News : MG6 BTCC challenger goes live!

Triple Eight unveiled its brand new NGTC MG6 GT at Silverstone, with one car running in the media photography session. The team’s new Next Generation Touring Car MG6 will be the first non-Vauxhall car that Triple Eight have competed with in the British Touring Car Championship.

Jason Plato was at the wheel as the car completed several laps during the media tracking photography section of Championship’s media day, but the team confirmed it wouldn’t be taking part in the afternoon’s four hour test session.

BTCC boss Alan Gow said: ‘We’ve got more cars this year than we had for Brands in 2011. To maintain and even increase the field in the current economic circumstances is fantastic. I’m very proud of it.

‘I have little doubt that, just as with seasons past, the number of cars will increase as new teams and drivers take on the BTCC.’

 

Keith Adams

24 Comments

  1. Wow! The 6 looks brilliant in racing spec, surely this will result in a 100% or even greater increase in sales. Hope MG release a roadgoing version of this car.

    Go SAIC! Go Tesco!

  2. its indeed a nice step forwards for MG a believe, shame the car looks a bit messy with all kinds of little sponsors…
    compared to the very nice Hotwheels black&green sponsored MG ZSses from the past… but hee, we’re motoring 🙂

  3. I’ve said it already on the FB page but MG has to translate the publicity that it will gain from the race track into the salesroom and start to flog them. As it happens I have just seen a MG6 this lunch time but I live in the West Mids so there are a few about. I like them, a few don’t but I have also seen a pre-launch MG3 doing the rounds locally( I posted a picture of it on FB a few weeks ago)and that’s a nice looking car as well, the pictures don’t do it justice. A Group N Rally spec MG3 would be a welcome addition or maybe a one make track car series for up and comming young racing car driver, a bit like what SEAT do.

  4. I live in a small village on the Gower in South Wales. At the bottom of the village, a guy has a RangeRover, Rover75 saloon, MG ZT estate and a Rover 45. THe guy and the top of the village has a Rover 75 Tourer and ……. an MG 6!! There is an MG Dealership in Cardiff, but I don’t think there’s one in Swansea.
    Personally I think the MG 6 looks like a Mazda 6 up close and also the MG 5 looks very like the new Hyundai i30!!

  5. @ 10 Malcolm. I agree the MG 6 looks like a Mazda 6 but personally I think the new Hyundai i30 looks better than the MG5

    I cant imagine MG building a road going version of its BTCC car, but an interesting idea nonetheless

  6. Great News, this will great MG on the map, and be nice to have a road version of the car, the sporting engine spec, Still at least will promote sales of the MGs. Regards Mark

  7. With sponsors like The Sun, Evo magazine and Tesco MG should be in a better position to get itself publicised/known.

  8. @13 i agree,it will put MG on the map,i dont really know the format of EVO ,i hope its not like MAX POWER,even FAST CAR turned to this shit format,sign of the times eh?i remember when they was a very well respected publication-FAST CAR at least,i used to love “vizards spells” column!

  9. I am pleased to see any addition to the BTCC grid and wish the new Chinese entrant the very best of luck in the event. Of course, I’d prefer to see them beaten out of sight by the Europeans, but then, that’s the nature of competition for you 😉

    Ironically, out of only two manufacturers currently participating in this year’s event, it seems that it’s Honda who’ll be battling against them to represent the British manufacturers this year!

  10. This is bound to increase sales markedly. Just imagine all those once Zed drivers, who have no knowledge that the 6 even exists, going ” Hey, a new MG! I’d like one of those”

    MG UK – Prolonged airing of the TV commercial, press & bill board ads could have had this effect months ago. You may be happy with a slow start but why not aim for hundreds of MG6 sales per month rather than tens?

  11. cars not quite ready yet, looks like it’s missing the front splitter for one.. But I have every faith in 888 racing to pull a sprinkle of miracles out of the bag – and whilst I don’t expect them to win the championship, I would ecpect them to get podium wins in every race… GOOD LUCK TO ALL CONCERNED!!

  12. @ 18.

    Does that mean that at least the livery has some British manufacturing input then?!

    Will they need to remove all of these mods each time they return the car to Avis? 😉

  13. @John – I don’t think that these are avis cars, as triple 8 have done a lot of work on the chassis, body and engine. It wouldn’t be economic to remove the mods after each race so that it could be returned to Avis for hire between races. Of course I could be wrong, but I don’t think that any other manufacturer would use such a business model.

  14. Hi John

    I realise that now I’ve had by coffee. Slightly surreal concept though all the same, I believe people used to hire the Hertz Mustangs, race them, and then return them.

  15. Ianto,

    I think we’ve hit on something here:

    Lots of people on this site that are enthusiastic about the MG6, a BTCC entrant by MG/SAIC and a huge glut of MG6’s at Avis. That sounds like one huge track day, by ARonline members, at Avis’ expense to me 😉

  16. At the end of their hire car life, it could be a real winner. What about an Avis special edition sans the engine limiter?

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