MG RV8 (1993 – 1995) Review

MG RV8 (1993 – 1995) At A Glance

Great looks, easy - and surprisingly rapid - performance, brilliant parts availability, a perfect exhaust note, lots of very nice examples for sale

In standard form the RV8 isn't what you would describe as a driver's car, but if you want that combination, buy a TVR Griffith

Ask Honest John

Is it a risk to replace the spare wheel with a can of foam sealant in my MG RV8?

"I have an MG RV8 with the usual spare tyre in the limited boot space. Considering it would cost about £60 to replace a tyre and I have only had five problems with regards to a puncture in 48 years of driving, do you think that it would be more practical to remove the spare tyre and buy a 'get you home' tyre spray foamand use the boot space for luggage."

I guess it depends on how often you use the boot and how much you plan to put in it? Tyre sealant doesn't always work so if you go down this route, make sure you've got roadside assistance cover. Might also be worth checking how many of the chain tyre centres stock your tyres. If the worst happens and the foam fails to repair the puncture, you'll need towing to a tyre centre and if they don't have the tyre in stock they'll need to order which could take 24 hours. Worth remembering that even if they do have the right size of tyres in stock, they may not have your preferred brand. If you desperately need the space, you could choose to mount the spare to the boot or go for a boot-mounted luggage rack.

Answered by Keith Moody

What type of front suspension is fitted to the MG RV8?

"What type of front suspension is fitted to the MG RV8?"

The MG RV8 has an independent front suspension with double wishbones, coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers. An anti-roll bar is also fitted.

Answered by Keith Moody

More Questions

Model History

• August 1989: Project Adder instigated
• December 1989: Work begins on Project Adder by Rover Special Products
• October 1992: MG RV8 first shown at the British Motor Show
• May 1995: MG RV8 production ceased

August 1989

Project Adder instigated

Work on a new MG sports car was a running theme within Austin Rover and the Rover from 1984 onwards. The success of the MG M models had kept the flame of the Octagon alive, but what people wanted – and what market researchers repeatedly told the company was that the public wanted – was a roadster. The first proper attempt at a new MG following on from a series of new Midgets in the mid-1980s, was a larger, 3.9-litre front-engined roadster, denoted the DR2/PR5.

Following the sale of Rover to BAe in 1988 – and the resulting calmer financial climate that ensued – management’s attitudes towards the new MG began to soften. The launch of the Mazda Miata (MX5) in 1989 proved to be the decisive event that upped Rover’s commitment to producing and launching a new car – and by 1990, Rover had committed its resources to the PR3 project that would eventually be launched as the MGF.

Management, however, were caught with a problem: even though PR3 was an evolution of ongoing projects, its development cycle would still amount to at least four years’ worth of hard work (scheduled for a 1994/1995 introduction) – and the public were clamouring for a new MG rather sooner than that. That is where Project Adder came into the equation:

December 1989

Work begins on Project Adder by Rover Special Products

Project Adder came about in the closing months of 1989, when following the successful re-introduction of the MGB bodyshell by British Motor Heritage, the idea was floated of building new cars using this shell as a starting point. Into 1990 and the idea rapidly began to gain momentum once the management had given the project its blessing, following further positive market research. The formation of Rover Special Products in early 1990 facilitated the 'new' MGB’s development without compromising concurrent Rover saloon car projects.

The brief was clear – build a new MGB using as many in-house parts as possible and keeping within a budget of just £5 million.

As a result, the Heritage shell needed no structural modification – and the choice of engine was clear: after the DR2/PR5 concept was dropped in favour of PR3, it was decided sensibly that a similarly-powered MGB would use its engine (the 3.9-litre version of the Rover V8 engine) and occupy the DR2/PR5′s intended market slot.

And so it was: the Heritage shell was used, but new front and rear wings were fashioned a) to accomodate wider 1990s rubber and b) to give the car an appealing, curvaceous, wasp-waisted style. The new panels were produced by Abbey Panels and matched the overall high level of quality attained with the Heritage shell.

The new car was named the RV8 to denote its Rover engine – the “B” was dropped in order to appeal to new-age fans as well as the traditional MGB enthusiast.

October 1992

MG RV8 first shown at the British Motor Show

MG RV8 at launch; it proved something of a hit in Japan.

Launched at the British Motor Show in 1992, the MG RV8 marked the welcome return of the MG roadster. It did not prove to be the sales success in the UK that the company had hoped for, however. The barrier to sales in the UK could be put down to two factors:

• 1) its high purchase price, coupled with the fact that 1992 marked a recession in the UK and
• 2) TVR – the company produced cheaper, faster, more focused sports cars powered by the same engine.

May 1995

MG RV8 production ceased

Japan proved to to be a successful market during the recession, though, and of the 1983 RV8s made, 1581 were sold out there. Many have subsequently come back home to the UK to add to the 311 already sold here.

Driving MG RV8 (1993 – 1995)

Take a few moments to consider that iconic powerplant. Conceived in aluminium by General Motors during the late-'50s but quickly abandoned. The pushrod V8 would have been an interesting footnote in history, had its death not coincided with Rover’s need for a new power unit. Company chief William Martin-Hurst spotted one abandoned in an American boat yard, and in 1965 he arm-twisted GM into selling the tooling.

The effortless V8 has proved irresistible for the sports car fraternity. MG was first to get its hands on it engine, when the Abingdon engineers shoehorned it into the MGB GT in 1973. The car should have been a smash hit, but arrived in a world plunged into energy crisis. It sunk without a trace. So, who would have thought that Rover would exhume the car almost 20 years later, and use it as a springboard from which to relaunch MG for the 1990s?

Introduction

THE MG RV8 actually came about after Rover was caught wrong-footed by the launch of the Mazda MX5 in 1989. The moment the Japanese roadster appeared, the green light was given in Rover – a new MG was needed fast.

Enthusiasts had been waiting for a new MG sportscar since the Abingdon’s closure in 1980, and rumours of the new car was music to their ears. Thanks to surprisingly audacious thinking by Rover, the relaunch came in 1992, and in the best possible way.

Although it is a widely held belief that the MG RV8 is little more than a Heritage shell clothing re-used MGB parts, it was actually 75 per cent new. Put together by Rover Special Products (the team that helped create the Mini Cooper and MGF) under the codename Adder, the idea was to use the new MGB bodyshell as a means of putting the B back into production.

Project Adder fused a large slice of MGB technology – live axle and leaf springs – to the Rover V8 engine and gearbox. If the basic package sounds scary, the rear axle had been reined in, and those infamous lever arm dampers were ditched in favour of telescopic KONI dampers. As we’ll see, that makes all the difference on the road.

Performance

As soon as you fire up RV8, you know it is going to be a more relaxing experience than the TVR. Compared with any MGB before it, the RV8 goes well. The V8 provides that reassuringly familiar low-rev beat, and it is complemented by a muted woofle from the exhaust that promises easy pull from low speeds.

It’s a promise fulfilled. In the RV8, you get linear power delivered consistently, and it catapults up the road with an effortless shove in the back in the process. Because you get a helpful 236lb/ft of torque at 3000rpm, there’s no need to hang on to gears – half throttle and 4000rpm upchanges will have you moving along very nicely indeed. It seems to be the most fitting way to drive this grand tourer.

Quick acceleration is there for the taking. From a standing start, 60mph comes up in 5.9 seconds, and it doesn’t stop pulling until 135mph. In previous MGBs, such brutal treatment would have the rear axle hopping around in protest, but the RV8 ditches this disagreeable trait thanks to those crude but effective anti-tramp rods.

Handling and ride

Acclimatise yourself to the heavy steering and within a few meters of setting off, you’ll be marvelling at the RV8’s ride quality. At no point does it jar, or become uncomfortable – in normal driving it take an observant driver to pick up on the rather archaic suspension.

The RV8 may be a cruiser built for country lanes, but it is here where things turn ugly if the driver demands too much. Camber changes and sharp ridges result in too much vertical movement, and if corners are added to the equation, they can all too easily upset the skittish rear end. Sophisticated damping obviously lessens the problem, but RV8 owners need to keep their KONIs in tip-top shape if they are to avoid their cars turning into bucking broncos on demanding B-roads.

That is not to say there isn’t a great deal of pleasure from piloting an RV8. Turn down the wick and waft along at a rapid rather than rabid pace, and there’s fun to be had. Even at fairly modest speeds the rear end can get playful, but treat it with respect – slow in, fast out – control the slides, and you’ll enjoy the ride.

There’s also an impressive feeling of solidity in the shell, and scuttle shake is only apparent in the most arduous situations. Brakes are strong and faithful – despite rear drums. Do remember there’s no ABS.

The inside story

Your first impressions are dominated by the commanding driving position its leather buckets put you in. Although there’s an air of modernity inside, it’s masked by the upright wheel and cramped cabin.

Despite a lack of elbow room, the driving position is nigh on perfect, with all the major controls falling nicely to hand. You can have a whale of a time playing ‘spot the part’, from the corporate bin. Despite that diversion, it all looks terrific and hangs together well. The polished wood compliments the beige leather interior, and there’s a real air of quality inside the RV8.

A major complaint we have is the low screen, which hampers the view forward if you’re over 5’8”.

Classic appeal

There may have been 2000 RV8s built at Cowley, but they remain rare. A fair number may have been exported into Japan, but many are now returning, and numbers are rising. Despite that, the RV8 has cast-iron classic credentials but also proves to be a perfectly useable everyday car, should the owner choose to treat it this way. It does arouse interest in others, but mainly of a curious nature – on the roads, be prepared to turn a lot of heads.

Verdict

The MG is a smooth and traditional cruiser; and if you enjoy a flexible, effortless open-topped grand tourer, it's nigh-on perfect. And quite beautiful as well. It was tuned specifically to the needs of traditional buyers. We can confirm that Rover Special Products succeeded in meeting those aims. It is definitely an MGB for the '90s, and as a result is a likeable, charismatic steer, and one we wish more enthusiasts could enjoy.

You’d take the RV8 for balmy summer evening drives to the pub, and enjoy turning heads in the process. It's an all-time classic, and probably the best MGB of them all.

• Photography: Alisdair Cusick

MG RV8 (1993 – 1995) Buying Guide

Good

• Just 2000 reincarnated MGBs built in Heritage bodyshells with 3.9 litre Buick derived alloy block V8s from the Range Rover.
• Would do 135mph, but more a car for nostalgia buffs than keen drivers.
• Sold well in Japan until the economy there took a downturn, at which point many returned to Britain.
• Lots of wood and leather.

Bad

• Not an Aston Martin.

Watch

• Be very careful to check the history.
• Many went to RHD Far East countries then returned when the Tiger Economies went into recession.

Running MG RV8 (1993 – 1995)

• For parts, try www.britishcarparts.uk.com
• www.xpartautoservicecentre.com
• www.rovaparts.co.uk
• www.rimmerbros.co.uk
• Exhaust systems from www.longlife.co.uk
• 27,000 MG parts: Brown & Gammons
• More at AROnline