MG SV R X Power - [2004] Review | Specs, Technical Information and History

Car Review, Figures and Specs for the MG SV R X Power - [2004]

MG SV

The Italian Connection

The MG XPower SV (Sport Veloce) was produced by MG Rover and was manufactured in Modena Italy and finished at Longbridge, UK, based upon the Qvale Mangusta. The MG SV was aimed primarily at the U.S. market as the Mangusta had already been homologated. Part of the design brief was also to produce the MG for under £100,000. Code-named the MG X80 it was originally revealed as a concept car in 2001, subsequently it was restyled with even more aggressive lines by Peter Stevens before its release a year later. The base model SV cost £65,000 whilst the more powerful SV-R model costing £83,000.

MG SV R X Power - [2004]

Expensive carbon fibre and some more modest bits and pieces

The SV was clad in expensive carbon fibre body panels, however several of the cars' exterior and interior parts were borrowed from much more modest part bins such as Fiat Punto headlights and Fiat Coupe rear lights. Despite these commonly available bits and pieces, the sum of its parts proved to be much rarer. Only around 82 of these ultra rare MG’s were produced (excluding the 4 'XP' pre-production prototypes) before the demise of Rover and then MG. Making these muscular MG’s possibly the most desirable the now Chinese owned marque has ever produced.

Shark Gills and a V8

To compliment the aggressive shark gilled, carbon adorned externals of the SV only one engine would work, this was in the form of an American V8 unit. The least powerful MG XPower SV was powered by a 320 bhp (239 kW; 324 PS) at 6000 rpm 4.6 L Ford V8 with torque of 302 lb•ft (409 N•m) at 4750 rpm. The manual car had a top speed of 165 mph (265 km/h) and a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of a disappointing 5.3 seconds. The 2004 XPower SV-R featured was a little less disappointing 5.0 L V8 with 385 bhp (287 kW; 390 PS) reaching a top speed of around 175 mph (281.5 km/h) and a 0-60 mph (97 km/h) time of 4.9 seconds. The SV-S version used the 4.6 litre engine but was fitted with a supercharger to match the 385 bhp (287 kW) of the 5.0 litre versions. Only three were made. One SV-R was fitted with a supercharger to become the SV-RS, however this used an SV 4.6 litre engine. Much like the TVR Sagaris, the MG SV is another aggressively penned British muscle car of the 2000’s, similarly it was also the halo model which was the final goodbye of another British-ish marque. This possibly makes these models a little more special and befits the uniqueness of their external appearance.