Tuesday 1st July 2014

MG3 Trophy Concept gets 200hp

A classic MG nameplate resurrected for turbocharged hot hatch. Go on MG, you know you want to...

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What with Goodwood having diverted everyone's attention over the weekend, every other motoring event was unlikely to get a look in. One of those was MG's 90th anniversary celebrations at Silverstone, where this very exciting MG3 Trophy was shown.

Rear spoiler's adjustable. Because race car

It has been built to gauge reaction to a 3 race car, which seems like the wrong avenue when a budget hot hatch would surely prove more popular. The spec leans towards motorsport but many of the Trophy's modifications could probably be utilised for a road car.

So while the cage, slicks and adjustable rear spoiler may be a little OTT for a production car (save those for the Trophy R), stuff like the limited-slip diff, coilovers and uprated anti-roll bars would ideally suit a faster MG3. Don't forget too this is a car that has been widely lauded across the motoring media for its ride and handling. It impressed at SMMT as well, so the basis for a great handling hot hatch is already there.

Another entry to the hot hatch fray?

The 1.5-litre engine a weak link in the standard car. It's a bit thrashy, not very torquey and relatively inefficient too. Where it would be nice to say that has been replaced for the MG3 Trophy with a modern and sprightly turbo, that isn't the case. MG has plonked on a big ol' blower running 14psi of boost to elicit 204hp and 192lb ft. But then there are modifications to allow the 1.5 to cope with nearly double its standard output (gas-flowed head, new aluminium pistons, lighter flywheel and different cams) which will hopefully make it a little revvier even if mpg won't exactly shoot through the roof. There's a new ECU to manage all this and a Janspeed exhaust because hot hatches must make noise.

All the upgrades have been carried out by MG's European Design and Technical Centre at Longbridge. So if you do live in the Midlands, go and harry them for a production Trophy. It could be a cracker.

[Sources: MotorAuthority, Autocar]

[preciousmetal]

Remember the MG Metro Turbo.............. oh no

[manmaths]

There is something endearing about MG and I want to see them succeed. Would be great to see a competitive hot hatch from them. The ZR didn't really cut the mustard.

[Nors]

preciousmetal said:

Remember the MG Metro Turbo.............. oh no

Do we ever!

This kind of fell out of the ugly tree and doesn't look all that good and whilst it's a healthy output for a 1.5, it's hardly ground breaking.

[williamp]

Hmmm. A supercharged 1.5 litre MG you say??



This would make a cracking MG road car. they practically invented small, affordable sports cars and sports saloons, and I really want MG to succeed

[Undirection]

I could see MG doing really well with one of these as a modern day Saxo VTR.

[preciousmetal]

Undirection said:

I could see MG doing really well with one of these as a modern day Saxo VTR.

baseball cap inc ?

[Oddball RS]

Give it a year and a cheap track toy?

[conkerman]

Must have red seat belts.

[JaguarsportXJR]

conkerman said:

Must have red seat belts.

[dukebox9reg]

Road version should I reckon have around 150bhp and price itself under the Swift Sport and the new Fiesta 140bhp if they could. Might sell some then.

Only ever seen a couple of MG3's around my way and theres a MG dealer. Young lassy drives laps round the town in a pink claded black one currently much in the vein of most Saxo's, Corsa's round here.

[chris watton]

This is what the real MG needed a decade ago - 200+bhp for its top models of TF and ZR.

Now, the best hot hatches have 250-300bhp! Always a decade behind others, it seems - but at least a step in the right direction...

[JaguarsportXJR]

In all seriousness it'd be great to have a race car, but they really need to get the road version on the go to capitalise on any success it may have.

Take the MG6 for example. They've done really well in the BTCC, but what do they do to take advantage? Release a "Special Edition" with no mods other than a contrast roof and standard alloys and a stripe down the side, IIRC. How hard could it have been to throw on some different wheels, tweek the suspension a little and squeeze a little more out of the engine? Might have appealed to a lot more people on the back of the competition success then.

[Randomthoughts]

chris watton said:

This is what the real MG needed a decade ago - 200+bhp for its top models of TF and ZR.

Now, the best hot hatches have 250-300bhp! Always a decade behind others, it seems - but at least a step in the right direction...

You mean like the Clio 200, Fiesta ST, Corsa VXR...

[J4CKO]

Why bring up a 30 year old car from the class below ?

The MG3 does get good reviews for its handling, as the article says if anyone actually read it before thinking up something negative to say.

I think priced right this could be good, a Clio is knocking on the door of 20 grand and doesn't get great reviews, the Fiesta ST is nearer but still 17 grand (plus the Mountune bit to get to 200 ), the current MG3's are 8 to 10 grand, so if they can do what needs doing for another two to three grand, it would make a very cost effective hot hatch.

I think a lot of people would take notice if there was a 200 ish bhp, decent handling hot hatch available for 13 ish grand, MG rover sold thousands of ZR's and apparently the MG3 is actually finding buyers, usually younger ones as its a half decent, pretty cheap car with a few features they like, same recipe as the ZR.

[slarnge]

I like that for some reason Looks like a proper racer

[Chipmunk1]

I like it and I wish it luck against the over priced clios and polo gtis

[chris watton]

Randomthoughts said:

chris watton said:

This is what the real MG needed a decade ago - 200+bhp for its top models of TF and ZR.

Now, the best hot hatches have 250-300bhp! Always a decade behind others, it seems - but at least a step in the right direction...

You mean like the Clio 200, Fiesta ST, Corsa VXR...

Isn't the Clio 200 now not very good, due to slow flappy paddle gear box? And isn't the Fiesta ST considered a 'warm hatch? Not sure about the Corsa though..

I thought the MG3 was Focus size, so was really comparing it with stuff like that? (could be wrong, though..)

[J4CKO]

Randomthoughts said:

chris watton said:

This is what the real MG needed a decade ago - 200+bhp for its top models of TF and ZR.

Now, the best hot hatches have 250-300bhp! Always a decade behind others, it seems - but at least a step in the right direction...

You mean like the Clio 200, Fiesta ST, Corsa VXR...

Yeah, that's the competition, not the Focus ST/RS, Astra VXR etc, which are all into the 20k plus range.


If they manage to produce an honest to goodness, proper hot hatch with no fancy gearbox, 200 bhp that looks a little bit lairy and handles well for a good price it will sell, if they can do a bog spec model for 8 - 10 grand it isnt such a leap, the manufacturers seem to be able to do cheap these days, like the Dacia model, performance seems easy to extract, about time someone put the two together.

Couple of grand down, £180 a month....

Edited by J4CKO on Tuesday 1st July 12:19

[Chipmunk1]

It looks Clio / 208 size

[chris watton]

J4CKO said:

Randomthoughts said:

chris watton said:

This is what the real MG needed a decade ago - 200+bhp for its top models of TF and ZR.

Now, the best hot hatches have 250-300bhp! Always a decade behind others, it seems - but at least a step in the right direction...

You mean like the Clio 200, Fiesta ST, Corsa VXR...

Yeah, that's the competition, not the Focus ST/RS, Astra VXR etc, which are all into the 20k plus range.

I am very happy to be proved wrong on this. So, well done MG - it has finally caught up with competition.

ETA - not sure about the daft spoiler, though...