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V8 Register – MG Car Club 141021-brake-hose-TL1 1

Against: That's the trouble Sum-up: Decrepit',) Dismal grip,wayward handling and lousyperformance were just part of asour recipe that, incredibly, wassupposed to tempt enthusiasts,Truth was, the MGB could beoutsprinted by plenty ofporridgey saloons back in 1980,and outcornered by them, too,Only Moskvichs and Marinaswere equipped to challengesuch dynamic mediocrity,

So it might relieve you to knowthat the MG RVa, as it has beenrechristened, is not the samecar. According to SteveSchlemmer, manager of Rover'sspecial products division, the

outfit behind this car, only fivepercent of the Rva is takenstraight from the B, 20 percentconsists of re-tooled, re-souor modified components andremaining 75 percent,amazingly, is completely newdrawn from other Rovers.

Loads of new bits, then, butdon't stride off with the ideathe Rva is a brand-new car,because it's not - it uses a largslice of MGB technology, if theword 'technology' can beapplied to the archaic world oflive axles and leaf springs.it's true: the RV8 does with aleaf-sprung live axle. It's notunaltered - the axle is reined'

Writer Bremner's driving

evaluations made after piloting

this mule, used by Rover for

testing. It looks like an MGB,

but underneath it's the RV8.

Handling is a bit wayward at

speed; roadholding runs out

faster than you'd think

IT'S BACK. A DOZEN YEARSafter the Abingdon factoryclosed, killing MG and with it anicon for tens of thousands ofenthusiasts, the MGB ridesagain, thrust into our gaze at thehands of a surprisinglyaudacious manoeuvre by Rover.Here we have not just thereintroduction of a car born 30years ago, but the relaunch ofthe MG badge on real sportscars rather than warmed-overhot heaps such as the Maestro.

MG sportsters are back, afterall these years, because Roverfinally has a sports car strategy,and this retro roadster is ameans of reintroducing thename before our memories gettoo faint. It will be followed, inthree years, by a mid-engined,t.s-Iltre supercharged roadster,and beyond that, perhaps afront-engined V8- or V6-poweredgrand tourer.

But all that is tomorrow.Today, we have a reworkedMGB to mark the return ofBritain's most popular sportscar. Some may wonder at thewisdom of reintroducing a carso far past its sell-by date thatby the end of its life it was fit fornothing more than remindin'g ushow far cars had come. Formany, not least this organ, itwas a near undrainable fount ofjokes, (The Good, The Bad andthe Ugly's comments 15 yearsago were, 'For: Lasts forever

30 CAR November

Ij,.'

sdditionat ironmongery, and:: s infamous lever-arm frontcers have been dumped in.: of telescopic shockerss. no less, as they are at

-;;ar) but sophistication does:Jme as standard. There's

news on the mechanical10t least the installation of:; that once propelled, in~:mes alarming fashion, theGT V8. This time it's a 3.9-

than a 3.5, affordingnorses rather than

_ ~D, a difference, we can'OIJ, that is not unnoticeable.~!Jghwe haven't driven the- its final form, we've gotclose. Several hundred'1 the mechanically

_ ...."~"nl'" ive black W-development mule

on the left and a fewmiles in the visually(but mechanically

_~-'-"11 RV8 you see'lere on these pages have.;s a very good idea of:'1e final result is going to" The answer is great fun,

: - vintage." is a good word for thecar, because it's no. Crude rubber spats"g off the rear wings:: the fatter 205/65 rubber::-Inch wheels, an ugly

caps the cabin andmere's a gruesome mix of.rim (a rape-seed yellow

Allegro owners, dirty pink carpets and

eather seats. Not pretty.:06S well, though. The V8

ts familiar low-rev beat,-aust counterpointing with'oar that promises real

-1d on the road, you get it.ass power, pretty much,t whatever the revs,

- as the B rocketing along+a-mer that owners of 1.8-

Cabin is beautifully trimmed in

'traditional' leather and wood,

although they were never

traditional on MGBs or Midgets.

VDO Instruments are small, and

are shared with TVR.Car

should prove quite comfortable

on long runs, unlike the MGB

litre versions can only dream of.When you discover that the carweighs only 23761b, lending it apower to weight ratio of 179bhpper ton, you immediately knowwhy. But it's the torque thatreally gets you going. There's agreat fat wad of it at 3200rpm,when 2421bft of twist actioncomes on stream, enough tothunder the MG effortlesslytowards a comfortable high-speed cruise. At this speed, theengine is almost idling at2900rpm, so tall is the gearing.Despite such rangey ratios(29mph per thousand in fifth)the ratios are spaced wellenough to allow the torque toproduce five convincing burstsof go as you work your way upthrough·the gearbox.With so much tugging power

under the lid, you'd expect thatlive back axle to turn very livelyindeed when it's asked for asprint start. But no. One of thefew mods to the rear end hasbeen the addition of a pair of

anti-tramp rods that bolt to thebottom of the axle and theforward spring hangers. It'ssimple, but it appears to work -dropping the clutch at 3500rpmcertainly lights up the rear

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Rear lights are one of the

happiest styling touches of

the new RVa. Surprisingly,

perhaps, there is not much

chrome to be found on the

new car.An exception is this

vent inlet, borrowed from the

MGB. It looks out of place

wheels before they bite, but theaxle stays under completecontrol. Pull that trick on a B VBand its rear wheels would leapup and down like NormanLamont's interest rate.There's also a Quaife limited

slip differential (Quaife is aracing car supplier) though as.we shall shortly see, this is acurative rather than apreventative device. Up front,aside from the banishment ofthe lever arm dampers and theinstallation of cast aluminiumspring holders to retain thecoils, there are Goldlineballjoints linking hubs to lowerwishbones, joints that preventthe complete breakaway of thehub when they wear out, analarming feature of ancientMGBs. The steering rack ismodified, too, being a mix ofDiscovery and B components.

If all this sounds modest, it'smore than BL managed for thecheapskate B VB, and the bestthat could be managed on a .compact budget. Schlemmerclaims that Rover set out to givethe car 'an authentic feel', anassertion that is not inaccurate.

What you notice first is theride. It isn't jarringlyuncomfortable, provingsurprisingly pliant over averageroads so that, at first, you're not

aware of anything unusual at all.Point the MG at the lanes peopledream of driving it down,though, and it turns rude.Abrupt vertical jerks are itssignature, the back end buckingboldly enough to remind youthat you're aboard a relic ofautomotive history. And, ofcourse, those bumps redirectthe car if you flap pen to becornering briskly at the time.Add in the fact that the new MGisn't exactly over-endowed withgrip, and that the VB cansummon great welts of torque atjust the wrong moment if you

happen to be injudicious, andyou find yourself with plenty tokeep you occupied.

Even on a trailing throttle,tight bends can have the rearheeling over, the tyresthreatening to break loose. Stirin some power, and break loosethey do. Pile in too keenly, onthe other hand, and you'll enjoya side-order of understeer thatcan swiftly turn to main course ifdetermined slowing doesn'tensue. Care is needed, and ifyou don't exercise it, experiencewill soon instill the necessaryamount of caution.

Finish of the RVB is much

better than it ever was on the

MGB. Car goes through same

paint shop as the Rover BOO;

zinc-coated steel should

prevent rust. eDespite obvious

MGB overtones, 75 percent of

the RVB Is brand new

response invariably a withdrawalof the right foot. It's anunnerving sensation, one thatneeds expunging - we don'tneed authentic incompetence.At least the developmentprogramme isn't over yet - theRV8 appears at the BirminghamShow but doesn't go on saleuntil next spring, leaving time forfurther honing.

Think about it, though, and it'samazing that Rover ever got tothis stage at all. Few mainstreammakers build cars in such lowvolume - Rover will make just 15RV8s a week - and we can thinkof no manufacturer that hasreinstated production of a car solong after it was killed.So how did it happen? The

story starts with the amazingefforts of the British MotorIndustry Heritage Trust, which ischarged with preserving thehistory of most of Britain's motorindustry (mainly the output ofRover and all its British Leylandantecedents) and equallyusefully for us enthusiasts,validating the quality of. reproduction parts for saidancient produce.The popularity of the B led to

Heritage assistant managingdirector David Bishopdiscovering that much of thetooling for the car was still lying

about, and after an enormouseffort he was able to locate it,enabling BMIHT to go intomanufacturing, the shells beingproduced in Faringdon, not farfrom where MGs were made.The shells are even welded upwith some of the original gearused at Pressed Steel in Cowley.

Once the body was Inproduction BMIHT began askingitself the obvious question -could it bring the entire car backfrom the dead? Parts lists weredrawn up, but in the end thetrust decided that it would beinappropriate to turn car maker.At which point, enter

Schlemmer and crew. Hisspecial products departmentwas set up at the start of 1990,employing 40 people to dreamup profitable, low-volume nichemodels for Rover. The group'sfirst project was the limited-edition Mini Cooper. 'It was sucha success that we ended upbeing able to charge £500 morefor the standard model thatfollowed,' says Schlemmer. Gee,thanks Steve. Since then there'sbeen the limited-edition RangeRover CSK (after the initials ofthe Range Rover's creator, SpenKing) and, more recently, thelimited-edition Land RoverDefender for North America.

But the most ambitious projectto date has been the RV8eTheidea was the same as BMIHT's -to use the MGB roadsterbodyshell as a means of puttingthe B back into production, butwith the aim of building 'theultimate expression of what theMGB would have been had itstayed in production,' inSchlemmer's words.

And so project Adder, namedby a development engineer whohad misty-eyed memories of theCobra and could see certainsimilarities (wild oversteer wasprobably one) was born.Deciding on the V8 powertrainwas easy, given that BL hadalready done it. This time theBuick motor is mated to theRover SD1's 77mm gearbox,now used in assorted LandRovers, to give five speeds,effectively the same as the GT

V8's four plus overdrive on top.And the suspension, for yearsthe bane of the B? It was,Schlemmer, 'thought-provo

We bet it was. Here we are,1992, witnessing the birth of anew vehicle with a live axle,it's not a new Transit van.still, it's a sports car. Howcompete? The blunt answer,we've already seen, is thatit comes to pulling 9 andoff the grass, it can't. 'Thisa rival for the TVR Griffith,'Schlemmer, with candour. 'Youcan't expect that of a 30-year-old design.' The RV8 is notabout ultimate handling and gbut grand touring, andSchlemmer reckons that in thisrole the RV8 is a tamer beastthan the TVR, which he reckois hard to live with. Ironic the!that Rover's research suggethat most Griffiths are first carwhereas the RV8 will be asecond or third machine.

So who is going to buy it?many MG club membersapparently, because at £26,it's going to cost too much.Instead, the target buyer is taffluent 40-years-plus execwho fancies the Idea of a.ccar, but not the idea of geltilgrubby running it. The RV8offers classic ownership withwarranty (including a six-yearanti-corrosion guarantee) anddealer network. Plenty of owwill be people who once owa B, or wished they hade

Apparently, says Schlemthere were many interviewees!who could describe theexperience of driving a Britisports car (sunny day, coulane, wind-whipped hair,odours - you know theeven though they'd neverone. That's probably why tleft out the flip side - the oilleaks, the endless wrestles v.the Prince of Darkness (JoeLucas), the water-loggedcarpets, the frozen mitts andreplacement sill kits.

So, Schlemmer is confidhis buyers and confidentthere's money in the dealsurprising when you conthat the price is five times a

s In 1973, the B GT V8 cost. mes as much. Then

- a surprising quantity of:.:i' is new.

-.:: cody is obviously- ent, having turned all:~ ar, and although the::'structure lives on.:i1ged, all four wings, the':, and the rear deck (the:: tnat fits around the01 are new. The inner

;:: are altered, too, to make'~r the V8's spectacular four:'le stainless steel tubular~ds. The only external-over panels are the

_ e the sills (hidden beneath.0.-5 ons) and the doors.--: shell is a higher quality

'00. Shut lines will be:~ed up, the paint finish- aacally improved· the• ::5 go through the same- SIlOpas the 800 . and:: -nportantly so will:~ on protection. Zinc-:::1 steels. are used.~i'1out, though certain_ ~erable outer panels are:::1 on one side only; seam:: s used in all clincheds and adhesive applied

.:: f.ey panels are welded"er. Apart from keeping theorrn at bay, the glue also

~-s the shell slightly. The':1ce can't be great,:- which makes it curious- 1973, BL claimed that theser shell wasn't stiff:;'1 for a V8.

Bremner at the wheel (above).

Seats and heating much

improved over old MGs'.

Steering progressive, but a bit

weighty. Headlamps are from

the Porsche 911, Plastic

bumpers look much better than

those used on late MGBs

Changes to bodies don't comecheap, any more than do theplastic components that adornthem. Reinforced reactionmoulded plastic bumpers capeach end of the RV8 and thesame material is used for the sillextensions, too. Also new arethe tail-lamp clusters (whichlook terrific) and the plasticmesh grille lurking behind theV8's air intake.The engine itself is in the tune

in which Land Rover supplies itto Morgan, TVR and others. It isfired and fuelled by Lucasignition and injection and comeswith a catalyst. This accounts for

some of the power increase overthe old B V8, but the rest isdown to the larger capacity andredesigned intake system· theold car's arrangements wereplumbed to dodge retooling thebonnet, a ploy that slaughteredmany horses. The old V8 GT wasgood for 60mph in 8.3 secondsand a 124mph top speed·Rover claims a 135mph topspeed and the 0-60mph sprint in5.9 seconds for the RV8.

Also new are a pressed steelwindscreen surround instead ofthe original aluminium job, anew double-skinned hood co-designed with Ticklord that's

35

~

~Body now I.ooks much more

1~lar. Although the

,.nderstructure I.s carried over

from Ule "Ga, the bodywork

s ...... apart from the doors;

the scuttle and the sills.

Windscreen surround now

pressed steel, not aluminium

said to be easier to fell anderect, and new draught sealingto lower wind noise.

Inside, there's a 'traditional'British wood and leather theme,though it was never traditionalfor Midgets and Bs, of course.Leather and wood abound,affording an inviting ambienceand a (slightly) deeperunderstanding of why the RV8costs so much.

Driving the 'real' RV8 a fewdays later revealed some of themore subtle engineering that'sgone into the project,

For instance, the pedals have

been repositioned to ease heeland toe manoeuvres (anabsolute must in a British sportscar, Archie), the steering wheelrelocated for less intrusion andthe driving position refined. Theseats themselves are completelynew, have dual hardness foamsfor better support and, like thedoor trims, are leather clad.Plush carpets and several highlypolished planks of elm completethe upgrade, giving this latestMG the look of an aide worldearlsto's sportster.

Look harder, and you realisethere's a game of spot the

component to be had, alwayspopular sport among ownersBritish ragtops. The head lamare from the Porsche 911, theVDO instruments appear inTVRs, the interior door handlare from the Jaguar XJS, thestalks from the Rover 800, athe door mirrors from the Mas are the air vents. Thearmrests are plundered, too,we know not whence.

Not that the RV8 looks likeproduct of pillaged parts binIn fact, it looks particularly weco-ordinated and handsome.

Driving this car proved

tn ngs. First, that thesnell does seem stiff

- :0 contain the exertions3 Yes, the scuttleout it's rare for the body

5~akingly tremulous.: that the gearbox, as ins is a weak link, thenotchy and worse still,

In planes that aren'tnorth-south as north,

est, south, south-east, an::""1ent that leads to- gears. At least the clutch: :ressive, and matched to- smooth throttle.

-. = steerinq is Improved on

the mule's, now almost lightenough to have you thinking thatthe lack of assistance at parkingspeeds is acceptable. Moreimportant, it's progressive andsufficiently alive to deliverpleasure. You can read the roadbelow, and know when youshould be swivelling the tiller theopposite way in a slipperycorner. There's enough room inthe cockpit to get your armsaround the wheel, too.

Most would call the cabinsnug, though, and many will findthe seat mounted a bit high,even if it allows a better (though

still not brilliant) view of thedinky instruments. In contrast tothe original B, the RVa's acomfortable perch for longjourneys (if you don'l mind theV8's rather vocal roar, and wedon 'I) not least because of ilsvastly better seats, the noveltyof a heater that works (and maybe offered as an aftermarket kitfor frozen B owners) and adeoent hood, though we have totake that on trust, because therewas no chance to test it.

Yes, it's fun, this RVa. It needsmore grip, and it certainly needsto reassure more in fastsweepers. Yet curiously, it feelswell planted most of the time, asensation heightened by thelack of roll and the weightysteering. It doesn't extend thedynamic envelope of rear-drivecars - indeed, il sitsdepressingly well inside it attimes - but its vintagedeportment isn't unappealing,and there's no question of theallure of the VS's rip and roar.And, important this, the RVelooks good, too.

No, it's not a Griffith rival, nora rival for any other modernsportster for that matter. If youlike, it's what MGs have beenever since the B began to getold - something for the blokewho fancies a sports car, butisn't a really knowing enthusiast.If he was, he WOUldn't be buyingan MG.

Engine is the familiar Buick-

based alloy va, as used by Land

Rover, and supplied to TVRand

Morgan, among others. Its 3.9

lit res produce 190bhp and

2421bft of torque. A catalyst is

standard. Rover claims 0-60 in

5.9sec and top speed 135mph

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