Sounds electrifying. Geddit.
British-turned-Chinese carmaker MG hasn’t enjoyed the greatest reinvention in modern times. While companies like Volvo and Jaguar-Land Rover have enjoyed huge successes under foreign ownership, MG’s sort of flatlined. They’ve brought out some passenger cars and some crossovers to lukewarm reception, and that’s it.
During a trip to the MG research and development centre in Shanghai, we were surprised (and warmed) by the company’s admission to letting the brand ‘die’ for a period, and their thus-far unsuccessful attempts at resuscitation. In light of that, the company intends to relaunch the brand with a bang, in the form of an electric sports car.
Since the marque was taken over by Chinese automaker SAIC back in 2011, the company has done little to pay homage to MG’s illustrious history of sports cars and motorsports involvement further than lip service in press releases. An electric sports car would perhaps be the most solid acknowledgement by the ‘new MG’ of its past, and how pivotal a role its history will play in shaping its future.
“I will bring the MG brand closer to its history, step by step. The brand stopped for several years. This brand died, so now we need to [bring it] back. [We’re working on a] MG motorsports car, [a] 2-seater sports car. This car will have a plug-in [electrified powertrain] and a totally new platform.” — Shao Jinfeng, Head of Design, MG
Further discussions and queries regarding the model revealed that it’d be about the same size as a Mazda MX-5 but considerably more expensive, given that it’ll run on a totally-electric powertrains and batteries aren’t the cheapest components in the world. This is perhaps SAIC’s move to bring MG’s driver-focused past back into the limelight, which if it succeeds, will make marketing newer passenger cars a little easier.
Jinfeng however did say that production would begin first on left-hand drive models, with eventual right-hand drive production dependant on the amount of interest generated in right-hook markets. We can only hope that the potential MG EV sports car will generate enough buzz prior to launch, so that we’d stand a chance of seeing it on our roads before 2020.
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