New Cars

MG is working on a new two-seater, according to Auto Express, one which will pick up where the MG TF left off just a few years ago. The MG brand has been slowly rebuilding following the Rover Group’s financial calamities a decade ago and a subsequent buyout by Nanjing Automobile, which was later absorbed into Shanghai’s SAIC, and the company is planning to return to its roots by offering a roadster in the future. Auto Express, citing an insider, reports that MG is currently working on two new vehicle architectures, one of which is aimed at accommodating a roadster bodystyle. Both new platforms, which are still in the works, are designed to offer as much flexibility as Volkswagen’s lauded MQB platform, which is currently underpinning a wide variety of small cars including the new Golf. The two new platforms are […]

Elemental has revealed its new RP-1 road-legal track car ahead of a public debut at this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. According to the Surrey-based start-up, this open top, mid-engined two-seater will arrive early next summer and previews a “new generation of world class British sports cars”. The design centres on an exposed lightweight carbon-composite and aluminium tub, surrounded by front and rear body panels “shrink-wrapped” to cover the wheels and mechanical underpinnings. Power comes from a Ford-sourced 2.0-litre Ecoboost engine, tuned to 280bhp and paired to a six-speed sequential paddle shift gearbox. Customers with racing in mind can opt for a limited slip diff and alternative gear sets, although a reduced-weight track-focused model, featuring 999cc Honda Fireblade unit, is also available. Read more at: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/goodwood-festival-of-speed-2014/87543/elemental-rp1-new-british-sports-car-revealed

The best New spy shot so far of the MG CS SUV, showing the side and the real all-naked for the first time. Sporty lines and a sleek profile, but tires look awfully small. Debut of the MG CS is expected for the Chengdu Auto Show in September. Price will start around 120.000 yuan and end around 160.000 yuan ($19.000 – 26.000). Production cars stays close to the MG CS Concept that debuted on the 2013 Shanghai Auto Show. Engine chat: still a confusing picture here with many conflicting reports. Early on we heard the MG CS would be available with a 135hp 1.5 turbo and a 204hp 2.0 turbo, both mated to a 6-speed DCT. Recent reports in Chinese media revealed a much larger line of engines: 1.3, 1.4 turbo (developed with GM), 1.5, and the 1.5 turbo. The […]

We just received more news on the Special Edition Morgan Plus 8 Speedster we mentioned about a week ago. The information Morgan has provided is as follows… The Morgan Motor Company have been producing hand crafted, lightweight and fun sports cars for 105 years. For the last 100 years, production has taken place at the world famous Morgan factory on Pickersleigh Road in Malvern, Worcestershrie. To mark the 100 years at Pickersleigh Road milestone, Morgan have commissioned a line of special edition vehicles, the first of which is the Morgan Plus 8 Speedster. Following huge interest in the initial launch of the Plus 8 Speedster last week, Morgan are extremely excited to be able to announce further information. A comprehensive list of options and a full price list is now available on the Morgan website as well as the chance […]

British sports car brand Trident is set to launch two new variants of its Iceni sports car–billed as the world’s fastest and most fuel-efficient diesel sports cars. The convertible, the fixed-roof Iceni Magna and the Iceni Venturer wagon use a 6.6-liter turbodiesel V-8 engine to deliver huge performance. Despite this, Trident says the Iceni offers “outstanding fuel efficiency”. At £96,000–just over $161,000, at current exchange rates–it isn’t cheap. It is similarly priced to the new BMW i8 plug-in sports car however, with similar performance and potentially, better economy at a cruise. And both cars are considerably thriftier than similarly-priced rivals. Are we entering a new age of low-consumption, low-emission sports cars? For further on this story, check out the full article at Green Car Reports.  

Morgan Motor Car Company has announced a new special edition Plus 8 Speedster for delivery this summer. The new Morgan Plus 8 Speedster embodies all of Morgan’s core values and has been commissioned as part of a special line of vehicles to celebrate 100 years of vehicle manufacture at Pickersleigh Road. The Speedster, the latest evolution of the Plus 8, offers an even more invigorating driving experience inspired by a bygone era of stripped back, road going race cars. A 367 bhp 4.8 litre BMW V8 engine and a 6 speed manual or ZF 6 speed automatic gearbox propels the car from 0-62 in 4.2 seconds with a limited top speed of 148 mph. The latest in aluminium chassis developments ensure that its performance and road-holding will match its looks. The Speedster boasts a power to weight ratio to rival any […]

The MG Dynamo, a new and all-electric city car concept, was unveiled today. The MG Dynamo is based on parent company SAIC’s Roewe E50 city car sold in China. The car was on display at an exhibit of current and future tech at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders. The display has been timed to coincide with the Beijing motor show where the marque is celebrating its 90th anniversary. The Dynamo concept is said to encompass “the latest in design and engineering technology”. The car has been developed to assess demand for a small, electric MG in Europe. The concept was created by SAIC’s (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation) design and technical centre at Longbridge. MG Motor UK hasn’t revealed any details about the drivetrain, but conjecture is that it is likely to be similar to Rowe E50’s. Launched in China in January 2013, this […]

The all-new 2015 MINI Countryman has made an appearance ahead of its official debut at the 2014 New York Auto Show. The newest version of MINI’s Countryman will sport its traditional four-door styling with a large tailgate, seating for five and optional all-wheel drive. Following in the footsteps of the new MINI Cooper, the Countryman’s styling has been freshened for a new generation and will be launching this July. The Countryman will be available in a variety models including the performance-oriented John Cooper Works variant. There will also be the Cooper and Cooper S versions with ALL4 all-wheel drive available as an option. Finally, the company will offer the MINI One, Cooper SD and Cooper D Countryman with optional ALL4. The base model will be powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with 121 hp while the S and JCW models […]

Unfortunately we can’t get hold of one on this side of the pond, but elsewhere in the world the MG3 continues to rack up the good press. Let’s see – it is sporty, it is inexpensive, it has the MG bloodline, and it is hip. What more could you want? As this review from New Zealand states, “The chiseled wedge-profiled shape even has details along its rear panels that reflect the angles of the famous octagon badge, though the designers are to be congratulated for not slavishly putting that shape all over the car. “Sitting on standard 16 inch alloy rims, along with subtle dark grey sills, front splitter and vestigial hatch spoiler and covered in electric blue paint that seems wet it’s so glossy, the wee 3 looks a treat. “Up front its lazy-v shaped smile sucks on the […]

New car sales in Britain rallied in March to the highest total for a decade, industry data showed on Friday. Sales jumped 17.7 percent last month to 464,824 vehicles compared with data for March 2013, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said in a statement. That was the highest monthly figure since March 2004. “New car registrations surged 17.7 percent in March … a surprisingly strong level of growth and a reflection of intensifying consumer confidence and the availability of great new products,” said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes. “Given the past six years of subdued economic performance across the UK, there is still a substantial margin of pent-up demand that is contributing to a strong new and used car market. There has never been a better time to buy a new car thanks to attractive finance deals […]

They don’t sell any MG in America, but some companies like to take their cars to Colorado anyway, to ensure they can handle high altitude conditions. Roman Mica from TFL Car is off doing what he calls “prototype fishing” again. This time, his catch and release program resulted in two MG5 hatchbacks spotted in Colorado. The MG5 Hatchback sounds like a nice British car, but it’s actually a Chinese car. It arrived in concept form in early 2011 and already has a mild facelift. We believe this particular prototype uses a turbo 1.5-liter engine rated at around 130 hp and 200 Nm of torque. The MG3 supermini and larger MG6 are sold in Europe, being assembled in Britain by very few employees, from complete kits made in China. What’s really funny about the video is that a single well spoken […]

MG is performing well in China but it is missing an SUV, Roewe added an old Ssangyong based vehicle to its line up but the car failed to live up to expectations, the new MG SUV is expected to hit the market by the years end. MG revealed the MG CS concept at the Shanghai Auto Show this year where it was revealed the new car would have a 2.0T powerplant and a slightly redesigned face which is mostly inline with the current MG5. The new SUV will launch in late 2014, a little late to the party considering that international and domestic rivals have already launched SUV offerings. In addition to the new SUV, MG are also planning to give their other product offerings a major overhaul of the MG-Roewe line up. Later this year the MG5 1.5T will […]

The MG6 was supposed to signal the brand’s return to the UK, but it’s fair to say that car hasn’t quite had the desired effect. So now we have the MG3: a Ford Fiesta rival the company hopes will kick-start its fortunes. The most striking thing about the new car is its low price. AutoXpress drove the top-of-the-range Style model, which comes in at less than £10,000. For that money, you get Bluetooth connectivity, air-conditioning, a DAB radio, 16-inch alloy wheels and cruise control all fitted as standard. A Fiesta or Skoda Fabia kitted out with that much equipment would cost nearly £13,000. But price isn’t everything: the MG3 has to deliver on the road. And in some key respects, it does. The car feels quite sporty, with an impressive amount of grip that allows you to tackle twisty back […]

Plans to ban most conventional cars from the roads within the next 30 years could feature in the Liberal Democrats’ offering to voters at the next general election.  But the proposal from Nick Clegg’s party to only allow ultra-low carbon vehicles on British roads by 2040, other than for freight purposes, will first have to be approved at next month’s Lib Dem conference. If the conference votes in favour of the plan it will become party policy and may feature in the party’s manifesto for the 2015 General Election, a Lib Dem spokesman said. The proposal was unveiled as Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders figures showed that car sales, a key indicator of the health of the British economy, had risen 12.7% on last year. The spokesman said: “The way that our party policy is decided is that conference has […]

The first pictures of the MG CS concept have leaked to the web, ahead of a possible debut at the Shanghai Motor Show. Designed to preview the company’s upcoming crossover, the model eschews the retro styling of last year’s Icon concept. As a result, it echoes the rest of the MG lineup with angular lines and a familiar grille. We can also see front fender vents, an upward sweeping beltline and blacked out A-pillars. There’s also a sporty rear bumper, a tailgate-mounted spoiler and a center-mounted dual exhaust system. Speculation suggests the CS concept is based on the MG5 and could use a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with 135 bhp (101 kW). Nothing is official as of yet, but we should learn more later this month.

The people at Lyonheart, a startup based in Coventry, England, have continued to develop their new sports car, whose lines were penned by designers at Vizualtech and Classic Factory and have clearly been inspired by the Jaguar E-Type. While only 50 examples were originally planned, at a price of almost half a million euros a piece, strong demand has seen Lyonheart revise this figure to 250 units, which meant prices could also be revised downwards thanks to greater economies of scale. At the same time, strong demand has also seen Lyonheart announce a new convertible version of its new K sports car. Pricing is now set at 360,000 euros (approximately $464,000) for the coupe, and 375,000 euros ($483,500) for the convertible. For full details, check out the article on Motor Authority.

Speaking to Motortrade Insights Magazine, CEO of Liberty Electric Cars Ian Hobday said he plans to take an electric car across the length of the UK to showcase the exciting new technology. ‘I can tell you that there will be a vehicle that will do Land’s End to John O’ Groats on a single charge next year,’ he revealed. The distance of 1,000 miles would be four times that of the new BMW i3, which will be launched later this year. He also predicted the majority of electric cars will be able to travel 400 to 500 miles within three years as electric battery technology improves. Liberty Electric Cars is a UK company that is plotting to create cheaper electric vehicles with longer range by removing the need for rare earth metals from the battery system. Astonishingly, the brand is also looking […]

There was something for everyone produced in Britain at Geneva – from the £10,000 Nissan Note to the £265,000 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith. But the most spectacular British debut at the show was the £886,000 McLaren P1, a car being billed as a “hybrid hypercar” — a green supercar. The fearsome and fabulous-looking P1 is the 217mph successor to the legendary F1 that was the world’s fastest car when launched in 1999. The P1 is powered by a combination of a 727bhp, 3.8litre twin turbo V8 engine and a 176bhp electric motor. That’s a total of 903bhp that delivers 0.62mph in 2.8 seconds. McLaren say their aim is not to be the fastest but the easiest to drive the faster you go. The P1 will also do 12 miles on pure electric power making it a supercar with zero emissions in […]