MG XPower I gallery (2003–2005)

coupe
29
photos
Dec 7, 2004
updated

About this generation

A carbon-bodied high-performance flagship sports coupe powered by an American V8, built on the foundations of the Qvale Mangusta.

The MG XPower SV was officially introduced in 2003 as an uncompromising, limited-production sports coupe engineered under the MG Rover Group. Designed by Peter Stevens, the car utilized the chassis platform of the Italian Qvale Mangusta, which originally traced its origins back to the De Tomaso Biguà. Structurally, the vehicle featured a box-section steel chassis integrated with a full roll cage and dressed in lightweight carbon-fiber composite body panels manufactured across Italy and the United Kingdom. Under the long hood, it housed a Ford Modular 4.6-liter 32-valve V8 producing 320 hp in standard form, while the later SV-R variant was upgraded to a 5.0-liter Roush-tuned V8 delivering 385 hp. Power was directed to the rear wheels via a five-speed manual Tremec gearbox or an optional four-speed automatic transmission. The interior blended premium leather and Alcantara appointments with genuine motorsport elements, including Sparco racing seats and multi-point competition harnesses. Sold primarily in the UK and select continental European markets, production abruptly came to an end in 2005 when MG Rover entered administration, with fewer than one hundred total units ever built.