Ricardo out testing again
KEITH ADAMS
Taped up 75 appears to be a long(er) wheelbase SAC528. Note the re-jigged rear lamp clusters and what appears to be a subtlely altered number plate surround and bootlid pressing, (Picture: WorldCarFans.com)
SAIC's prototype Rover 75, the SAC528 appears to have been enjoying an outing at the Nurburgring recently, and although some commentators have been surprised by the need for disguise on this car, there do appear to be a number of bodywork changes around the rear end which may need hiding.
When he saw the images, former MG Rover homologation engineer, Nic Fasci commented: "Interesting front end on the car. The grille looks slightly different to the facelifted cars we did. That could be a tweaked front bumper. As for the back end, new bumper, new boot lid (as the Chinese wanted it in for their version) and new tail lamps with what look like boomerang LED stop lamps."
Nic added: "The Chinese didn't like the sloping back of the current 75 so their version was to have a higher waist line at the back and a higher boot. The monoside has obviously been re-tooled as has the boot to raise the profile of the rear end. Not a cheap exercise in the slightest."
As an aside, testing on a public day at the famed track is not unknown to MG Rover engineers. Nic recalled: "We did a fair amount of cars at the 'Ring, the Zed cars did some work there and also the ZT260 was honed around there." So it would seem that Ricardo's engineers are going back to what they know with SAC528.
The British consultancy Ricardo 2010 has been working closely with SAIC both in the UK and China on the productionisation of its new Rover - and currently a team of 150 former MG Rover engineers are working on the car and its production start-up, still slated for later this year...
For the original photos and article, click here.
Check out the length of the rear window. (Picture: WorldCarFans.com)
als je de foto van de ringwebcam opslaat en even op in zoomt , dan zie je toch duidelijk dat deze een afwijkende neus heeft.
T'is ook nog steeds onduidelijk wat B.M.W. met de Rover-merknaam gaat doen.
