MG News

Engineers to the rescue with MG engine

Wednesday, 11 August 2010 10:00

Engineers to the rescue with MG engine

11.08.10

Engineers at MG Birmingham have come to the rescue of a rescue hovercraft!

After 10 years of faithful service and many life-saving rescues, the engine in Burnham-on-Sea’s Spirit of Lelaina search and rescue hovercraft was beginning to feel the strain.

Luckily the Somerset resort is a favourite holiday spot of Neil Butler, a Chief Engineer based at the SAIC Technical Centre at MG Birmingham. SAIC is the parent company of MG Motor UK.

Hovercrafts are used instead of boats by the rescue team because of the treacherous mud and sands along this part of the coast, which sadly claimed the life of a little girl in 2002.

Neil said: “I happened to be on the beach one day and saw that the hovercraft’s engine was really struggling. I knew that one of our new engines from MG TFs built in Birmingham would not just fit in the craft but do a much better job.”

A new MG 135hp engine has been donated which will give the hovercraft a 40 knot capability and cut down the time it takes to get to people in peril.

Neil put in many hours of his own time to work on the engine to adapt it to salt water conditions.

Mark Newman, Chairman of Burnham-on-Sea’s hovercraft rescue charity, BARB, said: “The new MG engine will be crucial to our work in saving lives and we are extremely grateful to Neil and everyone at MG and the Technical Centre who have been so generous and helpful.”

The new MG engine will be presented to the charity by Neil and Richard Moore, Executive Director of SAIC UK Technical Centre, on August 15 during BARB’s annual Rescue Sunday when more than 3,000 people will pack the beach to watch rescue demonstrations.

Goodwood Success for MG6!

Monday, 05 July 2010 16:05

AFTER weeks of planning, the MG Motor team saddled up and took a ride to Goodwood for the inaugural Moving Motorshow and the hugely anticipated 2010 Festival of Speed.

Following the successful debut of MG6 at the MG enthusiasts favourite, MG Live, the Moving Motorshow was to be the first showing of the car to the public at large. Travelling south with the Sales & Marketing team were not one but three pre-production MG6’s demonstrating each of the highly specified trim levels that the MG6 Fastback will be available in at launch. Not to be left out, Britain’s best value sports car, the MG TF, insisted that it was not staying in Birmingham on its own so, whole gang in tow, we arrived in West Sussex and set about making our mark on the impressive new Moving Motorshow venue.

As well as the lucky fifty test drivers, we were delighted to offer 100’s of fans the chance to join us for the day and the MG team enjoyed meeting and greeting our guests and introducing them to the MG6 up close.

On Thursday morning, a stroke of luck enabled Mr Ian Giles to become the first member of the public to drive the new MG6. He was delighted having managed to snare the first run up the famous hill after last minute work commitments deprived the scheduled driver of his opportunity. Mr Giles began the trend for the day, praising the MG6 and, despite our promptings, stating that there was nothing the he could truthfully say that he disliked about the car!

Nine hours and fifty hill runs later, the MG6, ably supported by the ever willing TF, had ensured that not just the drivers but many additional passengers went away buzzing with enthusiasm and positive comments about their MG experience at Goodwood.

After such a fantastic day, we wondered whether the rest of the festival could possibly measure up and luckily, the answer was a resounding YES. With tens of thousands of car fanatics pouring through the gates each day to sample the festival in glorious July sunshine, MG was able to show off both the MG6 and the MG TF to first timers and existing fans alike. The new MG6 proved a roaring success with an overwhelmingly positive reaction. The pre-production MG6 created a real sense of excitement prior to the full UK specification car being seen later in the year and people just can’t seem to wait to get behind the wheel at their local dealer at the first available opportunity.

At seven o’clock on Sunday, the Festival of Speed closed its doors for another year. The MG team leaves Goodwood in fantastic spirits, happy to have been able to show off the MG6 to our old friends and, thanks to the huge interest generated by the car, many new ones.

Countdown to MG6 runs on Goodwood’s famous hill climb

Wednesday, 23 June 2010 16:18

With just days to go it’s the countdown to the MG6 sports fastback - the first all-new MG in 15 years – to tackle Goodwood’s famous hill climb.

Invited guests will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel and drive pre-production versions of the new car on a special three-mile course, incorporating the famous hill run, at Goodwood House in West Sussex.

The event, the Moving Motor Show on July 1, is part of the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed and will offer an exclusive preview of the exciting new MG6 sports fastback.

Powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged engine, the five-door MG6 has been designed and engineered in Birmingham and will be built by MG Motor UK at the MG Birmingham plant.

MG Motor UK currently builds the MG TF sports car. It is sold through more than 40 MG dealerships across the UK and costs £13,799 on the road.

Full details and prices of the MG6 will be announced nearer the launch date.

During the three day Goodwood Festival of Speed, from July 2-4, visitors will be able to see both the MG TF and pre-production versions of the MG6 at the MG stand which is in the Motorshow Paddock close to the hill climb start line.

New European Design Centre for MG opens in UK

Thursday, 17 June 2010 11:04

MG cars of the future will be designed in the world’s newest automotive design centre in Birmingham.

The new MG Global Design Centre, which opened yesterday (June 15) is part of a multi-million investment in new technology at the 69-acre MG Birmingham site, which also houses the huge SAIC UK technical centre where nearly 300 leading engineers work.

These two centres of excellence are already designing and engineering a range of new MG models which will start to be launched in the UK from later this year.

Total investment of this phase of development at MG Birmingham, including new engine test bed facilities now being planned, amounts to almost £5-million.

MG Motor UK is owned by SAIC, the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, one of the largest automotive companies in the world.

The new Design Centre will provide a purpose-built studio for 20 designers and sits next to the SAIC Motors European Technical Centre (SMTC) at the heart of

the MG Birmingham site.

Inside the Global Design Centre are advanced workstations with the most sophisticated computer-aided design (CAD) software. Designers have the ability to create designs – both interiors and exteriors – from the initial concept stage to ‘virtual cars’ through to full-size 3D images and clay models.

British MG Design Director, Tony Williams-Kenny, said: “This is a huge step forward for us. The advanced technology and dedicated team make us one of the most professional design studios in the world – we may not be the biggest, but we aim to be the best.

“We will be finalising all details of the new MG6 from this studio and it gives us superb tools and facilities to go further forward on projects such as the MG Zero concept and beyond.”

The Birmingham MG plant currently builds the iconic mid-engined TF sports car and is now gearing up for production of the sleek MG6 five-door sports fastback which will be launched at the end of this year.

MG Motor Sales and Marketing Director, Guy Jones, said: “The Global Design Studio and the SAIC UK Technical Centre are huge investments and show just how committed we are to the future of the historic MG brand.

“This is bringing manufacturing and highly-skilled engineering design back to the heartland of the Midlands. It’s a fantastic day for British industry, Birmingham and the proud name of MG.”

MG fans vote new MG6 a hit

Tuesday, 15 June 2010 15:44

A PRE-PRODUCTION version of the MG6 sports fastback was the star attraction at the recent MGLive! event - a three-day celebration of the MG marque organised by the MG Car Club, staged at Silverstone race circuit.

More than 10,000 fans attended and were able to see a pre-production version of the five-door 1.8-litre turbocharged MG6 which will be launched later this year. A silver MG6 was centre-stage at the MG6 Plaza, where visitors were allowed to inspect it in detail, while a bright orange model acted as a Course Car and went round the world-famous Silverstone GP circuit after each race during the weekend event.

The MG6 is designed and engineered in Britain and will be built by MG Motor UK at its factory in Birmingham, which also builds the iconic MG TF sports car.

Guy Jones, Sales and Marketing Director at MG Motor UK, said: “We showed the new car to probably the most critical MG audience in the world – British MG fans – and there was a fantastic response.

“We are delighted with the very positive response of MG owners and fans. Their reaction is a further boost to the engineers and designers in Birmingham who have worked hard to make an MG for the 21st centaury while incorporating traditional features, such as great driving dynamics, which sets MGs apart.”

Work on updating the MG Birmingham factory in Longbridge is continuing a pace, with the company on target for MG6 production to begin in a few months time

The next public opportunity to see the MG6 will be at the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed. As well as being on static display, pre-production models will take part in the festival’s Moving Motor Show on July 1. Invited guests will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel and drive the MG6 on a special three-mile course, incorporating the famous hill run, at Goodwood House in West Sussex. The MG6 will also be on display during the Festival of Speed event (2-4 July).

The sight of an MG at Goodwood will bring back happy memories for Lord March, the man behind the revival of Goodwood as a key motoring venue in the UK. He said: “My grandfather, Freddie March, used to race MGs and it will be fantastic to see an all-new MG back on our roads. It will mark another historic link between Goodwood and one of the world’s most iconic brands.”

New MG6 at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Thursday, 20 May 2010 11:03

19.05.10

Goodwood Festival of Speed’s famous hill run will be the venue for an exclusive preview of the exciting new MG6 sports fastback.

The new 1.8-litre turbocharged five-door will be built by MG Motor UK at the MG Birmingham plant and is due to be officially launched later this year.

But visitors to the prestigious Goodwood festival in July will be among the first people in Britain to see the new car. And some invited guests will have the opportunity to get behind the wheel and drive the MG6 on a special three-mile course, incorporating the famous hill run, at Goodwood House in West Sussex.

This year, for the first time, the festival will stage an additional day called the Moving Motor Show on July 1 when some guests will be invited to drive the course.

The sight of an MG at Goodwood will bring back happy memories for Lord March, the man behind the revival of Goodwood as a key motoring venue in the UK.

He said: “My grandfather, Freddie March, used to race MGs and it will be fantastic to see an all-new MG back on our roads. It will mark another historic link between Goodwood and one of the world’s most iconic brands.”

MG Motor UK currently builds the MG TF two-seater sports car, sold through 41 MG dealerships and costs £13, 799 on the road.

The MG6 will be the first all-new MG to be produced at the MG Birmingham plant in 15 years. Full details and prices of the MG6 will be announced nearer the launch date.

During the three day Goodwood Festival of Speed, from July 2-4, visitors will be able to see both the MG TF and pre-production versions of the MG6 at the MG stand.