Rovers Return.....w00t!

Oracle · 20 Apr 2006 at 14:53

Ok the latest from what I can tell, its all change AGAIN!

Even the most optimistic observer would be pushed to describe as 'innovative' the strategic plans being aired currently by Nanjing Automobile, who shelled out £53m to buy Longbridge Rover.

They have reduced their initial venture and now are ignoring the new large saloon production (the Rover 7 (75)) which was to be released next year.

Instead, they are teaming up with GB Sports Car to make a new MG TF.

Jobs will only max a workforce of 600, half the number Nanjing originally intended, and less than a tenth of the workforce at the factory before receivership..

Still its a start.....

Toryglen-boy · 20 Apr 2006 at 14:56

Oracle said:
Ok the latest from what I can tell, its all change AGAIN!

Even the most optimistic observer would be pushed to describe as 'innovative' the strategic plans being aired currently by Nanjing Automobile, who shelled out £53m to buy Longbridge Rover.

They have reduced their initial venture and now are ignoring the new large saloon production (the Rover 7 (75)) which was to be released next year.

Instead, they are teaming up with GB Sports Car to make a new MG TF.

Jobs will only max a workforce of 600, half the number Nanjing originally intended, and less than a tenth of the workforce at the factory before receivership..

Still its a start.....

any news like that, is good news for the local area ...

lets hope its the end of the K series engine to !!

Lashout_UK · 20 Apr 2006 at 14:57

Thought the TF was the only thing they could actually build anyway?

-westy- · 20 Apr 2006 at 14:57

Toryglen-boy said:
any news like that, is good news for the local area ...

lets hope its the end of the K series engine to !!

Whats wrong with the K Series?

Good news, looking forward to seeing what they come up with

[TW]Fox · 20 Apr 2006 at 14:58

Crying shame, the 75 was the only decent remaining Rover product.

25, gash, 45, gash, ZS/ZR gash, MGTF, gash but the 75 and ZT were actually decent

Toryglen-boy · 20 Apr 2006 at 14:58

-westy- said:
Whats wrong with the K Series?

your joking right?

its complete pap

:confused:

[TW]Fox · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:00

Toryglen-boy said:
your joking right?

its complete pap

Do not listen to the Infidels. It is lies. The K Series is a perfectly reliable engine. The head gasket issue is not a problem. There are numerous excuses available to explain it. It is a legendary engine.

Confused · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:04

[TW]Fox said:
Crying shame, the 75 was the only decent remaining Rover product.

25, gash, 45, gash, ZS/ZR gash, MGTF, gash but the 75 and ZT were actually decent

Exactly.

The 75 was a return to the "Good Old Days". The 25/45 were an OK base as a car when they were designed in partnership with Honda...25 years ago, but times have moved on, but the chassis didn't.

The 75 was an all-new chassis, and was much better than the rest of the range.

-westy- · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:04

Toryglen-boy said:
your joking right?

its complete pap

errr...no its not. It has some issues, but its fine as long as you look after it carefully.

Fox - overused picture tbh

burns · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:09

K-series seem like quite good engines I always thought, the HGT issue's the only thing I can think of against them. Otherwise they're light revvy and reasonabley powerfull...

[TW]Fox · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:22

-westy- said:
errr...no its not. It has some issues, but its fine as long as you look after it carefully.

This is the problem. It was an engine designed for mass market, mass producted shopping trolleys not pampered enthusiasts cars.

You shouldnt need to 'look after it carefully'. You don't need to look after your Yaris 'carefully' or your Focus.

NickXX · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:25

burns said:
K-series seem like quite good engines I always thought, the HGT issue's the only thing I can think of against them. Otherwise they're light revvy and reasonabley powerfull...

It's a pretty critical issue though. It's caused a whopping number of engine failures.

Mic · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:25

If the thing looks like the MGTF concept pictures that they where doing before they went bust, then it will look very very cool. But, if its anything like the previous version, I can see rover slowly fading away again.

D4VE · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:30

Good luck to them.

Dogbreath · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:31

NickXX said:
It's a pretty critical issue though. It's caused a whopping number of engine failures.

So did the nikasil lining disintegrating on some of BMW's engines, but we don't have that brought up on every other thread...

agw_01 · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:32

[TW]Fox said:
Do not listen to the Infidels. It is lies. The K Series is a perfectly reliable engine. The head gasket issue is not a problem. There are numerous excuses available to explain it. It is a legendary engine.

I don't believe it! Fox is actually getting the picture

Let's not turn this into another Rover bashing thread though guys. Us Rover fans won't be able to win it and will be made to look like even bigger fools

Good news about Rover though. Just a shame they aren't carrying on with the 75. The 75 Coupe looked awesome!

NickXX · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:35

Dogbreath said:
So did the nikasil lining disintegrating on some of BMW's engines, but we don't have that brought up on every other thread...

Whoopty-do, that was fixed under warrantee - it was also resolved whereas K-series HGF is just an ongoing thing. There is no Nikasil problem now.

D4VE · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:36

NickXX said:
Whoopty-do, that was fixed under warrantee - it was also resolved whereas K-series HGF is just an ongoing thing. There is no Nikasil problem now.

And if they fail as quickly as the BMW engines then they'd be done under warrenty too.

JRS · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:37

Oracle said:
Ok the latest from what I can tell, its all change AGAIN!

Even the most optimistic observer would be pushed to describe as 'innovative' the strategic plans being aired currently by Nanjing Automobile, who shelled out £53m to buy Longbridge Rover.

They have reduced their initial venture and now are ignoring the new large saloon production (the Rover 7 (75)) which was to be released next year.

Instead, they are teaming up with GB Sports Car to make a new MG TF.

Jobs will only max a workforce of 600, half the number Nanjing originally intended, and less than a tenth of the workforce at the factory before receivership..

Still its a start.....

*Sigh*

Who honestly thought that this was actually a good idea? "Oooh oooh I know!!! Lets shelve our plans to build a half-decent saloon car and instead try to commit business suicide by building a small sports car that can't possibly compete with the Mazda MX-5!!!" In-bloody-genious. On the plus side, at least they're only taking on 600 people so the job losses won't be quite so bad next time around.

I want to be wrong about this. I really would like to see the company actually get some measure of success. But unless they can either ignore the temptation to go for the MX-5's niche with the new TF, or actually build a car that competes with it properly, then their current course doesn't inspire me with anything resembling confidence.

Lashout_UK · 20 Apr 2006 at 15:39

None of it's real anyway. Just propoganda.

I still stand by my view that soon the factory will be packaged up and shipped away

Won't take them long. Probably can afford to mis-launch an illconcieved idea to bankrupt the company again, just so they can make good reason for completely removing it