A assessment of The MG RV8 Sports activities Vehicle, masking enhancement, critical capabilities, and complex facts of this the ninth design in the new MG variety.
In this Write-up, I provide a nostalgic appear at the MG RV8, a person of an elite group of basic autos, which was produced all through the period 1993 to 1995.
Adhering to the demise of the MGB in 1980, Rover resolved to revive the MG brand name by redesigning the first car to create what they felt would be the best MGB.
On top of that, the strategy of the RV8 was conceived in 1988 immediately after British Motor Heritage started creation of new MGB overall body panels.
In 1989, Mazda introduced the MX-5, which rekindled desire for lesser sporting activities autos.
As a result, using new human body panels, MG resolved to established in motion the redesign of the MGB.
The system styling of the RV8 was these kinds of that it represented a departure from the MGB’s first style, and nonetheless nevertheless retained the glance and really feel of the unique motor vehicle.
Therefore the MG RV8 was born.
The engine chosen was the 3.9 litre, 16 valve, gasoline injected, V8 version of the Rover 3.5 litre V8 device, as employed in the MGB GT V8, with a compression ratio of 9.3:1.
The rear leaf springs, boot lid, doorways and rear drum brakes were being all retained, even though the suspension was somewhat undated.
A restricted slip differential was fitted to make certain that all the electrical power was not allocated to just a single rear wheel, and that both of those wheels been given powered motion.
Even though only 5% of the components of the 1962 MGB were employed in the generation of the new vehicle, it was still reminiscent of the first.
Specification of the RV8 integrated:
- Lucas gasoline injection
- Servo assisted eleven inch disc brakes at the entrance and 9 inch drums at the rear
- 5 speed gearbox with synchromesh on all forward gears
- Independent entrance suspension making use of coil springs, and a dwell axle with leaf springs at the rear
- Five bearing crankshaft
- Rack and pinion steering
- Headlights from the Porsche 911, and specially made rear lights
- Rear monitor was greater and wider wheels had been employed
The MG RV8 was introduced at the Birmingham Motor Present in 1992, as a two door, two seater convertible, and was focused at proven fanatics who would welcome the revival of the MG marque.
The develop high-quality was superb, and it was the initially human body shell of any MG to be galvanised, and the 1st MG to have a equipped mohair hood.
The cars’ interior was to such a large regular, with leather-based and Elm veneer for the dashboard and door panels, that the press nicknamed it “The Very poor Man’s Rolls Royce”.
Nonetheless, Rover confronted a problem in that the £26,000 rate tag was way earlier mentioned what the target current market was keen to shell out.
The providing cost of the RV8 was pitched at a top quality to choose account of the reality that the provide of overall body panels would hardly ever exceed some 15-18 for each 7 days, which intended that the vehicle could only be regarded as a reduced quantity, professional entity.
It was created, not for quantity creation. but only to re-establish the identify of MG in planning for the start of other volume convertibles, this sort of as the re-launched MGF.
For that reason, somewhat than abandoning the undertaking, the car was introduced at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1993, in which it was an fast achievement.
So significantly so, that over 1,400 of the RV8’s were being promptly purchased.
When reviewed at the time of the start, the MG RV8 was regarded as staying alternatively aged fashioned, considering that it nonetheless retained a stable again axle and rear drum brakes, inherited from the initial MGB.
When production ended two decades later in 1995, only 1,983 vehicles were crafted, of which 1,583 ended up exported to Japan by yourself.
It is exciting to take note that, during the period of time 2000 to 2010, as numerous as 700 of these Japanese exported sports activities vehicles had been re-imported into the British isles and Australia.
This marked the conclusion of the MG RV8
Probably this stroll down memory lane may well have answered, or at least drop light on, a feasible query:
Which MG Athletics Motor vehicle is Your Favourite?
Even so, need to this question nonetheless stay unanswered, I will be examining, in some detail, in upcoming content articles within this website, the entire vary of MG athletics automobiles which were being showcased in the unforgettable era spanning 1924 to 1995.
I hope you be a part of me in my nostalgic travels “down sports motor vehicle memory lane”.