MGB Returns With V8 And Electric Restomods Featuring Manual Gearbox
The MGB has been brought back to life courtesy of a pair of restomods from UK-based Frontline Cars catering to all crowds as one has a V8 while the other is purely electric. The conventionally powered model goes by the name of “LE60” to mark the original model’s 60th anniversary. Only 30 conversions are planned, all of which will get a widened track and body while weighing just 2,473 pounds (1,122 kilograms), or roughly as much as a Mazda MX-5 RF.
At the heart of the Frontline LE60 is a new 4.8-liter Rover V8 engine making 375 horsepower or nearly triple the output offered by the original car. The engine is good for 297 pound-feet (403 Newton-meters) of torque routed to the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission developed by Tremec and a limited-slip differential. The hardware is good for a 0 to 60 mph run in around four seconds.
Frontline Cars LE60 and BEE GT
Riding on 16-inch alloy wheels, the Frontline LE60 has a nearly perfect 50:50 weight distribution and an all-new suspension co-developed with Nitron. Stopping power is provided by upgraded brakes with six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers featuring 310-mm vented discs. We’re being told the chassis has been strengthened to cope with the significant power boost over the donor car.
As for the BEE, shown here in GT (coupe) flavor with a roadster also available, it has an electric motor rated at 114 hp and 162 lb-ft (220 Nm) channeled to the rear axle through a manual gearbox. According to Frontline Motors, the electric sports car revs like an ICE (up to 9,000 rpm) with a clutch pedal. It gets its juice from a 40-kWh battery pack that can be fully charged in a little over five hours. At 2,615 lbs (1,186 kg), itโs only a bit heavier than the V8 variant, and it too has the weight distributed almost evenly over the axles.
Frontline will have the cars on display on October 8 at the Bicester Heritage Sunday Scramble and it says existing owners will be able to convert their cars to EV power. Founded in 1991 as Frontline Developments before rebranding in 2023, Frontline Cars will kick off deliveries of the LE60, BEE GT coupe, and BEE roadster next year.
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