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1992

MG RV8

The MGB comes back from the dead, with a V8 and leather.

K8 MGR
MG RV8
Photo: Charles01, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The story

British Motor Heritage had started making new MGB body shells for restorers. Rover used them as the basis for a limited-run roadster with fat wings, a Range Rover engine and a luxurious cabin. It kept the MG name alive until the MGF was ready.

Inside

Cream leather and a dashboard of burr elm, a long way from the 1962 original's painted metal.

In period colours

Tap a colour to respray the drawing.

Woodcote Green
Did you know?

About three-quarters of them were sold in Japan.

Meanwhile, in 1992

The Premier League kicked off.

Best-selling single of 1992: I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston

Buying and running

Before you buy a 1990s car

  • On petrol engines, check the cooling system and any sign of head gasket trouble.
  • Ask when the timing belt was last changed, where fitted.
  • Parts for mass-market cars are widely available; specialist and low-volume models can be hard to find.

General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.

Rivals of its day

Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.

TVR Chimaera1992 · 152 mphCompare
TVR Griffith1991 · 152 mphCompare
TVR S1986 · 128 mphCompare

See the real thing

These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.

Flat out 020406080100120140160 MPH
135 mph
First builtOctober 1992
Age today34 years since launch
Built atCowley, Oxford
On sale1993–1995
Years in production2 years
Number made1,983
Kerb weight1,100 kg (approx.)
Fuel economy27 mpg combined (approx.)
Engine3.9-litre Rover V8
Power190 bhp
Top speed135 mph
Speed rankingJoint 55th fastest of 164
0–60 mph5.9 seconds
Price when new£25,440
In today's moneyAbout £68,500
Designed byRover Special Products

Today's money: the launch price adjusted for inflation to 2026, using the Office for National Statistics price index.