RBW EV Roadster review: electric MGB driven

What is it?

Possibly the ultimate culture clash; a restomod classic MGB with added electric. An upgraded and re-engineered pure electric version of a classic hobbyist project that’s usually more infamous for bleeding out slowly on the driveway, or gently composting itself in a lonely barn.

There’s an accredited, brand-new British Motor Heritage shell, a custom interior, a properly engineered chassis and drivetrain that means it’s IVA compliant, bespoke double-wishbone-slash-coilover suspension. The electric part comes courtesy of a HyperDrive/Nissan Lithium-Ion battery pack (with an extender-pack option that lives in the boot) that tops out at 35kWh capacity, coupled to a 70kW Continental Engineering Services motor.

So what’s it capable of?

That all provides a modest 0-60mph time of just under nine seconds and a limited 80mph top speed, with a possible 160 miles of range (around 200 with that optional bigger battery). Which is all very nice. Except that for a lot of people, the smelly, noisy, slightly grumpy classic nature of the MGB is the point. An expensive electric version might be a niche too far from the original appeal. Especially as prices start at £90k plus taxes. And yes, you did read that correctly.

Tell me more.

RBW itself is the brainchild and passion project of Peter Swain, an entrepreneur and generally excellent human with previous experience in the electronics business, who decided to meld his expertise with his other venture - a classic restoration shop. Except he decided to do things properly, rather than just gut a Nissan Leaf and stuff it into an MGB.

Hence the electric RBW Roadster is a cut above the usual, featuring a bespoke subframe that holds the rear-mounted motor entire. The torque from the electric drivetrain is corralled entirely by that subframe rather than bothering the actual shell, with the batteries under the bonnet and transmission tunnel to weight the car properly. It’s a neat solution that should mean the car doesn’t suddenly crimp itself into a pretzel when you boot it. And all-independent suspension should deliver a much better ride than the old live axle and leaf spring arrangement as well.

So what’s different?

This is not an old MGB, no matter what it looks like. This isn’t a restoration, but rather a 1960s car made new - hence the brand-new number plates. That Heritage shell is de-seamed and lightly strengthened, and the transmission and drivetrain has been properly engineered – so much so that RBW can provide the basic (crash-tested) components to fit into other classic shapes, from Minis to Jag E-Types. The interior is custom-made, the suspension, braking (including one-level re-generative electronics) and everything else made in 2021 rather than when miniskirts were in fashion. Classic looks with convenient modernity.

You can have chrome or rubber bumpers, LED headlights, Roadster or hard-top MGB GT variants - the exact spec is pretty much down to you. And yet it looks like that perfectly sorted MGB that turns up to many a local car show, the owner pleased as punch. They’re good-looking things these, albeit in a slightly homely way thanks to the MGB being the UK’s favourite accessible classic. To be honest, with the subtle improvements RBW have wrought, the car is actually really very handsome. And the interior is just as nice - although personal preference dictates that the modern Pioneer multimedia hasn’t got the necessary aesthetic. Still, that’s all stuff you could sort pretty easily.

Does it drive like an MGB then?

On a very short test drive, apart from how you actually place this car on the road, no. There’s only one gear, accessed by a rotary gear selector, very little noise – just a touch of motor whine – and nothing feels rattly or loose. Bit of cognitive dissonance in an old MG, that. It also has regular responses to inputs from the control surfaces. From what I remember of some ropey MGs I’ve driven in the past, they decided their cornering attitude by flipping a metaphorical coin.

No, it’s not particularly fast – the leisurely 9.0-second 0-60mph time tells you that – but it’s brisk and in-keeping with the general vibe. This isn’t supposed to be an EV drag racer, more a melding of the clean, reliable convenience of electric with the genial weekend cruising nature of an MGB. And for that, it seems to work very well - calm, relatively precise, nicely screwed together. You’d put one together to suit yourself – I’d go full retro with some subtle tweaks – and then use it for day trips or the odd gentle commute on summery days.

The charging set-up points to that as well: the best use for this thing is to stick it on a home wallbox overnight, at which point you’ll get a full standard battery in around four hours, but it’ll charge in eight on a standard plug. It could do with a faster on-board charger to make some use of a public charge point, mind. Generally, I really like it. It’s charming, and doesn’t overwhelm itself chasing a zero to 60mph time that has precisely no relevance to the target market.

But isn’t the point of an MG the noise and… classic-ness?

This is the big question. The RBW MG Roadster is a well thought out, clever and rational piece of engineering. It works. It won’t overheat in town, it’s a doddle to drive and opens up the appeal of the car to people who probably wouldn’t have looked twice. But where other EV restomods can mask their costs in a high-dollar shape, the MG feels like a lot of money for a special occasion car.

Don’t forget that most MGs are high days and holidays cars anyway - they’re not used for daily commuting, and so their environmental impact is minute. They can also be picked up in pretty much any condition from project to concourse from four grand to forty. It’s also true that the MG’s venerable four-cylinder – and even the MGC’s six and the MGB's V8 variants – are not ‘legendary’ engines, but they still have their charm. For that reason, ninety grand seems a bit steep, no matter how good the execution.

But Swain isn’t daft – his below-the-waterline Lego of electric motivation can be sold independently, meaning that it could be applied to all manner of different automotive shapes, also meaning that if bans on internally combusted cars happen in places like town centres, you’ll still be able to drive an interesting old car powered by something that meets the legislation. It might not sell an awful lot of cars – although I could see a few in British-retro obsessed Tokyo, funnily enough – but there might be some interesting stuff on the way from this company.

Score: 8/10

35kWh battery, 70kW (100bhp) motor, 3.5kW on-board charging
160-mile range (200 with extended battery)
0-60mph in 8.9secs, 80mph top speed
£90,000 (plus tax)