RE: Driven: Frontline Developments MG LE50
Discussion
Liquid Knight said:
D-reg?
Brand new shell, brand new engine, brand new running gear, brand new brakes, etc, etc; 1966 registration? Would love to know how the chrome bumpers that were removed for the US impact safety standards in 1974 qualify in the new Euro-n-cap tests for a brand new car today
As the cars are being produced by volume (albeit a limited run of fifty) they should be 61-reg shouldn't they?
I thought you were allowed to make a car appear older, but not newer?Brand new shell, brand new engine, brand new running gear, brand new brakes, etc, etc; 1966 registration? Would love to know how the chrome bumpers that were removed for the US impact safety standards in 1974 qualify in the new Euro-n-cap tests for a brand new car today
As the cars are being produced by volume (albeit a limited run of fifty) they should be 61-reg shouldn't they?
doogz said:
I reckon 215bhp is about the right amount of power for this car. Obviously, this is a guess, i haven't driven one, but from looking at the figures, it seems about right. And if an I4 is the lightest and cheapest way to get that sort of power, reliably, then why not?
Something like a BMW 3.0 makes a bit more power, but is substantially longer and heavier, would seem a bit pointless i think.
I'd love one of these. But not at that price. But then, if they'd went with a BMW I6 or even V8, what would it have cost!?
I know someone who is putting an E36 M3 engine into an MGC - the owner wanted to retain a straight six. Can't wait for it to be done so I can have a go. Will be costing a bit less than £50k too!Something like a BMW 3.0 makes a bit more power, but is substantially longer and heavier, would seem a bit pointless i think.
I'd love one of these. But not at that price. But then, if they'd went with a BMW I6 or even V8, what would it have cost!?
therealpigdog said:
I know someone who is putting an E36 M3 engine into an MGC - the owner wanted to retain a straight six. Can't wait for it to be done so I can have a go. Will be costing a bit less than £50k too!
Not really the same thing though. He will end up with an MGC with a BMW engine in it, with all the disadvantages that a classic brings. Nothing wrong with that, but this kind of modernisation involves a LOT more than fitting a new engine. Of course the colour on this example informs the Aston connotation.
Would like to see more of the interior - just a glipmse of the Alcantara covered instrument binnacle looks promising.
Love the intake trumpets but presumably a bit of a risk to run without any sort of filter in dusty condtions as who knows what the airflow would pick up and blow around the engine compartment at speed.
I note that you can have an LSD, is that sort of thing possible on any old 'B' or is it another development made specifically for this car?
Perhaps the traditional live rear axle would give some welcome old school character that would otherwise be lost if they had been allowed to fit the MX-5 one.
Would like to see more of the interior - just a glipmse of the Alcantara covered instrument binnacle looks promising.
Love the intake trumpets but presumably a bit of a risk to run without any sort of filter in dusty condtions as who knows what the airflow would pick up and blow around the engine compartment at speed.
I note that you can have an LSD, is that sort of thing possible on any old 'B' or is it another development made specifically for this car?
Perhaps the traditional live rear axle would give some welcome old school character that would otherwise be lost if they had been allowed to fit the MX-5 one.
kambites said:
AdamPT said:
Good? It would have to be made of gold and make you a cup of tea and breakfast every morning for that to be worth 50k. Mental. If you want to spend 50k on classic metal, buy something decent in the first instance!
That's the thing though isn't it... at hum-drum things like getting you from A to B, classics are, well, a bit rubbish; and modern cars are generally dull, characterless, mass produced white-goods. With this sort of thing, how good the original car was is somewhat immaterial because these companies re-engineer them so thoroughly that they might as well be a different car. What exactly do you suggest would have made a better starting point? Personally, I'd rather have an eagle E-type, but they're about three times the price of this.
kambites said:
therealpigdog said:
I know someone who is putting an E36 M3 engine into an MGC - the owner wanted to retain a straight six. Can't wait for it to be done so I can have a go. Will be costing a bit less than £50k too!
Not really the same thing though. He will end up with an MGC with a BMW engine in it, with all the disadvantages that a classic brings. Nothing wrong with that, but this kind of modernisation involves a LOT more than fitting a new engine. AdamPT said:
Having owned a few classics, I completely agree. Eagles are wonderful. For me, for 50k, I'd have a perfect BMW 3.0 csl, and perhaps a late E39 M5 but then I have a panchent for all things Bavarian. The thing is, the csl would hold its value whereas this thing would be almost impossible to shift for anything like what it cost.
+1
MogulBoy said:
I note that you can have an LSD, is that sort of thing possible on any old 'B' or is it another development made specifically for this car?
Couple of companies do them from around £7-900.Would love one of these but I don't think I'd consider it unless I had several hundreds of thousands sat in the bank. In the mean time I'll stick to my '77 B GT daily
Jonny TVR said:
Completely pointless. MX5 engine!
Spend half the amount on an original MGC tweaked for fast road.
Yebbut, the BGT was always considered the sweeter handling car over the MGC due to the added weight of the 6-pot engine in the C.Spend half the amount on an original MGC tweaked for fast road.
Personally, I love the concept of the Frontline BGT. Yet 50k some seem salty when for 25k more one could get a "future-proofed" Jensen Interceptor R from Cropredy (but built by Gama):
http://www.jensen-cars.co.uk/page3.html
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff