MG Reaches into the Past to Introduce the New MG6

I've written about the new MG6 that is currently in production in China and is now being built int he UK. This saloon (that's a sedan, cowboy) is the first new design to carry the MG badge since the implosion of MG-Rover several years ago. The video that I've posted here is an introduction of the new car and MG has reached way back to try to add some sporting character to the MG6. I have to give them full marks for the classics they chose to include in the film.

The only gaffe I spotted was in the film of the running start at LeMans - the car in the center of the frame is actually a Triumph TR3.

No, we still can't buy new MGs in the US of A.

Alabama Astons

Aston Martins aren't exactly thick on the ground here in South Alabama, so it was with some surprise that I saw two examples of the storied marque in one day. I'm sure Aston sightings are not all that unusual in the larger metropolitan areas of Atlanta or Houston but here on the central Gulf Coast it really is out of the ordinary.

I could do orange...

I was with Mike Darby in his MGA  returning from the February Mugs & Motors event when we noticed the first one of the day. It was a rather tasty dark green Vantage that we spotted on Hillcrest Road pulling into a local eatery. It was driven by a lady (obviously of means) and she was none too gentle with it. She certainly knew where the loud pedal was as she was crossing four lanes of traffic in a hurry to get to the restaurant. 

Later that same day, my long-suffering spouse and I were heading into a grocery store in Daphne to buy our rations for the week. A lovely black DB9 convertible was idling while parked in a handicap spot (with the proper credentials, of course). The older gentleman behind the wheel seemed to be enjoying the stereo while he waited on his companion to return.The car had a dealer card from Aston Martin Palm Beach in place of the license plate. Apparently it was still on break-in mileage as the car looked fresh off the boat new. I just had to pause to listen to the intoxicating exhaust burble of the six liter V12 while it turned dead dinosaurs into greenhouse gasses. 

Yes, it is better to be rich.

550 Horsepower & 502 Foot-Pounds of Torque; That Sounds About Right

The top-of-the-heap Jaguar XKR has been bested in the performance sweepstakes by the all new Jaguar XKR-S.

The new super coupe, to be unveiled at Geneva's International Motor Show, is a thinly padded and tamed racer for the road. Jaguar is quoting 186 MPH top speed and a 0-60 time of 4.2 seconds. All this power is held on the road by a heavily revised suspension and there are a few tweaks to the aerodynamics, some of which are quite visible in the publicity photos distributed by Jaguar.

Jaguar will also be hosting drives in the legendary E-Type at the Parc des Vives in Geneva, where the original car was introduced to the world by Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons a half century ago.

I'm sure that most of the members of the press covering this event weren't more than a tingle in dad's loins when the E-Type was launched.

MG's New Look

You don't have to look far to find a version of The MG Car Company's history. First owned as personal property of William Morris (later Sir William; later Lord Nuffield), MG was controlled by Morris Motors, then by British Motor Corporation, then by British Motor Holdings, then by British Leyland, Rover Group, British Aerospace, BMW, MG-Rover and now by Shanghai Auto Industry Corporation.

Throughout the years since Cecil Kimber first developed his Morris-with-a-difference, the MG flame has been kept alive by a secession of both passionate managers and eager enthusiasts. It is no different today. Even though the head office is now half a world away, MGs are going to be built in England once more after a hiatus a few years. 

MG is introducing the new-to-Europe MG6 saloon car (that's a sedan, cowboy) in the UK at the historic Longbridge assembly plant. Along with the new MG6, MG is unveiling a new badge. Gone is the traditional brown and cream "sculpted" badge and in its place a silver "three dimensional" look logo over field of red. 

I'm an old guy that likes old cars, but I think I'm going to need a little time to let this new look grow on me. 

No, you can't buy an MG6 in the US of A.

A Milestone - Maybe

One of the automotive news web sites I visit regularly noted that Mazda's Miata or MX5 hit the 900,000 mark in units built. "The best selling sports car of all time," the article (likely a press release written by a corporate wonk) trumpeted. 

Photo courtesy of Rusty Heaps

The first generation Miata was a shameless crib of the original Lotus Elan. They got the look spot on and for the driver, they also gave the little car a big dose of driving fun. Add bulletproof Japanese build quality and you've got a car that can't help but be successful.

The Miata MX5 has gone through three generations with each successive design becoming more elaborate and perhaps finding its own unique style. The current MX5 is even available with a folding metal roof. While Mazda can rightly claim that the Miata (North America), MX5 (Europe, and now North America), Eunos, Roadster (Japan) is the best selling sports car, it is more accurate to say that they have the best selling model.

You see, the trusty old MGB sold over 500,000 cars and it was pretty much the same basic car from beginning to end. I know that there were several major changes to the car, the biggest being the switch to rubber bumpers, but deep down it was the same basic body, engine and drive train built on the same production line all its life.

Interestingly, about the same number of Miata MX5s and MGBs have been sold in North America.

Modernized Jensen Interceptors

The Jensen Interceptor was always an object of lust for me. The brute Chrysler V8 heart in the Savile Row suit was the best of America and Great Britain together in one beautiful package. 

A UK based firm, Jensen International Automotive, is producing a thoroughly updated Interceptor using your donor car as a starting point. Called the Jensen Interceptor S, the car is given a complete restoration with some updates to the styling, body shell strengthening, new interior with significant material upgrades and modernization of the suspension system. The Chrysler V8 and automatic gearbox are replaced with a new GM-sourced 6.2 liter LS3 V8 engine with your choice of automatic or 6 speed manual gearbox. The 429 bhp lump will propel the modernized Jensen to claimed top speed of 160 mph. 

All of this gratification doesn't come cheaply: you'll need to place a suitcase containing £105,000 in the glasshouse boot of your donor Interceptor when you ship it to the folks at JIA..

   

Is There Anything New Under the Sun?

MINI Paceman Concept Car - A "Bigger" MINI

Austin 1200 - A "Bigger" Mini

The folks at MINI plan to officially unveil their latest concept - The "Paceman"  - at the Detroit Auto Show in January. Does the world need another MINI variant? Probably not. Are we going to get it anyway? Probably so.

This Was on My Christmas List...

... but it wasn't under my tree. Yeah, I'm not surprised, either. This video "pornifies" the awesome Aston Martin V12 Vantage by contrasting it against the LeMans DBR1-2 prototype racer. The soundtrack of both cars makes the hair on my neck stand up. How about you?


The video that I've posted here looks like it was filmed on the Sir Anthony Bamford estate in the UK - the same place where Alain DeCadenet's Victory by Design was shot. If you haven't seen these great videos, I recommend that you get your hands on them soon.

MINI Countryman is Here

About now,  the new MINI Countryman should be showing up at MINI of Pensacola. I've kept an eye on the development of this model and I thought at first that it was taking the MINI idea a bit far. As I am known to do, I've changed my opinion and I think it's probably a good move for the marque.

The Countryman has four (count 'em four) real doors, can be ordered with a bench back seat (for five up motoring) and is available with all wheel drive. Mini it ain't, but there are several other new cars in the MINI pipeline that are smaller and more sporty. In the meantime, here's a video that MINI produced to introduce the Countryman.   

Maybe Not So Wacky After All?

No sooner had I posted an article about "wacky" tri-cars, Morgan announced that they will be putting a modern one into production next year. In keeping with its heritage, the car will be powered by a motorcycle engine - an 1800cc Harley-Davidson twin. The cog-swapping duties will be handled by a modified Mazda MX5 (nee Miata) gearbox.

At this point, I don;t know whether the new three wheeler will be sold in the USA, but I think I'd like one...

More details at the official Morgan website.

Oh God - They're Actually Going to Build it

Some of you long time readers may remember the post about Aston Martin's Lagonda concept unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2009. If you didn't catch the post, it's here under Women Fainted - Strong Men Wept. If you don't want to be bothered with making the clicking action on the link above, here's a photo to show you how gruesome ugly can be.


Press reports today indicate that Aston Martin will indeed build this mutant. It's difficult to understand how this storied firm could build cars as beautiful as the DB series and seriously consider adding this smear to their CV.

Wasn't the Cygnet bad enough?

A Smaller MINI

MINI has presented a trio of scooter concepts in London and later at the Paris Motor Show. The scooters are electric powered and are designed for high-style urban commuting in the larger cities of Europe. While these have been introduced as concepts, there is a better than even chance that the two wheelers will see production.

Automakers are facing more stringent corporate fuel economy standards around the world and many manufacturers are turning to gasoline-electric hybrids or pure electric vehicles to plump their numbers. BMW, MINI's corporate master, has long been rumored to revive the Isetta name - actually trademarking i-Setta - to place on a family of sub-MINI electric powered cars. An electric scooter would fit nicely in those plans.

Scooters are red-hot in most US markets, with a new generation discovering the joys motorcycling without actually riding a motorcycle. There's actually a group in Fairhope calling themselves Mods and Rockers in homage to the movement in 1950-1960 England.

I'm thinking that these scooters would be a major success here if they go into production.

MINI Back in Rally Competiton

If you've been around British cars any time at all, you've probably seen images of Minis competing in in classic rally events such as the Rally Monte Carlo with such luminaries as Paddy Hopkirk and Timo Makinen behind the wheel. The Minis won the Rally Monte Carlo three times in the 1960s (it would have been 4 barring some subterfuge by the mostly French officials) earning themselves a place in motoring history.

Today's' World Rally Championship tour is contested by various Peugeots, European Fords and Skodas on courses throughout the world. MINI has not been a competitor in the modern era - until now.

Prodrive - a UK based tuning and competition group has been contracted to turn MINI's new Countryman four door off-roader into a World Rally contender. This four wheel drive model will be hitting US showrooms late this year.

Here's a video shot during testing of the MINI WRC car in Portugal.



Don't tell anyone, but the new Countryman is built in Austria...

TVR Back from the Brink?

One of Britain's most-often-on-life-support boutique car makers may be back with a vengeance.

TVR has a long history of building bars that were pretty much a step above a kit car in both quality and appearance. Most of them were powered with engines bought in from Ford, BMC or Rover.

TVR is owned by Nikolai Smolenski the 29 year-old son of a Russian oligarch. Smolenski bought TVR in 2004 with promises to keep TVR a British based company. Under Smolenski's leadership TVR went from producing 12 cars a week to 4.

Smolenski announced that TVR production would restart soon, this time building a vehicle powered by a Chevrolet V8 - possibly one with Corvette tuning. Rumor has it that TVR may make a return to the US market.

I'm not holding my breath.

MG Concept Shown at Beijing Auto Show

The Chinese masters of the MG marque seem to be giving the British design team some serious input on the future of MG. The MG ZERO concept was unveiled at Auto China 2010 last week and it doesn't look half bad. the four door concept is a 'B' segment car (larger than a MINI, about Ford Focus- sized) is certainly better looking than some of the earlier leaked photos indicated.

A car that can be sold in large numbers is what is required to secure MG's future as a global player. By bringing some of the MG magic to a car that will be driven every day, MG should be able to find a receptive customer base. Hopefully, the profits gained from a volume car like this will enable MG to finance the more sporty cars we remember here in the States. And maybe even return to the nation that bought more MGs than any other on Earth.

Form an MG press release, Guy Jones, MG Motor UK Limited’s Sales and Marketing Director, added: “MG ZERO is crucial to the development of the brand globally, as it gives clear direction for the future beyond the current products. We are all proud to see our British-designed vehicle wearing the MG badge creating such an impact in Beijing. With the MG TF back in production in Birmingham, sales increasing and the MG6 coming at the end of the year, the MG ZERO has come at the perfect time to build further awareness and interest in the brand here in the UK.”

Talking to Computers

Unless you've been living under a rock, you will have heard about the woes of Toyota and complaints of 'unintended acceleration'. Tearful Toyota executives bow and apologize (sincerely, I believe) and work to repair the problem with accelerator pedals.

Essentially, what Toyota (and other automakers) have done is remove the direct connection between the driver's right foot and the throttle body (I almost said carburetor) and installed what might rightly be called a foot controlled mouse. You see, instead of directly opening or closing a throttle butterfly, modern gas pedals are wired to a computer that controls nearly every aspect of the car's operation. What the driver is doing is telling the computer to 'go faster' or 'slow down' based on the input of the accelerator.

My long-suffering spouse's MINI Cooper is built this way. In fact, even the power windows and headlights are routed through something called the body control module. There is a slightly-perceptible lag between the time the headlight switch is turned off and the headlights actually go out.

When I have the pleasure of driving my MGB or classic Mini I am assured that there is a real honest-to-God link between my right foot and the throttle of the engine (yep, a carburetor). If I have an 'unintended acceleration' event in one of them, I can pretty well bet that it is a broken return spring - not a computer that has decided to become HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey and take over control of my car.

But I imagine that there were articles written by grouchy old men decrying the advent of hydraulic brakes and the loss of directly-connected-to-the-pedal mechanical brakes.

Maybe I've become a grouchy old man.

News from the MG Front

Edmund's Inside Line is reporting that MG is in the midst of designing an all-new front engine, rear drive sports car to replace the (modern) MG-TF. The current TF - a development of the MGF - traces it's roots back to the early 90s and carries a mid engine layout. Of course, the article has the obligatory statement about MG returning to the US.

The full Inside Line article is here.

A UK Lotus Commercial

Most Americans really aren't familiar with the Lotus name. We British car enthusiasts know Lotus for building light, nimble and - occasionally - troublesome cars. Modern Lotus cars are expensive driver's machines. The Elise, for example, is quite basic (exposed aluminum structural supports intrude in the cockpit) but it is sublime to drive.

Here is a commercial for UK audiences about the new Lotus Europa. The Europa looks like it belongs on my list of cars I'm buying with my lottery winnings.

The New MG6

Most you know that MG is now owned by the Chinese firm SAIC. They've been cranking out the Former Rover 75 in China and have restarted (in fits and jerks) production of the (modern) MGTF in Longbridge, Birmingham, UK.

The first car designed under the current ownership is the new MG6 saloon. I've posted a YouTube video of the teaser ad developed for the Chinese market. I note - with no small sense of irony - that the actors are westerners and the theme of the ad is 'freedom'.




The above-mentioned Rover 75 is now badged 'Roewe' 750 and is loosely pronounced 'wrongway'. To the Chinese ear, it apparently sounds similar to the original Rover name. You remember that the Rover name is owned by Tata - the current owners of Jaguar.

Mr. Bond *snicker* Your Aston Martin is Here *ahhh ha ha ha!*

Aston Martin is facing governmental requirements to lower its fleet CO2 emissions. Since Astons are high performance, high fuel consumption cars they make a lot of CO2. Aston Martin's solution to the problem is the Cygnet.

The Cygnet is a facelifted Toyota IQ (a model not sold in the USA) with an upscale interior, snazzy paint job and not much else. Available only to current Aston Martin owners, it is intended to be a city runabout while the Vanquish is safely tucked away.

Aston Martin has yet to officially announce the Cygnet for production, but indicated it will be available for retail sales in 2010. Initial sales will be limited to the UK and Europe, but U.S. sales have not been ruled out. Expect the Cygnet to be priced above the $30,000 mark with annual production to be capped at 2,000 units.

A cygnet is a baby swan. To my eye, this one is an ugly duckling.