"MG's striking SV was designed by Peter Stevens, Royal College of Art Designer who had been responsible for McLaren’s F1 and was based on the platform of the Qvale Mangusta. Prior to the demise of MG Rover, a team has been working on a project to return the company to the forefront of motorsport competition via sports and touring racing which included production of high-performance road cars. The X-Power SV was planned as the ultimate in the company’s street legal offerings. Making its debut at the 2002 UK Motor Show the SV boasted a mouth-watering specification including a Ford 4.6 litre V8 power plant with five-speed gearbox and limited slip differential. The design’s Italian-built steel box frame chassis (clothed in carbon fibre) was extremely rigid - as it needed to be in order to cope with some 320bhp on tap. The 0-60mph dash could be achieved in under 5.5 seconds whilst top speed was quoted at 165mph.
Car number 144 was sold new in May 2004 to Gordon Sturdy who specified his SV as a manual gearbox car painted in Garnet Red Supertallic. Believed to be the only one painted in this shade of red, (most red cars being painted in Solar red), it was specified with ‘Oyster’ leather and Alcantara interior, automatic climate control, CD Tuner, Infinity speakers, large rear spoiler and track day free flowing exhaust. The supplied original bill of sale shows Mr. Sturdy paid £46,000 for the car and then an additional £870 to have the SV seat upgrade. The car’s history file shows receipts for maintenance work carried out by Maidstone Sports Cars, as well as the original owner’s handbook, parts list CD, MG X-Power SV book by David Knowles and promotional DVD and book. Whilst officially the second owner, Mr. Stury was for all intents and purpose the first, as the car was first registered to MG Sport and Racing Ltd as a demonstrator. It must have had light use though, as even now the car has only covered 5,313 miles. Purchased by our vendor in 2021, the car formed part of a large eclectic collection of cars and has had only light use. Reported by him to run and drive incredibly well, the car is now only for sale to free up some money and space for an incoming project.
Supplied with a V5C registration document, original purchase invoice, book pack, maintenance and service handbooks, many MoT test certificates and invoices. This rare and unique car, believed to be the only in this colour is bound to wow at any car meeting or show, with performance to match its wild styling.Interested parties should note that contrary to the catalogue description, this MG SV X-Power is not the only car painted in Garnet Red, but in fact one of only two cars painted by the factory in the colour.
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