Austin Rover’s 1985 MG EX-E is “the concept car too exciting to keep secrets”.
NameMG EXE
Launched:1985 Frankfurt Motor Show
Specs Based on the MG Metro 6R4 rally vehicle, mid-mounted 3.0-liter V6 motor with 250 hp, 225 lbft, and five-speed manual gearbox. 4WDWhy It Matters Now:
It was based on the MG Metro 6R4, which inherited the 3.0-liter V6 and four-wheel drive systems. The EX-E concept, however, was not a rally machine. Austin Rover envisioned it as a road-legal supercar. Some say its design influenced the first-generation Honda NSX, which was released in production form four years later.
Roy Axe was in charge of the design. The plastic body, which had a drag coefficient only 0.24 due to computer-aided design (C.A.D.), was more than just a pretty face. technology. The concept required a huge glass canopy that could be used to simulate a fighter plane.
The interior reflected the aerospace theme and featured a high-tech cabin featuring digital screens and a magnetic key that can be used to access it. The key was used to control the computers of the concept’s computers, including the ignition, adjustment of the seats, mirrors and air conditioning. For a 1985 concept, it had a lot of tricks, such as rain-sensing windshield wipers, handsfree phones, and a light sensor that automatically dips the rearview mirror.
The V6 engine’s power was reduced from the rally car’s 410 horsepower (306 Kilowatts) down to 250 hp (186kW). Both axles were connected via a 5-speed manual transmission. Despite this difference in output, MG EX-E was still able to reach 62 mph (100 kph), and then hit 170 mph (295 kph). Austin Rover used these estimates to estimate the V6’s output on the car.
Austin Rover spent a lot of time making the EX-E a reality. It was not just a concept car that Austin Rover showed off at car shows. The company didn’t have the money to make it, so that was why it didn’t happen. The styling and hardware layout of the MG F from the 90s was borrowed by the MG F.