Photo: MG
Under its new Chinese owners, British carmaker MG may be taking a safe path with mainstream models, but it looks like the manufacturer is currently weighing adorning its line-up with a sportscar.
As you are reading this, designers at MG Motor’s Shanghai studios are penning multiple proposals for the new sportscar. Company insiders have offered this information to Autocar, stressing the fact that the vehicle isn’t in the product plan yet.
Despite this, the info sounds a bit confusing and that’s because a similar report emerged in 2010. Back then SAIC’s newly-opened design studio was supposed to give us an MG sports car but... then too, it didn't make it to the product plan.
Since bad product planning is one of the main factors that caused MG’s finances to go down the drain, SAIC, the Chinese company that now controls MG, wants to take things step by step. First of all, they have to determine what kind of sporty model should be brought to the market.
The most obvious proposal would see MG launch a contender for the next-generation Mazda MX-5 and its Italian sister model. Nonetheless, since MG has been off this segment and Mazda has been strengthening its reputation, trying to fight the Japanese model may not be the path to success.
Instead, MG could target a niche segment, offering us something like a production version of the 2012 Icon crossover coupe concept pictured above.
The sportscar is only a part of a more comprehensive MG plan though. For instance, the carmaker wants to come up with a halo model. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a sportscar, but the aforementioned Icon could serve as a starting point for it. This vehicle must be tailored to the Chinese customer’s requirements and the country isn’t known for its sportscar appetite.
As MG turns 90 this year, the company is expected to make announcements on its future this summer, with a ceremony scheduled for June at Silverstone.
Despite this, the info sounds a bit confusing and that’s because a similar report emerged in 2010. Back then SAIC’s newly-opened design studio was supposed to give us an MG sports car but... then too, it didn't make it to the product plan.
Since bad product planning is one of the main factors that caused MG’s finances to go down the drain, SAIC, the Chinese company that now controls MG, wants to take things step by step. First of all, they have to determine what kind of sporty model should be brought to the market.
The most obvious proposal would see MG launch a contender for the next-generation Mazda MX-5 and its Italian sister model. Nonetheless, since MG has been off this segment and Mazda has been strengthening its reputation, trying to fight the Japanese model may not be the path to success.
Instead, MG could target a niche segment, offering us something like a production version of the 2012 Icon crossover coupe concept pictured above.
The sportscar is only a part of a more comprehensive MG plan though. For instance, the carmaker wants to come up with a halo model. This doesn’t necessarily have to be a sportscar, but the aforementioned Icon could serve as a starting point for it. This vehicle must be tailored to the Chinese customer’s requirements and the country isn’t known for its sportscar appetite.
As MG turns 90 this year, the company is expected to make announcements on its future this summer, with a ceremony scheduled for June at Silverstone.
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