The MG Xpower SV is a sports car manufactured and marketed by MG Rover, a British car manufacturer, from 2003 to 2005. Manufactured in Modena, Italy and finished at Longbridge, United Kingdom, it was based on the platform of the Qvale Mangusta, formerly the De Tomaso Biguà, itself using parts from the Ford Mustang.
History of the MG Xpower SV
After acquiring Italian automobile manufacturer Qvale, MG Rover allocated the project code X80, and set up the subsidiary company, MG X80 Ltd., to produce a new model based on the Qvale Mangusta. One attraction was the potential sales in the United States, as the Mangusta had already been homologated, for the market in the United States. The MG X80 was originally unveiled as the concept car, in June 2001. However, the styling was considered too sedate. When the production model, now renamed MG XPower SV, was eventually launched the following year, Peter Stevens, previously the exterior designer of the McLaren F1, had made the car's styling more aggressive. The conversion from a clay model to a production car, including all requirements, was done in just three hundred days, by the Swedish company, Caran. The goal was to get a retail price of under £100,000. The car's base model eventually cost £65,000, with the upgraded model XPower SVR, costing £83,000. The production process was complex, partly caused by the use of carbon fiber, to make the body panels. The basic body parts were made in the United Kingdom by SP Systems, and then shipped to Belco Avia, near Turin, for assembly into body panels. These were then assembled into a complete body shell, and fitted onto the box frame chassis and running gear, and shipped to the factory of MG Rover, in Longbridge, to be trimmed and finished. Several of the cars' exterior and interior parts were sourced from current and past models of Fiat. The headlights, for example, were taken from the second generation Punto, and the rear lights from the Fiat Coupé. Exterior door handles from a MG TF, Mirrors, Window switches and interior door handles from the Rover 75. In total, the production process required each vehicle to visit six different companies. According to the data at the MG XPower SV Club, approximately 82 cars were produced, excluding the four 'XP' pre production prototypes. This included the few pre production and show cars, which were later dismantled before production was stopped, due to lack of sales. Most were sold to private owners, with the final ones being sold to customers, at the beginning of 2008. Three vehicles that had been produced, but not assembled, were acquired by classic car dealer Eclectic Cars Limited in March 2013, and later completed. Another partially completed chassis is in storage with a private owner in the UK. Most were sold in Europe and Asia, with only one model sold in America, the supercharged model, the XP. The decision to develop a niche sports car, rather than work on replacements for its core family cars, has been described as symptomatic of the strategic mistakes that ultimately led to MG Rover's untimely demise. By the time that the company entered administration in April 2005, only nine XPower SVs had been sold. Rowan Atkinson purchased an XPower SV in February 2005.
Price
In 2005, MG Rover retailed the MG Xpower SV with a starting MSRP of £65,000 for the base model, rising to £83,000 for the top-of-the-line XPower SVR variant.
- Base Xpower SV - £65,000 (£114,707 or $138,769 in 2022)
- XPower SVR - £83,000 (£146,472 or $177,197 in 2022)
Specs and Performance of the MG Xpower SV
Engines:
- 4.6L Ford Modular V8
- 5.0L Ford Modular V8
The MG Xpower SV's 5.0L engine delivers 380 hp (283 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 376 lb-ft (510 Nm) of torque at 4,750 rpm. MG marketed the Xpower SV as a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) vehicle, and it was available with a 5-speed manual Tremec TR3650 transmission. The MG Xpower SV accelerates from 0 to 60 mph (0 to 97 kph) in 4.3 seconds, with a top speed of 177 mph (284 kph). Dimension-wise, the MG Xpower SV measures 4,480 mm (176.4 in) long, 1,900 mm (74.8 in) wide, and 1,320 mm (52.0 in) high. Its wheelbase measures 2,658 mm (104.6 in) and has a curb weight of 3,395 lbs (1,540 kg).
Release Date
The British car manufacturer MG Rover manufactured the MG Xpower SV and released the model between 2003 and 2005.