Rover R3...

[XJ-S]

NEW ROVERS R READY FOR TAKE-OFF

Could this be the start of Rover's return? Auto Express has sensationally uncovered the pictures accompanying the top-secret plans that Britain's only mainstream car manufacturer is hoping will secure its long-term future.

Just as Auto Express was going to press -and after our cover was printed - we learned that the Midlands firm will increase its product portfolio in four key areas over the next four years, developing two new cars that will be called the Rover R2 and Rover R3.

The first new model to appear - the R3 - will slot in the range between the Rover 25 and 45. Shown above (blue car), it will be based on the Ford Focus-sized Proton Gen2, which has recently gone on sale in Malaysia. The use of Proton's platform is the result of a business agreement between MG Rover and the Malaysian firm that was agreed in June this year. The deal aims to expand both companies' influence across the globe.

We've also learned that the Malaysian link isn't set to threaten production of Rover cars in the UK. The deal is similar to the one Rover struck with Honda in the Eighties, with both companies manufacturing their own cars based on the same architecture. A complete Gen2 production line is being prepared so that MG Rover can build the R3 in-house, safeguarding thousands of jobs in the West Midlands.

The newcomer also marks the start of a new naming policy for Rover. Instead of being called the Rover 35 as might be expected, our spies have hinted that R3 will be the first of a new series of Rover names. The car will use Proton's own 1.4 and 1.6-litre petrol engines, while a diesel unit is likely to be sourced from an external manufacturer.

Further developments will come in 2006, with replacements for the 25 and CityRover. The 25's successor will again be co-developed with Proton, and be based on the secret TRM supermini. The car will go head-to-head with the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa, and will come with a choice of 1.2 and 1.4-litre Proton powerplants.

Expected to be called the Rover R2, the new supermini will make its public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2006, and will again be built by both companies at their own plants. Both the R2 and R3 are currently being fine-tuned by Proton-owned Lotus in readiness for a European debut, and the Norfolk-based firm's reputation for world-class chassis engineering means they should be great cars to drive.

That will be music to the ears of fans of MG, as octagonal-badged versions of both models are also anticipated. A Z2 version is possible, while the Z3 could be based on Proton's new SRM hatch. As with the current range, the MGs will feature sportier styling and suspension settings to differentiate them from Rover models.

Also due in 2006 will be the replacement for the CityRover budget car, a model that will continue to be built in India by TATA. However, MG Rover has sent a team of engineers to work with the Indian firm, which means the next-generation car will be more closely tailored to European tastes.

Meanwhile, the long-awaited Rover 45 replacement is also under development. It will become a Ford Mondeo rival, and be styled after Rover's TCV concept, as seen at the 2002 Geneva Motor Show. This will be MG Rover's contribution to the alliance with Proton, and once more is set to be built by both companies. The TCV concept is said to represent the estate model, while a four-door saloon and five-door hatch are expected, too. The model is tipped to be sold as both the Rover R4 and MG Z4.

The final piece of the MG Rover jigsaw will fall into place in 2008, and will involve the eventual replacement for the Rover 75. The executive car will be developed in tandem with the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), with which MG Rover bosses also signed a business agreement in June.

The new model will be built in Britain and China, and will be designed exclusively by Rover, using engines supplied by the Chinese manufacturer, along with an updated version of the current 75's 2.5-litre KV6. It will be called the R6, leaving the R5 name available for another model, which could possibly be a new people carrier.

There's no indication of how much these projects are costing, or MG Rover's sales targets, but exciting times lie ahead for the British manufacturer. After years of struggle, it looks as if the tide could finally be turning...

(Fonte: AutoExpress)

[Guest kenzo]

Wow! Me la compro subito, sventolando allegramente il blocchetto degli assegni!

[fulvio]

I fari ricordano BMW...

[carrera4]

questo comunque è ancora un photoshop della Proton Gen-2...

Certo la city rover è un'auto indiana rimarchiata, questa un'auto malese rimarchiata... stanno facendo il giro del mondo a raccattare modelli...

che tristezza... arriveranno a produrre un modello loro o questo è il massimo che ci dobbiamo aspettare?

[126/131]

è molto più bella e sportiva della 25...mi piace,anche se non la vorrei mai

[XJ-S]

...stanno facendo il giro del mondo a raccattare modelli...

che tristezza... arriveranno a produrre un modello loro o questo è il massimo che ci dobbiamo aspettare?

Con il budget a loro disposizione non credo possano fare molto di più...

[Autodelta85]

in effetti i fari ricordano BMW.....forse devono esaurire qualcosa della vecchia gestione

[Giulio]

Sbaglio o questa non è un modello vecchio rifatto solo esteticamente, nel senso che è nuovo di pacca? Se fosse realmente così, allora <<ALLELUJA!>>, finalmente la Rover ha un pianale nuovo e non fa più quei pastrocchi per modernizzare i design, come ha fatto per la 25, la 45 ecc... .

[Paco]

onestamente sono messi molto male alla rover

[mrathlon900]

....direi malissimo...