MG Rover and Championship Auto Racing Teams have announced a new engine supplier relationship for the CART FedEx championship series for 2003 and beyond.
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The announcement will bring the MG brand and its motor racing heritage to American open-wheel champ car racing for the first time in the marque’s history.
The new engines will be branded MG XPower and the race cars will carry the MG logo.
The MG Rover effort is a collaboration between the manufacturer and the UK’s Engine Developments, the builder of JUDD racing engines.
The “XV” power plant targeted for CART Champ Car competition is being jointly developed by both groups and uses basic architecture from the existing JUDD V8 and V10 engine family, the V10 version of which powered the winning car in this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.
The extensive re-design currently being undertaken on the V8 will effectively produce a brand new engine designed specifically to suit CART’s new engine regulations that call for 12,000 rpm limits and other enhancements unique to the FedEx championship series.
The “XV” is targeted to produce well over 700 hp.
MG Rover is the first manufacturer to officially confirm participation in CART under the organisation’s new rules that call for 3.5-litre V8 racing engines commencing next season. Additional manufacturers are expected to confirm participation in the coming months.
In addition to MG Rover’s race car supplier business, the company is considering joining the CART Fast Lap pace car programme with high-performance street versions of its cars in the fleet.
