24/08/2022
Ever wondered what the MGF would have looked like if it had been front engine like its predecessors?
Well that’s nearly what we got, and something that made it to the prototype stage under the name of the MG DR2 (later renamed the PR5). It was drawn up in 1998 with the idea of being a MGB or Austin Healey replacement. You can see definite design ques from these cars, but it also looks a lot like the MX5 mk2!
Mazda had launched their MX5 mk1 in 1989, and its success had spurred Rover on to push ahead with sports car production under the MG badge. The MGF was launched in 1995 and MG enthusiasts were eager to see what might follow from this resurrected mark. In 1998 Mazda refreshed the MX5 with a facelift changing the look of the car but using the same underpinnings as the mk1. It is very interesting how similar these re-stylings look to the DR2, of the same year.
As it was, the DR2 never did go in to production. The MX5 had a further facelift in 2001 (the MK2.5 or NB FL) moving more back to a Mazda look, and we never got to see a stable mate for the MGF.
The Prototype DR2, was only ever a concept, and the prototype was actually a TVR Tasmin underneath. The DR2 can be seen in the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire.
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