A little history
After two tumultuous decades, MG seemed on the right track by 2000. The sporty MG F sold in volumes unthinkable just a few years before, while a full range of cars was about to be added. All what was missing to restore the old constructor’s glory was a successful racing program.
MG having no recent experience on the track, it turned to the world’s specialist of the turnkey racing car: Lola. The constructor’s ambition was to enter sportscar racing, but in the smaller, more accessible LMP675 class. Lola had just built two models of a spyder designed for LMP900, and incorporated as many elements as it could into its new racer, internally known as the B01/60, but christened EX257 by MG. The engine was equally called MG, though once again the constructor’s input was limited. Dedicated company A.E.R. was chosen to provide the EX257’s block, a turbocharged 2.0-litre inline four able to provide outputs in the vicinity of 500 hp.
The MG EX257 made its debut at the 2001 Le Mans 24 hours, which wasn’t an easy task. The two cars entered made a strong demonstration, proving themselves to be faster than any other car in their class. Unfortunately the insufficiently tried machines both retired in an event that, actually, put great strain on all LMP675 entrants.
In 2002, the car competed in the American Le Mans series through private entrants, and immediately proved highly competitive. Good results were consistent throughout the season, and MG clinched the ALM’s LMP675 crown. This transatlantic success was well enough to raise the MG team’s expectations in the year’s European events. It indeed raised them… a little too high perhaps, as the EX257 suffered once more during long-distance races, a problem that owed more to unpractical rules than to the car’s lack of preparation.
By the end of the 2002 season, MG had only met success in America, where market for its road cars was actually quite narrow. Brought down by the collapse of the Rover group, the company simply couldn’t afford to maintain a racing program that gleaned so meagre laurels. From then on, the EX257’s fate rested entirely upon the shoulders of private teams. Despite isolated attempt to keep the car competitive, most notably by replacing the original MG engine by a Judd block, success was still scarce. In contrast with its dismal European results, the car occasionally encountered success in America, which explains its longer career in the New World: the very last EX257 to retire was raced until 2007.
About the models
Model: MG-Lola EX257
Year: 2001
Event: 2002 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Mark Blundell, Julian Bailey and Kevin McGarrity (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.13 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in March 2004, in Souillac, France
Quite correct, the die-cast benefits from good enough assembly and decals affixed to the car without any mistake. My rating is 12/20.
Model: MG-Lola EX257
Year: 2001
Event: 2004 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Thomas Erdos, Mike Newton and Nathan Kinch (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.57 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Souillac, France
Redecorating the previous model allowed to represent the private car entered by the Ray Mallock team two years later during the same Le Mans 24 hours race… and in the process, garner a little more money for Altaya by extending its long-run series. Again, 12/20.
After two tumultuous decades, MG seemed on the right track by 2000. The sporty MG F sold in volumes unthinkable just a few years before, while a full range of cars was about to be added. All what was missing to restore the old constructor’s glory was a successful racing program.
MG having no recent experience on the track, it turned to the world’s specialist of the turnkey racing car: Lola. The constructor’s ambition was to enter sportscar racing, but in the smaller, more accessible LMP675 class. Lola had just built two models of a spyder designed for LMP900, and incorporated as many elements as it could into its new racer, internally known as the B01/60, but christened EX257 by MG. The engine was equally called MG, though once again the constructor’s input was limited. Dedicated company A.E.R. was chosen to provide the EX257’s block, a turbocharged 2.0-litre inline four able to provide outputs in the vicinity of 500 hp.
The MG EX257 made its debut at the 2001 Le Mans 24 hours, which wasn’t an easy task. The two cars entered made a strong demonstration, proving themselves to be faster than any other car in their class. Unfortunately the insufficiently tried machines both retired in an event that, actually, put great strain on all LMP675 entrants.
In 2002, the car competed in the American Le Mans series through private entrants, and immediately proved highly competitive. Good results were consistent throughout the season, and MG clinched the ALM’s LMP675 crown. This transatlantic success was well enough to raise the MG team’s expectations in the year’s European events. It indeed raised them… a little too high perhaps, as the EX257 suffered once more during long-distance races, a problem that owed more to unpractical rules than to the car’s lack of preparation.
By the end of the 2002 season, MG had only met success in America, where market for its road cars was actually quite narrow. Brought down by the collapse of the Rover group, the company simply couldn’t afford to maintain a racing program that gleaned so meagre laurels. From then on, the EX257’s fate rested entirely upon the shoulders of private teams. Despite isolated attempt to keep the car competitive, most notably by replacing the original MG engine by a Judd block, success was still scarce. In contrast with its dismal European results, the car occasionally encountered success in America, which explains its longer career in the New World: the very last EX257 to retire was raced until 2007.
About the models
Model: MG-Lola EX257
Year: 2001
Event: 2002 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Mark Blundell, Julian Bailey and Kevin McGarrity (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.13 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in March 2004, in Souillac, France
Quite correct, the die-cast benefits from good enough assembly and decals affixed to the car without any mistake. My rating is 12/20.
Model: MG-Lola EX257
Year: 2001
Event: 2004 Le Mans 24 Hours, driven by Thomas Erdos, Mike Newton and Nathan Kinch (retired)
Maker: Ixo
Scale: 1/43
Distributed by: Altaya as no.57 of its Les Plus Belles Voitures des 24 Heures du Mans press series
Acquired: brand new, in May 2006, in Souillac, France
Redecorating the previous model allowed to represent the private car entered by the Ray Mallock team two years later during the same Le Mans 24 hours race… and in the process, garner a little more money for Altaya by extending its long-run series. Again, 12/20.
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