MG ROVER is on its way back to America after buying out another sports car maker. Above is the first picture of the new Porsche-beating Super MG that will relaunch MG in the U.S. The revitalised British car firm stunned the car world this week by buying the American-owned Italian firm Qvale. Qvale currently has 70 workers hand-building its Mangusta model at a little factory in Modena next to Italian sports car giant Ferrari.

MG intend using the Qvale chassis and V8 engine as the base to build their high-performance MG. They are looking to sell at least 1,000 MG cars a year in America, the world’s most lucrative sports car market. MG stopped selling in America in the early 80s but the U.S. still has a huge army of MG fans and was a major market for the UK firm in the 70s and 80s. Although MG are taking on the Italian workers, it is likely that the new MG will be built at the firm’s UK headquarters in Longbridge.

The high-performance MG will be capable of speeds of 160mph-plus and 0-60mph in under five seconds. With a price tag of around £40,000, it will undercut rival models from Porsche and Jaguar. The Super MG will go on sale next spring. The car, code-named X80, has been designed by Peter Stevens, whose triumphs include the McLaren F1 Supercar and Lotus Elan. MG Rover boss Kevin Howe said: “The new MG X80 will be an excellent next step in the growth of our family of MG cars.” The firm is set to bring out a new range of MG saloons that should see them hit their target of 187,000 cars this year.