ChasR
RR Helper
motivation
Posts: 10,199
Club RR Member Number: 170
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The New MGB LE50ChasR
@chasr
Club Retro Rides Member 170
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After coming across the news of the LE50 a short while ago I noticed that it was unveiled at the Classic Car Show (thanks partially to the help of Classic Car Monthly) designed as a evolution of the original 'B (MG RV8 ring any bells?). I guess this could be to the 'B GT what the RV8 was to the roadster. Whilst the shell has had a makeover (all previous gaps (in the sills and rear panels being of particular note) are now seam welded)) the modifications are skin deep with it now being powered by an uprated MX-5 engine with the ancillaries and suspension et al being designed to cope with the additional horses. Not too bad a spec for any 'B I think most would agree: I can imagine that it is pretty potent to drive. Is it worth £50k though? Anyway, pretty much the whole point of the General board, picture time  :      |
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Last Edit: Jan 6, 2012 19:17:09 GMT by ChasR
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Garry
East Midlands
Posts: 1,722
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I think it looks brilliant, and Mazda-power suits it well. The price point is cheaper than a Morgan (I think) so is a decent alternative to it. Of course, you could build one for a lot less but if I had the money and wanted an updated retro, I'd be on the way to Frontline with a cheque.
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This is a makeover of an existing car rather than a new one? Yeah?
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1937 Austin Street Rod - 1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1976 Rover V8 - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,855
Club RR Member Number: 174
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The New MGB LE50stealthstylz
@stealthstylz
Club Retro Rides Member 174
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Date of Liability 01 11 2012 Date of First Registration 01 09 1966 Year of Manufacture 1966 Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1798cc CO2 Emissions Not Available Fuel Type PETROL Export Marker N Vehicle Status Licence Not Due Vehicle Colour BLUE Vehicle Type Approval Not Available Nice to see another company registering their cars properly  we're never gonna get anywhere with these plebs are we. |
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bryn
Posted a lot
Posts: 3,913
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I really do like that, I really do... But 50K? No, no and again no.
When will people realise that there is a choice and that sort of money brings a lot of it? A friend built a 4.5ltr TVR engined BGT with top notch suspension, Wilwood brakes, mirror finish paint and a whole load of other stuff for £32K. It would seriously blow this away and he didn't lift a spanner himself so it's comparative.
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Volvo, Buggy, Discovery and an old tractor.
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Garry
East Midlands
Posts: 1,722
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I think I read on Pistonheads that it was a Heritage shell. From the Frontline website:
''The LE50 will be hand built at the Frontline 'Special Works Division' in Abingdon-on-Thames using a highly developed, brand new monocoque chassis and powered by an all-new 215 bhp aluminium twin cam engine weighing a mere 85kg. Combine this with the new aluminium 6-speed manual gearbox, suspension, brakes, cooling system and even the seats, the reduction in weight of these cars is exceptional offering a power to weight ratio of 240 bhp per tonne.''
So they start off with an original MGB and use a modified Heritage shell, new chassis and more. Not sure if using a modified Heritage shell counts towards the points for an SVA and new registration but a standard Heritage shell is OK to keep the original ID.
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Last Edit: Jan 6, 2012 20:03:02 GMT by Garry
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sonus
Europe
Posts: 1,386
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I like it, but mine will be half the price when finished - hopefully  |
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Current
1968 TVR VIXEN S1 V8 Prototype
2004 TVR T350C
2017 BMW 340i
Previous
BMW 325d E91LCI - sold
Alfa Romeo GTV - sold
Citroen AX GT - at the breakers
Ford Puma 1.7 - sold
Volvo V50 2.0d - sold
MGB GT - wrecked by fire
MG ZT 1.8T - sold
VW E-golf Electric - sold
Mini Countryman 1.6D -sold
Land Rover Discovery TD5 - sold
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Those Dunlop alloys look fabulous!  Buy MG, keep wheels, sell MG. Plan? ;D |
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sonus
Europe
Posts: 1,386
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Those Dunlop alloys look fabulous! Buy MG, keep wheels, sell MG. Plan? ;D Or call Image Wheels and buy wheels only |
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Current
1968 TVR VIXEN S1 V8 Prototype
2004 TVR T350C
2017 BMW 340i
Previous
BMW 325d E91LCI - sold
Alfa Romeo GTV - sold
Citroen AX GT - at the breakers
Ford Puma 1.7 - sold
Volvo V50 2.0d - sold
MGB GT - wrecked by fire
MG ZT 1.8T - sold
VW E-golf Electric - sold
Mini Countryman 1.6D -sold
Land Rover Discovery TD5 - sold
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I think I read on Pistonheads that it was a Heritage shell. In which case why is it registered as a 1966 car? "log book donor" strikes again. It has a brand new shell and MX5 running gear. Should be a Q or a 61. |
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1937 Austin Street Rod - 1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1976 Rover V8 - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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Well, I think that's a lovely looking thing, and I bet it's a hoot to drive.
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Yup, I don't disagree on that point.
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1937 Austin Street Rod - 1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1976 Rover V8 - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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tsp
Part of things
Posts: 213
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Brilliant. I want one!
What's the spec of the motor?!
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Hirst
Posted a lot
This avatar is inaccurate, I've never shaved that closely
Posts: 3,930
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I think they should have updated the rubber bumper version.
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Ray Singh
Posted a lot
More German exotica in my garage now
Posts: 1,984
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Make it yourself?
£50k is a lot of money.
I'm sure that this could be made by one of the ultra talent fellas on here for about £25k tops.
How much is a new bodyshell? Moss still sell them as new.
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andyborris
Posted a lot
Freedom is just another word for nothing left to lose.
Posts: 2,170
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Date of Liability 01 11 2012 Date of First Registration 01 09 1966 Year of Manufacture 1966 Cylinder Capacity (cc) 1798cc CO2 Emissions Not Available Fuel Type PETROL Export Marker N Vehicle Status Licence Not Due Vehicle Colour BLUE Vehicle Type Approval Not Available Nice to see another company registering their cars properly we're never gonna get anywhere with these plebs are we. Please don't take offence, but I'm not sure what the issue is, I'd prefer it to be on a tax free period reg no. I must admit to an adversion to DVLA rules, I think they're just trying to stop my fun, but if I'm missing something (I know it's sense, the girlfiend has already pointed that out! ;D), what is it please? Not that I'm likely to spend £50 grand on an MGB which hasn't got a LS1 fitted. |
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I'm a fan!
Yes, 50k is a lot of money. Yes, you could build one cheaper.
The point is, the (few) people that this is targeted at can afford it, and probably don't have the time/skills/creativity to build one themselves.
Hats off to Frontline, the Mazda engine and 6 speed box is a great choice I reckon. They have turned a car that I have never desired into one of my dream garage list.
.....and those wheels are lovely
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Resisting the urges to elaborate on what's been said before.
It is a very nice looking and massively quick (if performance figures are true and not inflated) B. I would like to know what they've done to the suspension, if anything.
I would like to see a picture of the first time someone in a homebrewed version, pulls up next to one of these at the lights. Specifically, when they discuss budgets.
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The issue is, you could well pay your £50K over and not long after get called in by DVLA for an IVA. As I understand it a professionally built vehicle it won't get a number of the "breaks" amateur built cars do. So you could find yourself with a car which is unroadworthy without a lot of money being spent on it to modify it to type approval spec. This is presumably why Frontline are using old logbooks not building up a new car and doing it the legal way. Now you may think "well how would they get caught?" and the answer is they publish details of what they are doing on a major website, like say Pistonheads, maybe in a few glossy magazines to boot, then the DVLA drop in and back track through Frontline's records to pull back in all the cars they have built this way. Ooops. Will it happen? Can't say. Said it before if the DVLA are serious about enforcing their rules all they have to do is buy a few modified car magazines and visit a few popular websites to check build threads. But then amateurs are one thing and someone offering a very expensive turn key professional service is another... There are companies out there building IVA legal cars for their customers and companies out there building non-compliant cars. Some of the stuff being done to make stuff compliant makes me smile, and we are an inventive lot aren't we You drop £50K on a car you want it to be legit, right? Maybe they have some clever way of making these IVA legit, and if they do, and if I had £50K to spend, I'd be making sure it was watertight before writing the cheque. |
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1937 Austin Street Rod - 1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1976 Rover V8 - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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hang on, this is why I shouldn't post on the internet after drinking fine port in reasonable quantity. Heritage shell acquires the points from the original shell, so you may be able to do this legitimately. Just about. So they may well have a watertight IVA proof route to retaining the original ID. In which case, best of British to 'em. |
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1937 Austin Street Rod - 1941 Wolseley Not Rod - 1956 Humber Hawk - 1957 Daimler Conquest - 1966 Buick LeSabre - 1968 Plymouth Sport Fury - 1968 Ford Galaxie - 1969 Ford Country Squire - 1969 Mercury Marquis - 1970 Morris Minor - 1970 Buick Skylark - 1970 Ford Galaxie - 1971 Ford Galaxie - 1976 Continental Mark IV - 1976 Ford Capri - 1976 Rover V8 - 1994 Ford Fiesta
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:
we're never gonna get anywhere with these plebs are we.
Buy MG, keep wheels, sell MG. Plan? ;D
