BEST IS YET TO COME
““The ‘anorak wearing’ folks responsible for creaky MG ragtops were short of money in the early 2000s – but certainly not of ideas”
YOUR SUPERCHEAP AUTOS article (February ’21) asked the “The best MG ... ever?” question of the MG ZS EV. In fact, the “anorak wearing” folks responsible for the creaky ragtops were short of money in the early 2000s – but certainly not of ideas. Behold the MG TF 200 HPD (working) concept of 2003. HPD stood for Hybrid Performance Development; it paired a 118kW petrol engine driving the rear wheels with a 33kW electric motor driving the front wheels via a CVT. Performance was brisk, with the HPD getting from zero to 60mph in the high five-second bracket, while it had a 50:50 weight distribution and electric-only capability. Not bad for 17 years ago. SAIC may not set the world on fire with the ZS EV but it sold nearly 300,000 MGs worldwide in 2019, so low-cost, reliable transport clearly has its place. In the meantime, SAIC is looking to grow the MG brand through new models like a promised 2021 all-electric sports coupe, incorporating, no doubt, some forward UK thinking backed by sufficient funding to actually produce it. So, it appears the best is yet to come.
Thanks, Haydn. Yes, it’s interesting watching MG’s rise. And even more interesting the criticisms of people who are anti-China, despite having homes full of Chinese-made goods.