Following a resurgence of the MG brand in the early 21st century, a decision was made to expand into motorsport, including sports car racing. MG had a history at Le Mans but never achieved an overall win. Simultaneously, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) altered Le Mans Prototype regulations, creating the LMP675 class. This class allowed for smaller turbocharged engines in lighter cars, offering a potential challenge to the larger LMP900 class.
MG, seeing an opportunity to use a production-based engine, partnered with Lola Cars International to enter LMP675. Lola had previously built cars in 2000, the B2K/10 and B2K/40, but these were not designed for the LMP675 regulations. The new design, designated B01/60, incorporated elements from the B2K/40, particularly the front fender design. However, the nose was radically altered, featuring a square airbox shaped like an MG grill. The sidepods were also redesigned for improved airflow, and a single air inlet was placed atop the car for the turbo. A single rollbar, inspired by the Audi R8, was used behind the driver. The EX257 weighed approximately 690 kg at its launch, close to the 675 kg minimum allowed by the rules.
The engine was developed in conjunction with Advanced Engine Research (AER) and Garrett. The 2.0 Litre turbocharged Inline-4, known as the MG XP20 (AER designation P07), produced approximately 500 hp, limited by ACO air restrictors.
In 2003, Intersport Racing found the MG engine lacked power for the American Le Mans Series. The team replaced it with a Judd KV675 naturally aspirated V8, requiring the removal of the turbo inlet and the addition of a new air inlet behind the cockpit. This car, designated only by its Lola designation due to the engine change, had some success.
The MG-Lola EX257 debuted at the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans, with two cars entered by MG Sport & Racing Ltd. Qualifying 14th and 17th overall, they were the fastest LMP675 cars. However, the cars suffered from reliability issues, with one retiring after 30 laps due to exhaust failure and the second succumbing to an oil leak.
For 2002, the EX257 was offered to customer teams. KnightHawk Racing and Intersport Racing each purchased a chassis for the American Le Mans Series. Improvements to the EX257 increased durability, demonstrated by Intersport’s win at Sebring and KnightHawk’s third-place finish in LMP675. The pair dominated the series, taking four more wins, with KnightHawk winning the LMP675 championship by a single point over Intersport. Dyson Racing also entered a third EX257 for the final four races, finishing fifth in the championship.
At Le Mans in 2002, the factory MG team returned, but both cars failed to finish, one due to gearbox problems and the other to engine failure. KnightHawk Racing’s entry was destroyed in a fire.
After two years without a Le Mans finish and financial difficulties for MG Rover Group, the sports car project was cancelled. Lola continued to sell the cars, providing technical support alongside Advanced Engine Research. In the American Le Mans Series, KnightHawk Racing was replaced by a second Dyson Racing EX257. Dyson and Intersport traded wins throughout the season, with the EX257 winning every race and giving Dyson the championship. Notably, the #16 Dyson entry, piloted by James Weaver and Butch Leitzinger, took an overall victory at Infineon Raceway, the only time an LMP675 car beat LMP900 competitors. Intersport replaced their turbocharged MG engine with a Judd KV675 V8 before the Petit Le Mans, leading to a class win.
Despite the perfect season, Intersport’s single Le Mans entry failed to finish, due to an engine failure after 102 laps.
The ACO altered the Le Mans Prototype rules, restructuring the classes into LMP1 and LMP2, moving the MG’s into the top LMP1 class. Ray Mallock Ltd. continued the MG name in the new Le Mans Endurance Series, finishing every race and achieving a best finish of fifth, earning fifth in the teams’ championship. Dyson continued with two cars in America, while Intersport used their Judd-powered entry. Dyson won at Mosport, finishing second in the championship. Intersport scored points in only two races. At Le Mans, both Ray Mallock, Ltd. and Intersport failed to finish, the former blowing its engine and the latter crashing.
The following is a list of the owners of each EX257 or B01/60 chassis. Chassis #HU-01 and #HU-03 were modified to fit a Judd engine. #HU-05 was planned but never built.
#HU-01: MG Sport & Racing, Ltd. (2001), Intersport Racing (2002–2004)
#HU-02: MG Sport & Racing, Ltd. (2001–2002), Mike Newton / Ray Mallock Ltd. (2003–2011)
#HU-03: MG Sport & Racing, Ltd. (2001–2002), Chamberlain Engineering (2003), Intersport Racing (2003, under lease), Mike Newton (2007 - 2011), [For sale at Ascott Collection] (2020)
#HU-04: KnightHawk Racing (2002), Dyson Racing (2003–2005), Autocon Motorsports (2006–2007)
#HU-06: Dyson Racing (2002–2005), Highcroft Racing (2006)