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In a surprise move, MG Rover has announced that it's continuing its assault
on the sports car market with the purchase of the assets of the Italian
subsidiary of the Qvale Automotive Group. This is the Modena based company
that makes the Mangusta sports car having bought the rights to it from De
Tomaso (see here).
The Mangusta has never captured the imagination of the sportscar buying public thanks it its idiosyncratic styling. MG Rover are to use the underpinnings of the car as the basis for a new luxury high performance roadster. The chassis and engineering of the Mangusta will be retained but a new body styled by MG's famous design director Peter Stevens will be wrapped around it to give us the new car, code named MG X80. The car will still be V8 powered producing around 370bhp.
Top of the Range The MG X80 will be launched in 2002 taking the MG brand into a new segment. Both coupe and roadster versions are planned with manual and automatic transmissions. The new car will be positioned above the existing MGF roadster and also above the new MG sports saloons and sports-wagon that will be launched this summer. Kevin Howe, chief executive of MG Rover said: "The MG X80 will be an excellent fit at the top of our family of MG cars. It also provides an opportunity to look at markets where we are not currently represented. In particular the USA market, the world's largest sports car market, where we can now seriously evaluate the full potential for the MG brand." Bruce Qvale, president of Qvale Automotive Group said: "MG Rover showed an interest in our Mangusta car project in Modena and we have agreed a good deal for both sides. The power of the MG brand now takes the project forward on a global basis." Links: www.qvaleauto.com
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