The MG3 is a great little car but it has yet to become the sporty little number some MG fans may desire.
We met up with Chris Flanagan, from Retro Sports Cars of West Yorkshire, and Mark Stacey at Kmaps of Banbury, who collaborated in the unconventional step of fitting oldschool Rover turbo power to SAIC’s compact and likeable ingénue.
A current model MG3 reportedly produces a modest 106PS (104.5bhp), with 137NM of torque, from its DOHC VTi-TECH 1498cc petrol engine. To gain more power you have to access the MG3’s computer, i.e. the ECU. Unsurprisingly manufacturers aren’t too keen on anyone tinkering with their electronics these days, having spent a fortune developing the car’s set-up for a huge host of conditions. And without access to the factory-level software, there is a limit to how much you can tune the 1.5 engine.
So, to get an MG3 to be much more lively you could either put it on an extreme diet, as we saw with the MG3 MTC UK racer, or go large. Chris says: “People do ask why we are putting an older engine in but the K-series is much lighter. It is proven and we’ve seen now just how tuneable it is. We’ve gone straight to the 1.8 because it is the same amount of effort to fit, whatever the capacity, so why bother with a 1.4?”
Not only has Chris opted for the 1.8, he has also chosen the turbocharged version of the K-series engine. As standard the 1.8 Turbo would offer around 150 to 160PS. Even in its basic guise, this is half the power again of the SAIC engine but much more can be gained. The RSC development MG3 currently runs a Garrett GT2560R turbocharger, producing 17psi peak boost, but Chris acknowledges there is room for more. Obviously you have to balance that with tractability and cost.
Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av MG Enthusiast.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av MG Enthusiast.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Love and devotion
Bob Nason waited eight years to get the car of his dreams and, 19 years later, he’s still smitten with it...
Tidy-up time
Craig continues his quest to save the modified ZS 120 he told us about in December’s issue of MGE and takes advantage of a break in the weather to focus on its bodywork.
XPress power
MGs on Track regular, Dave Pearce, has a range of MGs at his disposal including this rather special XPower SV-R.
Sparking memories
MGE reader Peter Morrey recalls his very first MG, his family’s experiences of the then-new MGA and advice from a chap with a bit of MG insider knowledge.
Gerry McGovern
When the MGF appeared, in 1995, it marked a return to the market for MG sports cars. MG Enthusiast caught up with the man responsible for the car’s styling.
MG's Twin-Cam engine
The Twin-Cam engine arrived in 1958 but was it a success?
Eyes peeled
This month Roger looks at other drivers’ habits and ponders whether autonomous vehicle lighting helps or hinders road users?
Dear Sir...
Paul Moran’s beautifully restored 1933 Midget J2 comes with some interesting documentation which illustrates just how the privileged new car owners of the 1930s dealt with the absence of a warranty.
CHEQUERED FLAG
THE ROADS LESS TRAVELLED... AND WHY THEY ARE WORTH SEEKING OUT
2019 HSRCA SPRING FESTIVAL
The 2019 Historic Sports and Racing Car Association Spring Festival was run during a brilliant spring weekend, between 28-29 September, in Goulburn (regional New South Wales).
