A well-deserved reward for this sublime MG

The spectacular MG EXE181, unveiled during the global celebrations of MG’s centenary at the Goodwood Festival in 2024, won the prestigious iF Design Award 2025 in the Concept Vehicle category.

Designed by Carl Gotham, head of advanced design at SAIC Design Advanced London, and his team at the London studio, the MG EXE181 pays homage to the legendary EX181 from the 1950s, nicknamed the “roaring raindrop MG”. This historic model set records on the famous Bonneville Salt Flats, driven notably by Sir Stirling Moss, reaching 396 km/h in 1957, and later by Phil Hill, who increased the record to 413 km/h in 1959.

This car was originally designed with a single goal: to break speed records. However, it stood out because it achieved this with a small engine of just 1.5 liters displacement. This engine was actually the one used in series on the last commercial model of the British brand, the charming MG Type A roadster.

However, a major issue arose: to reach the targeted 400 km/h, the original 68 horsepower was far from sufficient. MG therefore equipped this engine with a volumetric compressor and used a highly explosive fuel mixture of ethanol, nitrobenzene, acetone, and ether. This chemical cocktail, a true performance elixir, transformed the modest engine into a power beast, increasing its capacity to 290 horsepower at 7300 rpm. Enough to awaken speed ambitions while maximizing the capabilities of the small MG block.

Reinventing the Past

Now equipped with an E for electric, Carl Gotham and his team’s vision was to design a futuristic MG capable of breaking speed records, powered this time by electric motors and rotors, while retaining the iconic traits of the original EX181.

The result is a spectacular concept car, praised by the iF Design Award for its innovative design, efficiency, and its role as a flagship for MG’s future. The team based in Marylebone, already behind the MG Cyberster, has once again demonstrated its talent with this project.

“It was a unique opportunity for our designers,” commented Carl Gotham. “We wanted to celebrate MG’s bold and innovative legacy while using advanced materials and cutting-edge technology to imagine an electric MG dedicated to speed. We also conducted aerodynamic tests and kept the single-seat cockpit.”

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