Mad for MG - /DRIVEN
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- Опубліковано 7 лют 2025
- Frontline Developments takes MGs and makes them into what you always wished they were.
Each week /DRIVE will show you a segment from /DRIVE+, to show you a small piece of what you get when you subscribe.
Thanks to British Motor Heritage for supporting footage.
This car is awesome! I bought mine over a year ago and it is the most amazing car I have ever owned. Both classic and modern, it is the best of both worlds and oozes charm and character that you don't get with a mass produced sports car. Boy it really is super fast and hugs the ground and flies around roundabouts! The pleasure I get opening her up, the roar of the engine as I fly past modern more expensive supercars. This car ticks all the boxes for me. The car has a fantastic build quality and finish as you would expect for a hand built customised car. But, the great thing is, the smiles and looks it gets. So many thumbs ups from other drivers! If I leave it in a car park, when I get back to the car it usually has men hanging around it peering in! This car is as reliable as any modern new car and is built to be driven as your everyday car!
Why would you spend 59,000 to 89,000 pounds on a MGB? When you could buy a wreck and almost do it to their specs for half their price. Overpriced if you ask me.
I presume you cannot afford one nor have any idea or affinity for this car . Move along and enjoy your plastic Corvette.
paul austin .... Piece of crap girly car? You obviously know nothing about these roadsters.
Drive them once and your hooked for life.
Lucky you!
This comment section is the epitome of online car culture... sad. @Neil Cooper enjoy your car, man! Must be great if customers are raving about them in their videos!
Very cool, they definitely have a passion for these cars. 304 HP in an MG has to be a blast to drive.
mr bad example B series was a 1.8 litre. There was a 3 bearing crank 1.5 from the 50s. The B series 1.8 was around 90-95 Bhp. I think you're consuming the B series with the A series which was a smaller engine
+mr bad example 1800cc
1980 I had a friend in South Florida (Boca Raton/Pompano) that was rebuilding MG's and took me for my first ride. What a fantastic machine they are.
K Singleton Rick Ostman by any chance?
Possibly, I'm 55 and he wasn't much older than me if any. I'll see if I can get anywhere with Googling his name.
Love Frontline, Ed. and his team worked on my MG Midget DOHC 16-valve and did an amazing job. Such skills.
dreams coming true! Driving one of those MGs must be pure driving pleasure!
My first car was a 1958 MGA Coupe and my 2nd car was a 1965 MGB roadster. I miss them. Spent 3 years with a MGB race team on the pit crew from Boca Raton, going to Daytona 24HR. and Sebring 12 Hr.
My bucket list becomes ever larger...
Holly Crap, I wish I could work for this company. I spent almost 15 years working on MG's when I was younger and just dreaming of doing something like this! Great work guys.
Makes me happy to be an MG B owner !
Lovely to hear about your process and the decisions behind these cars with such specificity about your choices.
Contrary to comments below, these cars ARE AVAILABLE in the U.S. A newly built Frontline MG LE50 or MG Abingdon Edition begins with a new British Motor Heritage shell to which Frontline will attach the VIN plate of an expired donor MG that was built no later than 1980 and is now headed for the scrap yard. Because one may import into the US any automobile 25 years old or older, the newly-built Frontline ca rwith donor VIN plate is exempt from duty or safety/EPA restrictions. Just be prepared to pay dearly because these cars are not cheap. Have fun!
Makes me want to restore and pro-tour old cars but I'm not mechanically savvy yet to tackle on such a task. Nice segment, definitely wet my appetite.
Love the exhaust. Definitely one of the loudest MG s out there.
Size, weight and power. All a perfect recipe for shenanigans!
great cars great dedication spanner men and car nuts world wide will applaud these
two master renovators
Had a buddy in High School that had a BGT. Still love the look. Great story. Thanks.
This is the best automotive video i have ever seen
Good show! Love the quality of the photography and the sound.
Frontline cars are very nicely put together, I like very much!
Interesting Company.
First car: 65 Chevy ss impala convertible say 75 feet long
Second car: 69 mg... a bit compact.
What a great ride and very popular as everyone wanted to drive it.
She never let me down except for minor issues with brake master cylinder and I ran that car hard and fast year round in all types of NE US weather.
At the time, I would have welcomed the overdrive option...but preferred the simplicity of that car and feel many want vs need too many comforts these days that inhibit a true, two hand driving experience.
My god that's a great exhaust note!
Newbury to Wantage road, it's a good one!
I would love to do that kind of thing for a living.
ITB's! That's awesome!
A 300+ HP MG!!! Holy shnikes, that would be fun.
I don't know why, but I've always liked the body style of this MG's
What poetic justice that MGs - classic MGs - will still be around many decades after British Leyland has long since been forgotten. Not that their idiocy ever will.
Build it and they will come.
very interesting. My first MG was a new 77 B in Mallard green. had the wire wheels. The first thing that caugt my attention in the video was the different engine note.
I like this style and format of video
This looks and sounds great. I want to add a GT to my collection and this is exactly what I need.
great pleasure to see , lovely car and well done !
Wow, that sound is amazing!
Lucky guys, and a great company. those cars are cool
Incredible looking place
great machines are never cheap, an acquired taste
I wish them well but I won't be a customer....I think a new Corvette for less money just might deliver a superior value. BTW....I guess the coupe has no top? There appears to be no hardware to secure it on the model used in the video (maybe it's a prototype?). I had a 73.... loved it when I was 21. At least it taught me to be a fairly good mechanic least I go broke trying to keep it running. Loved syncing those SU carbs and adjusting the engine valves.
Fantastic restomod
I would buy that car just for the exhaust noise.
Good advert for the business, as I'm now off to your website and look at what you can do for my MG Midget.
I like how these cars are built in Abingdon, the natural birthplace of any proper MG. I'd love to take one for a spin, to find out how it differs from the original. They're relatively affordable too, so by all means a bargain to stand out from any crowd, I'd say.
Great story. These guys have it made
Lovely,, simply lovely! I'll take a convertible in red and a coupe in the same light green as the one featured in this video.
WHAT CAN I SAY; IT`S A UNIQUE CAR! ABSOLUTELY UNIQUE CAR! I LOVE THIS CAR!
Although mine was a rubber bumper, my first car, 1978 MGB GT.
James Harris Ditto my first decent car was a 1976 MGB GT V8 bought in 1978. Just driven it today and in this weather it's a joy!
Fantastic !!!!
As usual, several ignorant comments to include:
1967 Aluminum body.. no they were steel.. all steel.. only 61-64 had some aluminum bonnets/hoods
Lucas 6 Volt.. no they were all 12 volt.. two sixes in series.
Pain to work on.. no.. one of the easiest of all autos to work on..
"Fastback was a junker" it was not a fast back but a GT.. and no it was not a junker.. it was a very fine vehicle designed in Italy.
Original engines were from garden tractors.. rubbish.
Inline fours cannot sound good.. right.
MGC with a 6cyl nothing but trouble.. no.. they were near bullet proof to anyone who knew how to own and maintain one. (That excludes most Americans who espouse the throw away philosophy)
MGB with a racing cam caused the girlfriends MGB to lose a right rear wheel.. good one.
Typical BS comments perpetuated myths by those who have absolutely zero first hand experience with British/MG Bs and Cs.
Melinda Manthey SSSSHHHHHHHHH i need to buy one before these guys realize its actually great car. i can still buy one for dirt cheap in san diego lol dont tell thses guys that its easily maintainable or else you and i cant take advantage of them
Well said
One car worth seeing restored/modified would be an MG Midget as a Coupe with the styling of the larger MG RV8 Coupe conversion, featuring a 5-speed gearbox powered by either a 1.4 K-Series Turbo or a 1.3 A-Plus Turbo or failing that a suitable modern engine.
Great work!!! well done...!!!
Hey /drive ! What a nice review !
Try the Mazda KL engine for a 6 cyl upgrade in sound smoothness and primal scream. You'd need a transmission adapter plate and a different oil pump to turn the engine in the right direction. My mind was blown at Mazda engine, thought it was going to be a boring MG restore or something. First time I've ever been interested in an MG.
You can really see how these cars influenced the design of Japanese sports cars of the era, I never really noticed it but the car featured in this video reminds me a lot of the early Z cars.
Makes a nice noise that it does!
All very nice my personal preference would be a unmolested original surviver though
A friend of mine thew a ford 5.0 in an MG. Now its actually quick.
cazy There's a lot of Mazda V6 truck engines in them here in the states, apparently it is a pretty easy swap. Requires hood modification, however, and most examples I've seen have been bad.
cazy probable weighs more than the car no wonder you guys have a shit name when it comes to setting up a car s suspension
ALAN HOCKLEY You know the original motors in MGs are big iron lumps right?
Mr English because american cars arent build for curved roads and only for speed on the drag strip. On a normal road they are there to cruise. But other than that you are right.
ALAN HOCKLEY Shows how much you know, the car weighs less thanks to the swap, genius.
Like the actual driving scenes in this vid, like at 1.04 etc.
Singer MG?
I see what ya did there. Good call, btw. That's pretty much what it is, too.
It’s ok but pls don’t compare it to a singer
Redrunk by Frontline Developments 😂
That 300bhp convertible MGB@4:00ish is crazy! Want! I wonder how much would it sell for?
More "hands on experience"
"right rear wheel came off while driving 60mph! You could see the tire flying at that speed across a field (lucky it happened on a country road) it was like watching a cartoon! The brake rotor was ruined from grinding against the road (terrible sound!) and had to be replaced but otherwise the car was fine. "
Quite a trick considering the rear brakes were drum, not disc. No rotor.
Back to the flick..
I've watched it a few more times. Brilliant. Good company with a great philosophy.
I own a pristine 69 B...I would buy this Abingdon Edition...
I think I had an eargasm.
Wrong channel Petrolicious.
25 years ago I had an MGB. Or should I say I had three. Two were parts cars and one runner.
LOVE IT YOU MUST BE SO PROUD. DO YOU HAVE A WEB SIT LM NEW TO THIS.This car is awesome I bought mine 1978 ONLY TWO WKS AGO .
MG started manufacturing MGBs in 1962 not 61. At that time they had aluminium boots and bonnets. (Hoods)
Bonnets only, not boots.
That wasn't hanging about! :D
These cars are a beautiful design and obviously continue to evoke the romance of sporty two seaters, however those we've been looking at are nothing like the originals. The emphasis by commentators has been on the various power train developments but the real game is underneath the car, ie. the suspension, braking and rigidity of the chassis. One gobshite proposed that there was nothing cool or interesting about rebuilding panels using the 'old methods.' You do realise that this is not mass production here. Plenty of twin cam engines in the 1.8 to 2.0 litre range to chose, Toyota, Mazda, Honda to name a few, with Lotus or Brabham heads as a possible treat for the BMC motor.
Excellent video but it would be nice if you could boost the audio on these soft spoken Englishmen being interviewed as I had to turn the volume up so much that transitions between interview scenes and the car on the road with the music were tremendously jarring.
On a heritage shell and modern mechanics how do they market the car through the various safety requirements world wide for instance Land Rover defender was binned for a number of reasons but one of them was the fitting of airbags and crash requirements if im not mistaken. It was uneconomical plus of course it was requiring a a lot of re engineering in the suspension engine. Not doubt Front line have done their homework but still I would be interested to know how they got around this with basically a 2016 sports car with 1960s safety features of a seat belt !
Max david I think it is due to the extremely low volume of cars they make. They don't have to worry about as many of the safety requirements.
The MG is so classic and the quintessential British roadster. Being in the states there aren't many readily available or affordable parts and finding someone who knows a lot about repairing them is even more rare. What I considered if I ever bought one is pulling the stock drivetrain and swapping the motor, trans, driveshaft and axl assembly from an American pickup. What I was thinking was a four banger from a 90's ranger with the 5 speed trans and the driveshaft and axl. Then I considered either a turbo kit from a SVO mustang since it's basically the same motor or maybe swap the rearend gear for a higher ratio gear. But, I'd have a cool roadster with the dependability of a 4cy ranger (those trucks drivetrains are bulletproof) and the easy of repair and parts flow like water and are dirt cheap.. maybe one day.
Parts for MGs are easy to get in the US. Moss Motors for one.. they have been in business over 50 years. As to finding competent people to service and repair them, agreed.. many profess to be capable and are not. Good luck.
There once was two bosses called ed and Tim my dad is called Ross Broadbent
holy exhaust batman
Sublime
What's the company and how much does it cost a car?
Btw fabulous video
Frontline Development- 80k per car
Well, I think I've found my dream career path.
5:23 I know that place! great mountain-bike trail.
alfamonk The whole of the Berkshire downs are a great place for a days ride, to be finished off by going down the ridgeway on your way in to Streatly
My dad works for that company
My dads mgb gt is so loud but the engine just blown up 🙁
I've got an mg BGT but I think a v6 or I6 would be better
What's with the huge panel gaps?
this is how MG's all should've been
Can anyone tell me the title of soundtrack with claping at the beginigng. Thanks!
Oooww I want one!
What a car...
Where to buy one??? :) I want one !!!
Hmm, I don't see a ragtop. what if it rained..?
One thing doesn’t have sense...2.5 L aspirated 305 HP and the same engine Mazda turbo 250 HP!! Something is wrong with this kind of 305HP.
Nice
Are seatbelts included?
Over 300 hp out of a 2.5 L engine? I must know more about it
Great video, but i would love to just hear the exhaust without the music!
But can you export to the USA?
Who mixed the sound on this???
Music is way too loud during the speaking parts.
" I'll take it "
Fantastic car truly brilliant , shame about those hideous door mirrors they only look right square original .shame they cost twice as much as my house rich boys toys.
No thanks, a standard B is good enough without spending huge amounts of money that’s why they were so successful !
If it doesn't sound like the original, I don't care how quick it is, it's lost one of the most desirable characteristics of an MGB.
Sebring V8 Edition Please?
voice volume really low and music volume while driving the car too loud..
This makes me sad that I'm 6'4".
DaBossk I like the cars in the video, but sadly could never fit in one, and this enrages you somehow
DaBossk And not all 6'4" people are proportioned the same. I have a 30" inseam, so leg room isn't the issue. all of my height is in my torso. My head smashed into the roof of my 71 Chevelle on the tiniest bumps. I got to ride in a co-worker's restored MG. His was a convertible, and the windshield did nothing to keep the wind out of my face. Restoring a 1961 Beetle for my wife right now. Don't have enough head room in that either.
TheJohnnyRaygun I find Nissan and Subaru to have good headroom. And older Mercedes. The 240Z is surprisingly roomy.
Martin Espinoza I had an 06 Subaru Outback XT. It was the most comfortable car I've ever owned. It was a blast to drive, but I owned it 10 months and it was in the shop for more than 3 of those months. Motor was tore down twice and it was still throwing codes and dropping cylinder 3 every other week. Only one Subaru dealer in my town and they are apparently incompetent. The car was under warranty, so it was pretty much the only place around here I could get it serviced since it was an aftermarket warranty. Won't be getting another until I find a reputable dealership withing driving distance, or buy a cheap older one and have it worked on at the local import mechanic. I've decided to get away from my fun car and my daily being the same vehicle. I like older rides on which most of the wrenching can be done in my garage. A good cheap reliable car is all I need for getting back and forth to work.
TheJohnnyRaygun You definitely need two cars if you're going to be doing your own wrenching in inadequate conditions. But you can work on pretty much anything yourself with some willingness to "acquire" the dealer documentation software.
Damn I need to contact you
you could lose a small child in those panel gaps.