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MG plans electric Miata rival MG plans electric Miata rival

MG plans electric Miata rival

MG wants to go back to its roots.

British-turned-Chinese auto-maker MG wants to rekindle ties with its long-lost roots. The company has plans to launch a model that channels the spirit of the MG B.

"Yes, yes we will [build an MX-5 rival]. This is MG B and MG A type car," said MG head of design Shao Jingfeng in an interview with Australian magazine Drive.

There's a twist in the plot: MG won't settle for merely copying Mazda's emblematic Miata. The yet-unnamed roadster will feature a battery-electric drivetrain -- a must for Chinese brands looking ahead -- and all-wheel drive. To achieve this, MG will need to develop a brand-new platform from the ground up. There's no word on when it will arrive yet.

MG currently sells crossovers and economy cars. Jingfeng hinted we'll see more sports cars join its ranks in the coming years.

"I will make MG brand closer to history, because the brand stopped for several years and for customers [building SUVs] doesn't answer 'who is MG?' So we need to go back to the beginning," he explained.

MG showed what a 21st century sports car could look like when it unveiled the E-Motion concept (pictured) at the biennial Shanghai auto show. We don't know whether the coupe will be part of the firm's sports car offensive, or if it will at least influence one of the models' design.

Photography by Ronan Glon.

MG plans electric Miata rival MG plans electric Miata rival MG plans electric Miata rival MG plans electric Miata rival MG plans electric Miata rival MG plans electric Miata rival MG plans electric Miata rival