Time to appreciate the MG B LE60 in all its glory
Get your video fill of stonking V8 restomod goodness right here...
More through reputation than actual experience, the MG B had never really appealed as a sports car prospect. It seemed to offer all the drawbacks of a small, light, old car - feeling vulnerable when driving, not fitting in it - without the advantage of being great to drive. Though it seemed unlikely, what if Frontline had merely created a lovingly restored and beautifully trimmed old MG that was a bit crap to drive?
I needn’t have worried - not for a second. Even in a restomod sector that feels busier by the week, the LE60 stands proud as something very special indeed. As, really, we should have been expected given what it proved itself capable of with 2.5-litre Duratec power in the LE50 and Abingdon Edition.
But it’s always nice to go into these things and be pleasantly surprised by the expertise on display rather than disappointed by overly optimistic expectations. Having gone into the LE60 drive as someone not much into old MGs and worried a 380hp V8 might overawe the B, I left entirely besotted. Even in a very fortunate line of work, that happens far less often than you might think.
Of course, the engine is a huge part of the LE’s appeal - I really hope that comes across in the video. The completely overhauled Rover V8 does what every great engine of this configuration should do, which is pretty much everything. It’ll rumble on very few revs, thunder along at its maximum, and even has the decency to not take up too much space while it's laying down a bassline. It’s absolute bliss.
That the V8 complements a package of similarly lofty quality is what really ensures the LE60 stands out. It’s built beautifully, it drives with real polish, and it looks completely fabulous. This was the prototype, too, so the cars for customers will surely be even better still. The lucky devils. I’m desperate for another go - yes, to find out more about it, but also just for the pleasure of spending time with it.
It’d also be good to try the Frontline LE60 in cooler weather - the car you see here doesn’t have functioning air con, which was far from ideal in the September heatwave. So apologies for the red face and any repetition. But hopefully a few minutes of vid convey the qualities that make the LE60 a truly brilliant restomod. And if it doesn’t, then we can always have another go…
Really?
Tvr did their 4.5 version rated very optimistically at 275bhp. Their 5 litre version was if memory serves rated at 320bhp and the consensus was that was also very optimistic.
Sure you can get 370bhp from a normally aspirated rover v8, but to do so would make it horrid on the road surely.
Just really demonstrates his complete ignorance on the subject matter.
An attempt to pull him up for something that he is already freely admitting seems a little belated.
But where Singer will take an already extremely valuable 911, restomod it and then sell it for an eye-watering amount, I don't get the commercial argument for starting with a car you can buy for £5K and then upping that to £230K. That makes no sense, however lovely it is.
Good luck to them, I hope they make some money out of it, won't be mine though.
What's being forgotten about here is the size of the thing, and more relevantly, the width. The standard car is evidently 1521mm wide. According to the article, the Frontline has pushed out the rear width by 250mm, which I find remarkable when looking at the pictures.
Anyhow, that's 1770mm in width. The website specifies a wheelbase width of 1520mm at the rear, which is to the tyre centres. With 225mm tyres, that's 1745mm wide. That's quite a bit narrower than an Alpine A110 and quite a bit more compact than most other sports cars. It's about the same width as a VW Polo - great for hooning down our narrow B roads!
Great to see cars like this in existence, especially with a lovely cross-plane crank V8.
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