I do remember someone posting here saying they thought, or someone thought, they'd seen a Toyota Prius at Longbridge. Hmmm....the plot thickens. :dddc:

 

Its fascinating when you think about it. How will MG R make and finance a new car with light weight body parts? Surely this car can't be based on the 25, 45 or 75. SV perhaps? (its lightweight). How long have they been developing the car? How much will the car cost? How many will they make? Why have they kep the development so secret? Is it a mjor leap forward in car design?

You have to admire the people at MGR they must have balls of steel!!! Auto express is even saying that next year we will see a prototype midget! Rover dead and buried? Think again!

 

Well Kevin Howe did say they had a few supprises in store for this year....

I must admit it this would be a fairly big one though if its true:yikes:

 

Hybrids can be a good way of going 4WD. Use the electric motors to power those wheels which are normally unpowered. if you want hybrids for economy and 4WD then it may well be cheaper than doing it the old fashioned way.

It may also get around restrictions placed on MGR by BMW.

I believe Nissan and Renault have been looking at this.

 

Great news and it certainly proves that MGR is alive, well and kicking ass

However, it doesn't say that the car will definitely be built and I would be surprised if we can nip down to our local MGR dealer and place a deposit on it next week.

Given MGR's reputation for lateral thinking then I'm sure whatever it is will be very different from anything anyone else is doing.

John

 

It amazing if Rover are going to launch a Hybrid car like the Pirus, where did they get funding from? What is this car based upon? I doubt MGR can build a chassis from scratch.
Maybe The RDX60 was delayed for other "secret" cars that MGR are building!:naughty:

 

It amazing if Rover are going to launch a Hybrid car like the Pirus, where did they get funding from? What is this car based upon? I doubt MGR can build a chassis from scratch.
Maybe The RDX60 was delayed for other "secret" cars that MGR are building!:naughty:

I wonder if the Honda connection is completely dead...:naughty:

 

Steve are there any upcoming press conferences?

No comment!




















Seriously, none that I know of.

 

Remarkable news if it's true. But if this is true then why were the unions in the papers several days ago complaining about lack of new car development? Does anyone know if this paper is normally reliable, coz it's not unknown to see total rubbish being reported.

Anyway I really hope this car didn't hold up development of the RD60 coz hybrid cars don't sell that well as they're normally several grand more expensive than there equivalent normal cars.

 

Unless the technology is put in the CITYROVER. Profit margins may be reduced on the hybrid model , but could do wonders for sparking interest in the brand. Quite a few A list celebs drive those Pruis things. But any great news if its true, what ever next?? i'm really quite suprised at this.

 

Pretty sure MGR will not have wasted too much resources
for something that wouldn't get them a return.

Might be a cheap but smart new engine development or
it may actually be something related to a new/revamped
model that we will soon be able to buy.

Ian

 

The Birmingham post is normally the most on the ball paper I know when it comes to MGR and it very often beats all the car mags to the big stories. I think the Poland talks were leaked in the birmingham post before anyone else knew anything about it. I also find the FT is always on the mark, but ussualy lags a day or two behind the B'ham post.

I would suggest a few things are considered. Firstly MG R has worked for decades on hybrid cars, pop along to British motor heritage and check it out. Secondly I wonder if they will use lightweight parts from the SV to make this car tick. Perhaps they will use the X80 design as it was highly aero dynamic?

If they will roll out a new car I wonder how advanced it will be? Also I wonder if someone like Texaco is working with them on any refuelling issues.

 

Unless the technology is put in the CITYROVER. Profit margins may be reduced on the hybrid model , but could do wonders for sparking interest in the brand. Quite a few A list celebs drive those Pruis things. But any great news if its true, what ever next?? i'm really quite suprised at this.

It cannot be the CityRover.
Let me quote some of the specification from the website http://www.autoindustry.co.uk/news/press_releases.asp?sec=pr&key=ALLENGEANNOUNCED

Applications were assessed against the target specification for the car:

Vehicle type: five-door car;

Fuel type: all generally available types ie: petrol, diesel or LPG ;

Size: equivalent interior space to a class C vehicle (Astra/Focus)

Well to wheel CO2 (on the combined European drive cycle) of less than 100g/km, calculated using the well-to-tank efficiencies as below1. This equates to fuel efficiency of at least 75 mpg.



Class C vehicle size, Astra/Focus.
Thus, it should be the TCV/RD60 that Rover is working on.
Interesting to see a RD60 that does 75mpg!


Lead partner
MG Rover Group Ltd, Longbridge

Other project partners
MIRA, Nuneaton;
Powertrain Ltd, Birmingham;
Pi Technology, Cambridge


Main technology developments involved
Hybrid powertrain, reduced body and chassis weight, advanced aerodynamics and thermal systems.

A good reason why the RD60 is delayed till 2004.
The 75 is about 1.5 tonne heavy, and a shorten chassis may mean a reduction of ~100kg, but that would not be light enough, I suppose the target weight of the developed car would be ~1200kg.

 

Interesting that MG R propose a car that has a:

Hybrid powertrain, reduced body and chassis weight, advanced aerodynamics and thermal systems.


Surely using the X80/ SV has a base would mean, reduce production costs, reduced body and chassis weight and advanced aerodynamics.

 

Interesting that MG R propose a car that has a:

Hybrid powertrain, reduced body and chassis weight, advanced aerodynamics and thermal systems.


Surely using the X80/ SV has a base would mean, reduce production costs, reduced body and chassis weight and advanced aerodynamics.

Vehicle type: five-door car;
Size: equivalent interior space to a class C vehicle (Astra/Focus)

That can't be SV/X80 then. Don't think you can make it 5 doors and focus size.

 

I honestly think whatever it is, it will be based around a current model - probably the 45. Just my personal thoughts.

It would be the death of any government funding to launch the supposed end-game of any project, before the project is even approved.

John

 

i would say the 25.

heres y

its a 5 door
it is far less resticted than the 45 honda deal
its prity light any way 1200 ish killos i think could be wrong
it is not that much smaller than the focus

 

more likely in the latest round of cost cutting exercises they're releasing the 2004 45 hatch with no engine and a cut out in the floor panel so you can push with your feet.

instead of hybrids that sell a mere handful why not just redesign the K series to be more efficient and cleaner?

 

£10m is a wee in a bucket for this kind of work though.

The K-series project cost £250m in 1983 money albeit for several variants.

However, when the Birmingham Post writes, others read. To my knowledge it's never wrong on anything MGR.

This is very, very interesting indeed.

I do know Mayflower are big backers for a new variable compression engine, maybe thats it. It is an excellent proposition for low emission, smaller yet more powerful engines.

Here's the weblink.

http://www.mayflower-e3.com/index_flash.html

And you know who is a big supplier to MGR?

Yep, Mayflower.

 

It could be based on the SV if it was modified to carry as much as an Astra. I would of thought this much for feasible than modding a heavy car like the 45.

 

I still think what we'll see is a statement of intent from MGR rather than a production ready vehicle. After all why apply for a government grant if you've already got everything sorted?

John

 

Maybe The RDX60 was delayed for other "secret" cars that MGR are building!

If you believe Clarkson, they managed to "hide" the Z cars from B*W for long enough. Nothing would surprise me, frankly.

it is not that much smaller than the focus

Internally, it is. By quite a bit.The focus has far more headroom and tail space than the 200/25. Admittedly the focus has a more sharply raked windscreen that increases the apprent internal space. I would have been impressed with the focus, were it not for the fact that I prefer the coseting, womb-like interior of the 200/25. I prefer a smaller cabin and find it feels more secure, even if it isn't.

I still think what we'll see is a statement of intent from MGR rather than a production ready vehicle.

I think you've got bingo there, John. Truth is, they themselves may not know what platform it will be based on yet. In fact, the platform might not even exist yet, or it might be borrowed from someone else eventually. I suspect that if they use an existing one it will be the 45, but that's only because a family car makes good sense as a mixed-fuel vehicle, given the likely target demographic.

 

How much interior space would something like, say, the Spiritual II have had...?

 

The interior space of the Focus is closer to the 45 than the 25.

 

This is great news if it is true.