MG Could Be Next Automaker to Get Apple Car Key Support

[ZiBart]

Although it did leave the U.S. and Canada markets in 1980, MG (MG Rover Group) didn't officially go bankrupt until 2005, well after you were born. At that point, it was sold to a Chinese company.

Misread it, thought the financial troubles in NA were due to the bankruptcy but yeah, it seems one of reasons to leave NA but not yet bankrupt. As I am looking at these cars and the logo now, perhaps I have seen it more than initially thought as there is a small bit of familiarity. But I was never into classics, which seems like in North America at least, they became. Any case I hijacked the topic enough.

I wish my current car supported Apple Car Key as the OEM digital key is terrible. It does have NFC hardware (even supports dual screen Apple CarPlay).

 

[IJ Reilly]

In my mind, niche means a very narrowly defined or specialized/specific subject area of interest or market vs. what is more popularly known and common. In the car market here in the States, millions of people like Fords, Dodges, Jeeps, etc, but only a teeny tiny number of people own, or even know about, old school MGs. So in the States in 2026, MGs are niche. The concept can apply to pretty much anything that is the focus of human interest--hobbies, products, intellectual interests, books, animals, food, and on and on.

As a practical matter, I find what people mean by "niche" is a product someone who is not me buys. I've found the way the term is used has always been at least a bit derogatory. I cannot even imagine how many times I've heard the Mac described as a niche product. The general idea is that people who own them are making poor or abnormal choices. When I owned my MG, not a huge number of them were on the roads, but I don't recall anyone ever saying anything about it, other than it's cute, or asking me how I could fit into it (I'm tall). Nobody ever called it niche, thankfully!

 

[ZiBart]

As a practical matter, I find what people mean by "niche" is a product someone who is not me buys. I've found the way the term is used has always been at least a bit derogatory. I cannot even imagine how many times I've heard the Mac described as a niche product. The general idea is that people who own them are making poor or abnormal choices. When I owned my MG, not a huge number of them were on the roads, but I don't recall anyone ever saying anything about it, other than it's cute, or asking me how I could fit into it (I'm tall). Nobody ever called it niche, thankfully!

Personally, I never perceived the word niche as derogatory, rather more adjacent to eccentric or unique taste with specific requirements and tremendous customer loyalty outside the broader appeal. That's all positive to me. Apple was niche for many years in several product categories. Still is niche in some. At least where I am from, niche is not a commonly used word by someone on the street giving their opinion of something another has - especially a car. I have driven several "niche" cars that are defined by the low amount of units sold - and I would get stares without comments, or "that's unique / different / interesting" or "what is that?".

 

[Happy_John]

Personally, I never perceived the word niche as derogatory, rather more adjacent to eccentric or unique taste with specific requirements and tremendous customer loyalty outside the broader appeal. That's all positive to me. Apple was niche for many years in several product categories. Still is niche in some. At least where I am from, niche is not a commonly used word by someone on the street giving their opinion of something another has - especially a car. I have driven several "niche" cars that are defined by the low amount of units sold - and I would get stares without comments, or "that's unique / different / interesting" or "what is that?".

For a very long time, Apple Computer was “niche”, not just some of their product lines.

I still find it odd, having been using Macs since the 68K days, how ubiquitous Apple gear has become. There was a time Macs were pretty exotic, and if someone used a Mac, it was almost certain that they worked in print publishing, graphic design or music production.

It’s mind blowing, in a way, how mainstream they’ve become. Particularly because if the iPod, but really it was the iPhone that flipped the the world around.

 

[IJ Reilly]

Personally, I never perceived the word niche as derogatory, rather more adjacent to eccentric or unique taste with specific requirements and tremendous customer loyalty outside the broader appeal. That's all positive to me. Apple was niche for many years in several product categories. Still is niche in some. At least where I am from, niche is not a commonly used word by someone on the street giving their opinion of something another has - especially a car. I have driven several "niche" cars that are defined by the low amount of units sold - and I would get stares without comments, or "that's unique / different / interesting" or "what is that?".

The word comes up commonly in discussions of this kind, and to me, sounds dismissive. It always strikes me a bit odd when a car, at least one that isn't highly exotic, is called niche. At any given time we can choose among hundreds of models. Since they have an equally large variety of features, looks, primary purposes, and the like, aren't they all niche? As another example, I bought a Mini Cooper in 2003. Hardly any others on the roads at that time, so it was a great attention-getter for a while. I remember reading reviews of the car that dismissed it as having no practical purpose. Granted not everybody is ever going to want one, but nearly 25 years later, it's still being made. That's quite a niche. As with so many other overworked words, it ceases to have any useful meaning.

 

[Big_D]

In terms of British car companies, MG is unknown. I just learned about it a few years ago due to some TV ads (in 2024). People do know (and relate) Mini, Land Rover and Jaguar as British related brands.

And reading that it is under SAIC's control, it even turns me away from them. They probably are a fest of rebadged cars at this point, no point on knowing them.

The MG Cyberster is really interesting. They make a lot of normal mid-sized cars as well, but the Cyberster is really interesting. Car Maniac took it on the super car Alps tour last year, up against McClarens, Ferraris etc. The organiser was really impressed, he did an overtake of slow traffic and the Cyberster follwed his McClaren und he couldn't shake the Cyberster on acceleration.

To be honest, the reactions of the supercar and hypercar owners on the tour were generally very good towards the MG.

 

[Big_D]

Sorry if there are any purists I have a 1980 mgb converted to a 302 mild cam t5 gearbox and a narrowed Chevy s10 rear Axel fun little car to drive.

I used to drive a friend's '72 with a blueprinted engine and a Paddy Hopkirk handling pack. Lovely car.

 

[CookeeTim]

So I assume you haven’t heard of Triumph, either?

When I was a kid in the 1970s in Canada, MG and Triumph would be the first cars I thought of as British. A neighbour had a TR-7 that looked completely different than Triumph’s previous designs, and I recall lusting after that little car before I even had a drivers license, though I’m sure the traditional Triumph fans would probably have considered that heresy.

I know times change, but they were rather cool little cars, so it is sad their legacy has been forgotten by many.

Sadly no.

See, all these brands are not featured in modern entertainment. People like me got to know about BMW, Audi, Mini, etc, because they were featured on videogames and the like, so you were in contact with the brand and how they looked.

I think I have seen classic Porsche cars on NFS, but never Triumph or MG.