MG Motor has unveiled its hottest-ever MG 3 in the shape of a race-bred concept with a retuned engine, producing 204bhp and 192lb ft of torque.
The new MG 3 Trophy Championship concept was unveiled during the manufacturer's 90th anniversary celebrations at Silverstone last weekend.
The hatchback – developed on the current MG 3 road car platform by a team of specialist MG engineers, led by vehicle engineering specialist Adrian Guyll – was built for two reasons.
Primarily, it is a toe-in-the-water exercise to gauge interest in a club racing version of the MG 3. However, MG says the car also "highlights in-house engineering, design and calibration capabilities at SMTC UK in Longbridge".
SMTC is the European Design and Technical Centre that's located alongside MG Motor UK at the Longbridge site in Birmingham. SMTC and MG are both owned by parent company, SAIC Motor; the largest automotive company in China.
The outputs of the 1.5-litre, turbocharged VTi Tech engine are 105bhp and 100lb ft in the standard MG 3 road car.
The MG 3 Trophy Championship concept also gets a limited-slip differential, a fully adjustable MacPherson strut front suspension set-up with bespoke rear anti-roll bar, an adjustable front splitter and twin-plain adjustable rear spoiler. The body shell has undergone a weight optimisation programme.
Factory MG BTCC racers Jason Plato and Sam Tordoff drove the MG 3 Trophy Championship around Silverstone during last weekend's event.
Join the debate
Add your comment
This is the kind of thing we need to see...
More input from the MG-Uk
Looks pretty good