The MG SV Xpower is a sports car that was produced by British automobile manufacturer MG Rover. Manufactured in Modena, Italy and finished at Longbridge, United Kingdom, it was based on the platform of the Qvale Mangusta, formerly the De Tomaso Biguà, itself using parts from the Ford Mustang.
The production process was complex, partly caused by the use of carbon fibre, to make the body panels. The basic body parts were made in the United Kingdom by SP Systems, and then shipped to Belco Avia, near Turin, for assembly into body panels.
These were then assembled into a complete body shell, and fitted onto the box frame chassis and running gear, and shipped to the factory of MG Rover, in Longbridge, to be trimmed and finished. Several of the cars’ exterior and interior parts, were sourced from current and past models of Fiat.
The base MG XPower SV is powered by a 4.6 L Ford Modular V8 which is rated at 320 hp. The SV's advanced carbon fibre body helped it achieve a top speed of 266 km/h and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 5.3 seconds.
The XPower SV R, released the following year, features a Roush tuned, “cammer” 5.0 L 32 valve Modular V8. MG claimed the SV-R's engine was rated at 385 hp, however some sources claim this figure is actually closer to 410 hp.
The top speed was estimated to be around 282 km/h, and its 0 to 100 km/h time to be close to 4.9 seconds.
Unlike the base model SV, the SVR was offered with a choice of either manual or automatic transmissions.
According to the data at the MG XPower SV Club, approximately 82 cars were produced, excluding the four 'XP' pre production prototypes.
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