Wednesday 22nd February 2006

The Rover V8 will burble again

Famous torquey powerplant rumbles on

---

V8 nestling in a TVR engine bay

The Rover V8 is dead -- long live the Rover V8!

Despite reports of its imminent death, the famous V8, used in many Solihull-built Land Rover products, is alive and burbling and in production in the UK. MCT, the West Country based engineering and manufacturing specialist, has won a contract from Land Rover for the continuation of production to support the aftermarket requirement for original equipment engines.

Production has been relocated from the home of Land Rover at Solihull to MCT’s plant in Weston-super-Mare. MCT will also handle sourcing and procurement of components and sub-assemblies, as well as testing and supply of the finished product.

For over 40 years this famous V8 engine, with displacements from 3.5 to 4.6, has powered the cream of British marques including Land Rover Defender, Discovery and Range Rover, Rover P5B, P6 and SD1, MGB GT, Triumph, Morgan and TVR. It is also the standard British engine for all hot rod use and special versions powered the Formula 1 winning Brabham team. It’s not surprising therefore that in 2005 Engine Technology International magazine and journalist Keith Read voted it “ the greatest engine of all time”.

MCT's customers include Ford, Land Rover, GM, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Subaru, Caterham and LDV.

MD Peter Roberts said: “We are delighted to have been selected by Land Rover Ltd against strong global competition. This shows that small and medium British manufacturing and engineering companies can compete for high-end added value projects because of our high quality skills, flexible manufacturing environment and know how. Focussing in these areas will ensure that the UK can consolidate and focus its manufacturing sector and achieve greater success.”

TVR SV8, Chimaera and Griff owners can breathe sighs of relief...

[big-ashy]

Strange "Griff Engine Bay" looks nothing like mine, have I been done??

[']['![]V[] W]

Ted, its a 'S' Engine bay

[piper]

The RV8 was indeed a truly fabulous engine, quite unique at the time with its all alloy construction. Its lightness combined with no OHC which enabled it to be mounted lower in the chassis and reduce C of G forces, it lent its self very well to specialist car manufacturers; TVR, Marcos, Westfield etc. The picture by the way shows a V8S engine bay and not a Griffith.

[mybrainhurts]

It's not a Mini either. You can tell because it's not tranverse....

[lazyitus]

The article said:

For over 40 years this famous V8 engine, with displacements from 3.5 to 4.6

I thought that my Griffith 500 5.0ltr was a Rover V8. Have I been mislead and its actually a 2.0ltr Pinto or something else?

[r988]

lazyitus said:

The article said: For over 40 years this famous V8 engine, with displacements from 3.5 to 4.6 I thought that my Griffith 500 5.0ltr was a Rover V8. Have I been mislead and its actually a 2.0ltr Pinto or something else?

You've been had, it's actually an A series...

[hendry]

I think the piece means it rolled out of the factory with displacements up to 4.6 litres. Others then bored it out further "aftermarket".

Is anyone still fitting this to new cars? I guess Defender V8s?

[RichardD]

hendry said:

...Is anyone still fitting this to new cars? I guess Defender V8s?

I thought the engine was dead due to emissions regulations, but obviously not..?

[anonymous-user]

Would be good for them to have a word with Marcos on how to update it to this spec (or something similar)

[Hasbeen]

38 years ago, I spent a season, driving around places like Bathurst, in front of one of these, in a Brabham Repco, 2.5L Aust F1, It produced 315 BHP at 9300 RPM
It was brilliant then.
I now drive around country back roads, behind one of these, in a Triumph TR8. This is a 4.6L injected 4 bolt engine, one of the last out of Rover. It produces, with just a little tuning, a lazy 275 BHP at 5500 RPM, & its still brilliant.
Thank god its still to have a life.
Hasbeen

>> Edited by Hasbeen on Wednesday 22 February 11:24

[dern]

lazyitus said:

The article said: For over 40 years this famous V8 engine, with displacements from 3.5 to 4.6 I thought that my Griffith 500 5.0ltr was a Rover V8. Have I been mislead and its actually a 2.0ltr Pinto or something else?

I think TVR felt obliged to do something to make it unreliable.

V8s are great, this is mine...



Mark

[kentish]

It's not a British engine at all, not really.

The design was purchased from Buick.

[wedg1e]

hendry said:

I think the piece means it rolled out of the factory with displacements up to 4.6 litres. Others then bored it out further "aftermarket". Is anyone still fitting this to new cars? I guess Defender V8s?

I doubt it since the casting plant is being (or has already been) bulldozed...

[thetruemackie]

Woohoo! This will keep people happy

It's a cool engine. I was 1 half of a V8 Locost project and it was immensely enjoyable to fire up our SD1 Vittesse engine with no exhausts whatsoever

[NDT]

piper said:

The RV8 was indeed a truly fabulous engine, quite unique at the time with its all alloy construction.

Apart from the venerable Rolls Royce L410 engne, also an all alloy, single cam OHV V8.
This might predate the Rover?

[GTRene]

Yep I guess to its a TVR V8S engine bay RHD...I had a LHD so a few things were on the other side of the enginebay...
I had to of those grumblers under the hood, one V8S and a Griffith 4.3 Big Valve I realy loved the sound it makes, even when driving slowly...then down the pedal and wow what a bruut but only to about 200km/u and then not that good or fine to drive like fast M powered BMW for a comparison...above 200 they get a bit unsteable..or in the V8S the targa roof try to fly of
GTRene

[anonymous-user]

kentish said:

It's not a British engine at all, not really. The design was purchased from Buick.

But Buick purchased it from the Germans
However, they all gave up on it

>> Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 22 February 12:02

[crazy of cookham]

On the news Chinese to build MGs at Longbridge. Will they be customers for the V8s

[havoc]

hendry said:

I think the piece means it rolled out of the factory with displacements up to 4.6 litres. Others then bored it out further "aftermarket". Is anyone still fitting this to new cars? I guess Defender V8s?

IIRC the V8 Defenders were only a limited run - the 'Lara Croft' Edition at that!
Standard engine in the Defender is the ancient TD5.

[Jay GTI]

You can no longer buy a Defender with a V8, it was phased out a while ago (mate's wife works for Land Rover in contract sales support, I asked her if she could get me a new 90 V8). Even the Tomb Raider LE was a TD5 (only a V8 in the movie, it was a custom-built vehicle).