What's the news?
MG was 90 this month and to join in the celebrations at the birthday event held at Silverstone, the Longbridge company showed off the 3 Trophy Championship concept.
The idea is that this could be made for club racers who want a modern MG, as well as highlighting the in-house engineering, design and calibration capabilities of the company.
MG has taken the 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine of the road car and bolted on a turbo, resulting in a jump from a modest 106hp to a much-more-like-it 207hp, plus 260Nm. The Trophy also features a full body-lightening programme, a limited-slip differential, fully adjustable front suspension and adjustable splitters and spoilers front and rear.
The Trophy Championship concept previewed at the MG90 event in late June in order to gauge potential demand for an MG Trophy race vehicle.
Anything else?
We've been in it. As part of a trip with MG to Silverstone, we were passengers for a few laps around the Stowe complex with British Touring Car Championship ace Sam Tordoff behind the wheel. And from the passenger seat, the Trophy seemed very composed, with plenty of grip at both ends and punchy performance. Obviously, the car we were in was stripped out, featured a roll cage and was ostensibly for a track championship, so it also sounded unfeasibly, entertainingly loud... but it's not hard to imagine a road-going version with a 1.5-litre turbo engine and something in the region of 160- or 170hp. MG, you know what you have to do.
Matt Robinson - 30 Jun 2014