1994 MG RV8. Aug 06

They preferred a TVR or an MX5. Drive one and make up your own mind. For me the lads at Autocar missed the point of the RV8. Whether intended by the Rover hierarchy or not, it is very much about modern retro á la the current Chrysler models. Maybe not cutting edge, but cars that give their owner much more satisfaction and driving enjoyment than the latest hi-tech whiz thing from GMH or Ford.

A few months ago we test drove an MGB V8. Let's recap. That was what you got by replacing the 4 cylinder MGB engine with a Buick V8. Same interior, same exterior (more or less) but more performance and, for us, a better car. But that was in the early Seventies.

You can look at the RV8 as the next evolution in that chain, or perhaps a " modern interpretation" of a classic design.

There was less than 5% carry over of components from the MGB. So definitely a tick for "modern interpretation". But the basic body shell was straight out of British Motor Heritage, a venture whose purpose was largely to keep the 60's & 70's MG's on the road. A tick for evolution.

The only external panels to carry over are the door skins and we actually think the RV8 looks really good, but remember that half the folks down the pub will reckon that they just buggered up a classic. It's all in the eye of the beholder, as they say!
Same story with the interior. Personally we love the leather and elm burr interior with instruments everywhere. Sort of Jaguar meets Bristol but done with bits from the parts bin to keep the price down.

Talking price, the budget for the whole thing was around $10 million. Ford spend that on cup holders. Not that other numbers were big either. The workshop at Cowley where they built the RV8 employed under 30 people and the total production run was just 2000 cars. It's interesting where they went too. Only 330 were sold in the UK; 1579 went to Japan, 59 Germany, 21 Holland, 5 Belgium, 4 Australia and 2 to France.

But the world's a small place these days and there has been a substantial RV8 migration, especially from Japan into Australia, which is the route our test model has followed.

This car looks a treat with Woodcote Green paintwork and Magnolia leather interior.

The seats are much thicker padded than their MGB antecedents and may be the reason that six footers and above complain about poor headroom and a lack of forward vision that is hindered by the top windscreen rail. For normal sized people (as I like to think of myself), the view is fine and the headroom OK.
Everything falls easily to hand, due to the relative narrowness of the Sixties heritage body. The handbrake brushes a bit too close to the left thigh for my taste but you get used to it.

Now the engine might be a V8, but in all honesty it's no rip snorter. Sourced straight out of the 2.5 tonne Range Rover, it's all about torque rather than rasping horsepower. But it has a nice V8 rumble and more than enough stick to explore the limitations of the chassis and drive train. If leaving black lines on the road is your thing, then this could be the car for you! The problem of a leaf-derived rear suspension is clearly something that Rover could not fix within the development budget. This same problem reflects in ride ('iffy' if the road isn't smooth) and cornering (Power wins out in the Power vs Rear Grip contest). But all this is at eight tenths and above. Drive sensibly and you'll wonder what I'm going on about. You will experience nice, push-in-back motoring with a pleasantly sporting, if slightly choppy ride.

You'll enjoy the good brakes, the pleasant to use gearbox, strong lights, rain-tight hood and the luxurious interior.
This is the car for the person who wanted an MGB at 20 and can afford something better than an MGB at 50.
Trevor West

WHAT, WHERE, WHEN & HOW MUCH
Model:MG RV8
Year:1994
Dealer:MG Sales & Service
107 Torrens Road
Ridleyton, SA, 5007
Ph: (08) 8346 0888

Price:$45,000
0-100 kph:Around 6 seconds
Best point:The evolved MGB
Worst point:With warts and all
Recommendation:Nostalgia without hassles
Trivia:No power steering? All Japanese models came with air conditioning. As there was only room for one or the other, the Japanese chose air con.