Pump Up The Volume
MG Enthusiast|December 2019
Retro Sports Cars has taken MG’s contemporary runaround and transplanted a much-appreciated dollop of older generation Rover ZT power.
Simon Goldsworthy & Jim Jupp
Pump Up The Volume

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.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2019-Ausgabe von MG Enthusiast.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

Diese Geschichte stammt aus der December 2019-Ausgabe von MG Enthusiast.

Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.

WEITERE ARTIKEL AUS MG ENTHUSIASTAlle anzeigen
Love and devotion
MG Enthusiast

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...

time-read
8 Minuten  |
February 2020
Tidy-up time
MG Enthusiast

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.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
February 2020
XPress power
MG Enthusiast

XPress power

MGs on Track regular, Dave Pearce, has a range of MGs at his disposal including this rather special XPower SV-R.

time-read
8 Minuten  |
February 2020
Sparking memories
MG Enthusiast

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.

time-read
6 Minuten  |
February 2020
Gerry McGovern
MG Enthusiast

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.

time-read
3 Minuten  |
February 2020
MG's Twin-Cam engine
MG Enthusiast

MG's Twin-Cam engine

The Twin-Cam engine arrived in 1958 but was it a success?

time-read
3 Minuten  |
February 2020
Eyes peeled
MG Enthusiast

Eyes peeled

This month Roger looks at other drivers’ habits and ponders whether autonomous vehicle lighting helps or hinders road users?

time-read
4 Minuten  |
February 2020
Dear Sir...
MG Enthusiast

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.

time-read
6 Minuten  |
February 2020
CHEQUERED FLAG
MG Enthusiast

CHEQUERED FLAG

THE ROADS LESS TRAVELLED... AND WHY THEY ARE WORTH SEEKING OUT

time-read
2 Minuten  |
February 2020
2019 HSRCA SPRING FESTIVAL
MG Enthusiast

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).

time-read
1 min  |
February 2020