MGB & GT Forum

This is a rare MGB V8 Rover Edition.
It was factory built but not allowed to be exported into the USA.
This particular MGB was exported to Japan (and I imagine other countries)
RH drive
Buick based 215 V8
All stock factory installed engine.

Anyone have more details on this model?

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Motoring with the top down, laughing in the face of the wind!

Safety Fast (Just be sure your brakes are good!)

MG RV8

https://myclassicuk.com/guides/mg-rv8/

94-95 MGR V8, I think 2000 were made & most went to Japan

As above.

My club has a couple in it, lovely machines. Had to have some mods done to meet local regs, like a high mounted brake light.
These were not built by BMC, or any of its later guises. They were built by Rover

From Wikipedia

MG RV8
MG RV8
1994 MG RV8 3.9.jpg
MG RV8
Overview
Production 1992–1995
Body and chassis
Body style 2-seat roadster
Powertrain
Engine 3.9 L Rover V8
Subsequent to the launch of the Mazda MX-5 in 1989, British Motor Heritage (by then owned by Rover Group) had placed the MGB bodyshell back in production to serve the MGB restoration market. The success of the MX-5 had given Rover confidence that the market for 2 seater roadsters had re-emerged, and the decision was taken in 1991 to create an updated MGB model. The suspension was only slightly updated, sharing the leaf spring rear of the MGB. The boot lid and doors were shared with the original car, as were the rear drum brakes. The engine was the 3.9-litre version of the aluminium Rover V8, similar to the one previously used in the MGB GT V8. A limited-slip differential was also fitted. The MG RV8 debuted at the British International Motor Show in October 1992.[citation needed]

The British Motor Heritage manufactured bodyshell was painted at Rover's Cowley plant before final assembly at Cowley where the cars were hand-built in a separate unit, the LVA . The interior featured veneered burr elm woodwork and Connolly leather.[31]

The engine produced 190 bhp (142 kW) at 4,750 rpm, achieving 0–60 mph (96 km/h) in 5.9 seconds. Largely due to the rear drum brakes and rear leaf springs, the RV8 was not popular with road testers.[citation needed] The high price of the car put it in direct competition with contemporary rivals from specialist manufacturers such as TVR which offered modern technology and a more up to date driving experience.

A large proportion of the limited MG RV8 production went to Japan – 1,579 of the 1,983 produced.[32] In the UK, 330 RV8s were sold initially.[33] Several hundred (possibly as many as 700) of these cars were reimported back to the UK and also Australia between 2000 and 2010 with a peak number of 485 registered at the DVLA in the UK.[34] Several sources consider this a continuation of the MGB model.[35][36][37][38][39]

Herb

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Questions about prostate cancer? Click here to join the discussion

Head gaskets every 40K miles ha ha ha

Additional information from former owner of Adder #1100 in BRG - a car sold original new in Holland.

All were RHD, regardless destination market.
A few are rebuilt in LHD in Holland

Special for the Japan export cars:
All had a/c
Most of them had the plastic lip on the fenders
Most of them had the Rover badge on the fenders
Less power as the european cars, but easy to change back.
Rare to see a japanese export car in different color as that "not so nice" Woodcote green, that was the color of the car on the Tokyo Motor show
so most japanese clients ordered in that color.

Most Japanese cars have been re-exported and sold back to the UK, Australia, New Zealand and some european countries as mentioned above.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023-01-27 09:15 AM by Rob-USLE.

And then they came to AU. Japan being RHD is a help. They used to require compliance here but now that anymore coming in are >25 years old that's no longer required.

I was going to buy one but decided to build my own.

We've discussed them many times before including transferring various panels to the GT in particular.

For us in AU "nothing to see here".

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Mk1: CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67; owned since 3/77. 18GB +40 balanced. Peter Burgess BVFR head. Piper 285. 123. FidanzaFW. 4synch c/r box. Lots more as I did a nut and bolt rebuild; finished 2015. Tartan Red.

GT: December '78. VW Golf guards, flush fit front and rear valances. Torana XU1 vents, frenched indicators & Mk1 rear lights. 'Worked' Rover V8 with Monsoon ECU for EFI. GM4L60E, Lokar tiptronic & Quick4 controller. Vintage Air A/C. FC IFS. CCE 4 link rear. Salisbury with Quaife. Jaguar Storm.

That is tthe NEW composite head gasket for you. I have used the STEEL SHIM on EVERY engine I have built in the last 40 years & not a head gasket problem one!!!!! + I retorque the heads every 20-25,000 miles!!! & I now�have OVER 1 MILLION MILES my 3 MG V8s

Over here a few MGRV8GT's have now been created by enthusiasts etc using body panels and some original parts.

Enjoy photos.

That is sweet! I have never seen the GT version.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023-01-27 01:09 PM by V8MGBV8.

Duncan Imports in Christiansburg,Virginia shows 1 for sale
for $36,667.When I was there a few weeks ago,I counted 5 of them.

www.duncanimports.com

I stopped by Duncan imports on my way from Detroit to Augusta Georgia last week and saw all five of them.

They were parked too close together so I didn't get the chance to sit in the driver side of one but I looked it up and down pretty good and the idea of the car was better than the reality. There were places in the interior and on trim where you could tell that they found parts from other cars and swapped it together with visible screws.

Because these were all Japanese cars and had air conditioning, the passenger footwell was nearly gone. I was shocked how little space they had.

I'm a little over 6 ft tall and the visibility out the windshield was horrendously bad.

I absolutely love the outside styling of the car and the subtle changes they made compared to the MGB but the execution of the rest of the car left a lot to be desired.

One of our club members has one.

There is no GT version. Those are GTs with RV8 panels fitted. I looked at it and IIRC Simon and I had a discussion on here about them. There's a fair bit of work to be done especially around the rear. Some panels are virtually R&R and of course the RV8 bonnet fits perfectly. The light surrounds are plastic so in the end I decided not to as I wanted an all steel body.

I was thinking of fitting the centre console and rear kickboard but I'm DIYing using Mike Cook's Silver Lady as a template.

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Mk1: CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67; owned since 3/77. 18GB +40 balanced. Peter Burgess BVFR head. Piper 285. 123. FidanzaFW. 4synch c/r box. Lots more as I did a nut and bolt rebuild; finished 2015. Tartan Red.

GT: December '78. VW Golf guards, flush fit front and rear valances. Torana XU1 vents, frenched indicators & Mk1 rear lights. 'Worked' Rover V8 with Monsoon ECU for EFI. GM4L60E, Lokar tiptronic & Quick4 controller. Vintage Air A/C. FC IFS. CCE 4 link rear. Salisbury with Quaife. Jaguar Storm.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023-01-27 05:37 PM by MGB567.

All in the eye of the beholder, but I prefer the original factory V8 (made in GT form only) in chrome bumper format.. the RV8 got someone of a pounding by the motoring press... concensus was the handling was not up to snuff for a 90s sportscar... solid or 'live' rear axle being the main shortcoming... they also hacked the front inner fenders so the exhaust pipes could pass through them.. few sold in home market..as others have stated above..most went to japan.. 74 BGTV8 was a great touring car... ride and handling a bit 'choppy'.. but very relaxed on the freeway at 85-90 mph with overdrive engaged and that 3.08 rear end..they didnt sell well either..'fuel crisis' at time of launch added to high price basically sealed its fate..a Datsun 240Z did the job better all round for less money.. I recall having use of a 260Z 2+2 in Uk for a few weeks..highly competent car but also somewhat un-interesting so as to be almost forgettable.. the MGB V8 had character..