Rovers MGF Metro test bed

[Bioshock]

Before Rover introduced the MGF, they carried out testing in a disguised Metro! This is the car, known as the Pizza delivery van..

[hamps]

Wow cool little thing.

[dbizzle]

Colour choice is perfect!

[niwid]

I've seen this before. Absolutely brilliant isn't it! A proper, factory made sleeper.

[composimmonite]

Hopefully I'll get my licence reinstated tomorrow (have to take an assessment of fitness to drive after a stroke) and Gaydon
www.heritage-motor-centre.co.uk/
to see such prototype and experimental cars is high on my list of places to visit.

Paul h

[dbizzle]

They also used a Maestro as a Freelander mule, didn't they?


Mule for Freelander by macspite, on Flickr

[craig1010cc]

Its nice to see that they've brought it inside as when ever I've seen it there its been out round the back.

[alfiejg54]

When I worked for Rover we went on a factory trip to Longbridge and saw a couple of shortened Rover 200's. They were the test mules for the MINI, wonder if they survived?

[trouble]

Is the car still out on display?

Wasn't when I went

[Robinxr4i]

That's awesome, bet it's a bloody riot to drive!

[g40jon]

rover should have actually mass produced some of these cars!! They might have survived!! (I am joking incase my humour gets lost over the tinterwebs)

[hatsu]

Oct 10, 2013 22:01:14 GMT Robinxr4i said:

That's awesome, bet it's a bloody riot to drive!

It was and the MR2s we had with rover k series engines (will post a pic when i get a chance)
Those maestro vans were the best though, felt so soft on the suspension but great fun to be so high off the ground in a maestro van! And bloody awesome offroad! Several were made, i know an MD got one. Pretty sure they pre dated what became the Freelander though. My memory is slighty faded of the years but i think that project was more car based and called ODIN, but again i may remember that wrong.

[restomad]

That's mental, i love it.

[VIP]

Oct 11, 2013 10:21:35 GMT g40jon said:

rover should have actually mass produced some of these cars!! They might have survived!! (I am joking incase my humour gets lost over the tinterwebs)

BMW would have still shafted them over, regardless...

[lukeevangelou]

Those are some astonishing prototypes! I can't get enough of this sort of thing!

[g40jon]

Oct 11, 2013 13:19:55 GMT VIP said:

Oct 11, 2013 10:21:35 GMT g40jon said:

rover should have actually mass produced some of these cars!! They might have survived!! (I am joking incase my humour gets lost over the tinterwebs)

BMW would have still shafted them over, regardless...

Your not wrong. I was working at rover at the time, as a maintenance apprentice. BMW bought rover for two things
1. The land rover technology
2. To take out Rover after the 600 had robbed a good number of sales from BMW. There were designs set to replace the 90s rovers, but no BMW canned them in favour of face-lifting the old models which compared with the competition, just didn't cut it anymore.
The minis success was pure luck on their part and probably helped save them from becoming part of vag group, BMW didn't think it would be as massive as it was/is.

Getting back on track though.......
Rover certainly churned out some really interesting prototypes and that metro! Massive want!!!!

[mull]

Oct 11, 2013 10:37:28 GMT hatsu said:

Oct 10, 2013 22:01:14 GMT Robinxr4i said:

That's awesome, bet it's a bloody riot to drive!

It was and the MR2s we had with rover k series engines (will post a pic when i get a chance)
Those maestro vans were the best though, felt so soft on the suspension but great fun to be so high off the ground in a maestro van! And bloody awesome offroad! Several were made, i know an MD got one. Pretty sure they pre dated what became the Freelander though. My memory is slighty faded of the years but i think that project was more car based and called ODIN, but again i may remember that wrong.

Was indeed called ODIN and was the test bed for freeleander. Thing was due to cash shortages the project kept getting put on hold, when it eventually got momentum it was called CB40. I have one of the original dealer technical briefs updatairs a large 100+ page document.

[v8ian]

I remember being taken out in a 216? Rover fitted with a Tomcat Turbo engine, with switchable boost via the glovebox. I seem to remember it being somewhat undrivable on full boost

[MK2VR6]

Oct 11, 2013 10:37:28 GMT hatsu said:

Oct 10, 2013 22:01:14 GMT Robinxr4i said:

That's awesome, bet it's a bloody riot to drive!

It was and the MR2s we had with rover k series engines (will post a pic when i get a chance)
Those maestro vans were the best though, felt so soft on the suspension but great fun to be so high off the ground in a maestro van! And bloody awesome offroad! Several were made, i know an MD got one. Pretty sure they pre dated what became the Freelander though. My memory is slighty faded of the years but i think that project was more car based and called ODIN, but again i may remember that wrong.

Sorry to bump such an old thread! Did you ever unearth the photos of the MR2s with K series engines fitted? Intrigued! I can't find any info on them on the 'net either...

[Midland Performance & Retro]

Dec 9, 2021 23:18:56 GMT MK2VR6 said:

Oct 11, 2013 10:37:28 GMT hatsu said:

It was and the MR2s we had with rover k series engines (will post a pic when i get a chance)
Those maestro vans were the best though, felt so soft on the suspension but great fun to be so high off the ground in a maestro van! And bloody awesome offroad! Several were made, i know an MD got one. Pretty sure they pre dated what became the Freelander though. My memory is slighty faded of the years but i think that project was more car based and called ODIN, but again i may remember that wrong.

Sorry to bump such an old thread! Did you ever unearth the photos of the MR2s with K series engines fitted? Intrigued! I can't find any info on them on the 'net either...

Sure there are some photos in a book I’ve got.

I know there were two of them. Bought from an MR2 specialist from MG Rover employees privately, but with funds provided by the company so as not to give the game away. They were fitted with 1.4 K-Series.