News : MG launches ‘6 BTCC Edition

Keith Adams

MG6 BTCC Special Edition
MG6 BTCC Special Edition

Better late than never seems to be MG’s mantra at the moment. While the world waits for the MG6 diesel, the company has launched a limited edition version of the car to celebrate its participation in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). Arriving too late to capitalise on the season as it progressed, and just in time to see Jason Plato not take the Championship, the new car is an interesting addition to the line-up.

The MG6 BTCC Special Edition is finished with a Racing Matt Black roof and Racing Matt Black 18in alloy wheels and comes with Racing Black gloss sills, door mirror covers, lower front air dam and rear spoiler. There’s a BTCC badge on the grille and a multi-coloured MG KX Momentum Racing team decal is on the bonnet extension panel above the front grille, on the fastback boot lid and on the front doors and wings just behind the chrome wing vent. BTCC Edition graphics are highlighted on the sills and also inside the car on the passenger facia.

The car is based on the SE version and comes with the same equipment and after-sales package as that car.

MG6 BTCC Special Edition
MG6 BTCC Special Edition
Chinese market MG6 racing edition, as styled in Longbridge. It has red seatbelts...
Chinese market MG6 racing edition, as styled in Longbridge, and shown in Beijing 2012. It has red seatbelts…
Keith Adams

36 Comments

  1. Is it just me or does the little splash of colour on the grille look like a ZX Spectrum?

    The stripe along the door does look good – almost like a Martini Delta, and finally a car that suits black alloys!

    The full Chinese spec versions are reminiscent of the black and green ZSs.

  2. Nice to see MG Motor UK Limited ‘adding some spice’ to the MG6 line-up although I actually prefer the version being offered for the Chinese market, particularly the side stripe treatment and bonnet decals. That really does have a presence!

    How soon before this graphics treatment is available through UK-based dealers in a choice of black or dark silver finishes?

  3. Looks like a nice natty ford special – tart it up and flog it for a dearer price without giving u any extra power. White is an appropriate colour – matches its sister the Sinclar C5…

  4. Why on earth didn’t they make it look like the Racing edition above? This is an absoulte joke! I can honestly say I think, despite some early patience, the marketing team at Longbridge want marching of the premises. I have never known such amateurism… I think they probably do more harm than good by doing anything and it’d do the brand more favours if they just stopped

  5. That BTCC badge isn’t on straight.

    White is the wrong colour. Surely they should all be Bronze 😀

  6. Talking of bronze, I see MGR history is repeating itself today over at Manganese Bronze. What’s the betting the container lorries will be queueing up outside the factory to ship everything over to China? Very sad (if I’m right – which I hope not).

  7. Magnus – you might find effectively everything is already in China…

    Now, who’s going to buy LTI? Who do we know with brands relying on Britishness. Surely not BMW or SAIC. Come on Tata…

  8. @ 9 I’ve been watching this with some concern over the last few days.

    The Chinese took a 20% share in the company and introduced them to a parts supplier who have made a steering box that has caused such a problem that it’s finally pushed them over the edge.

    Geely will not offer any financial help; all they need to do is wait for long enough and they should be able to pick up what’s left for a song and then ship it all out to China.

    When that’s done and production is restarted, will they be hailed as the saviors of a British institution? Again?

  9. @ 11. It’s probably fair to assume that Geely will have sufficient control through their 20% share to ensure first pickings over the remains.

  10. Do you think the dealers will get a spares package of gloss black bits and a roll of stickers? Maybe the firm we love IS alive and well!

  11. They should have removed the rev limiter, provided a more agressive ECU map, and stiffened and lowered the suspension and added special edition alloy wheels… This seems just a bit naff to me…

  12. Its no more avant garde than triple eight Astras-thank god who wants to look a complete weapon driving round with silly dickhead stripes alover a mid sized saloon,unless you are in some sort of crisis and worrying about the wife being folded in half off a younger model?

  13. I dont see the point of bringing out a “BTCC special edition” when they can’t sell many of the normal ones. I dont like black alloy wheels (on any make of car). Red seat belts sound nice but it would take more than that to interest me.

  14. Was going to post this on the forum, but for some reason you think I have a “Spam IP Address”.

    Last night’s The One Show 22nd October.

    Had an article about Buddy Holly visiting Longbridge back in the day.

    Some photos from then, new exterior shots with the MG logo, interior shots with a couple of token MG6s to get the viewers wondering, in the absence of advertising, what they are.

  15. @ Hilton D:

    The UK market car does not get automotive bondage (red seat belts) unfortunately. It certainly is no Rover 200 BRM LE.

    @ Others:

    I would be surprised if they built more than 100 examples of the BTCC, judging by sales of the current MG6 and the small number of the MG TF 85th Anniversary derivative they built in three exterior colours (50).

  16. You made me laugh abuot the sinclair Spectrum I had a 48 one! I wonder if the engine management system has nore than 48K! but its an interesting parallel. that white car with the big black MG logo on the Bonnet Does NOT LOOK good. hopefully its just photography -sorry photographer but it looks like a pug dog.alex

  17. Your right, that badge is not on straight. Did they try to follow the top of the grill or bottom of the grill line. I don’t think they could make their minds up.

    Saw a silver MG6 in Chipping Sodbury today! There is an MG dealer down the road. Its a good looking car, I like it.

  18. Ah the dealer special edition lives on! £20 worth of stickers, and a few rattle cans of black paint & bingo….

  19. I think they have done so little to it because they know it wont sell well and so it wouldn’t be economically viable to change the shape of the body because it would have to go through euro ncap testing again. I also think that the Chinese racing edition will probably eventually come to the UK anyway.

  20. I know this is slightly off – beam, but does anyone know where the opening publicity picture was taken?
    It’s just that it looks like Cheddar Gorge to me. I know; it’s sad isn’t it.
    But do you ever wonder where these types of shots are taken? And how come you’re never there to see it; and looking at the pictures, nor is anyone else.

  21. Surely a black spoilers, air dam & door mirrors make a car look less sporting than their body coloured counterparts?

  22. @31 – it may well be Cheddar Gorge, but I suspect it’s a Photoshop composite. The car stands out a bit too much from the background – even allowing for sharpening and filters – and the circular shadow on the road is totally not real.

    I spent years working in Graphics getting paid for doing exactly that kind of thing, so I know what to look for!

  23. @ Mike Butler:

    This image has been issued on their website only. The media has not been furnished with a formal press release or supporting images about the BTCC edition yet, as I checked on a media service provider website this morning.

    It might be worth emailing Doug Wallace, MG Motor UK Limited’s Press Officer, who should be able to point you in the right direction. However, I agree, the location does look like Cheddar Gorge.

    The BTCC edition is also available in a metallic blue which I think is called Intense Blue.

  24. I ain’t going to crticise this BTCC special edition – not the car itself anyway. The changes may only be cosmetic but given the likely low sales that’s for the best – no big costs to recover.

    I think it looks rather good and could have a positive effect on sales – but only if people are made aware of it (and the car it’s a special edition of!)

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