again and it will be awesome. 
Roman said:
Martin 480 Turbo said:
I don't know why people make simple matters complex.
What do people expect from MG?
China will discover the roadster within the next decade, as the market gets
into a ripe phase.
+1What do people expect from MG?
China will discover the roadster within the next decade, as the market gets
into a ripe phase.
With a characterful, punchy, low CO2 3cyl turbo. 1.0 & 1.6 versions weighing around 1000kg and less for a stripped out lightweight option. I'd favour RWD to key into heritage (better to associate the design with the retro appeal of Midget & MGB than the MGF/TF) and provide greater packaging flexibility, increased bootspace and facilitate folding hard top and practical coupe hatch versions. If MGR could afford to develop a rwd platform for the ZT260 I'm sure SIAC can afford it.
The styling has to be characterful, cheeky, appealing and British - the current MG6 & also the forthcoming 3 & 5 look like totally anonymous white goods that could have been made by anyone to me.
The interior needs to be equally appealing and characterfulwith simple, elegent architecture, possibly modular with some exposed aluminium substructure which can be simply upgraded with different plusher trim finishes and accessory packs.
Key IMO is running costs - look how much importance people place on MPG and tax costs even though they're nothing like the real total cost for the majority of buyers. To be successful in the UK then it needs to be very concious of this. It could beat the MX-5 on this with a smaller engine, lighter chassis and sneak in below 120g/km.
A RWD drivetrain won't add that much to the weight if they don't go silly - look at how light a 1500 midget is - under 750kg and thats with a 150kg of triumph pig iron in it, heavy steel wings and huge rubber bumpers. Swap that for a lightweight alloy engine circa 90kg and you've got 60kg to put towards the chassis, change the wings to plastic like a lot of cheap end hatchbacks do, thats another 20kg saved, and you won't have the rubber bumpers to worry about.
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