Highlights

Under 20,000km from new
Excellent history
Fitted with an R.P.i chip
Still wears its original hood
Comes with a rare space saver wheel
Rare paint finish
The personal car of Japan's former Austin Rover Group president

The Appeal

A way to test if the MG brand still had legs as a sports car brand in the late 90s the MG RV8 has gone on to become a bit of an oddity on the UK roads.

Just under 2,000 units were built using off-the-shelf parts. Like a lot of cars, this example started life over in Japan but has since been repatriated.

This car has been well looked after throughout its life, it is now your chance to take over the reins and enjoy the car as intended.

The History and Paperwork

As previously mentioned, a lot of these cars went to Japan and this example was once one of those Japanese cars
Specified in a rare-to-see Oxford Blue paint it went on to live a happy life in Japan
There is a fair amount of paperwork from its time over there which has been neatly presented
Within the paperwork there is a great list of what the car has had every year, this also plots the mileage
From 2005-2015 it covers around 4,000km but always goes in for its annual service at Jaguar Land Rover in Osaka
In 2016 ownership is changed but It stays in Japan for two more years
On the 9th of July 2017, this RV8 sets sail to come back home to the UK
Docking in Southampton a month later it then travels to Southport where it receives its first MOT shortly after
It gains new gas struts on the boot in October of 2017 along with 4 bump stops, and its registration plate
Later that year it has a full service
In 2018 all new Michelin Cross Climate tyres are fitted to the car, and today, they still have a lot of tread left
One of the most important items that this car has had fitted is the RPI setup, we’ll get into this more in the mechanic’s section
Essentially this chip gives the car more power torque and flexibility
From 2019-2022 it covers just over 400km, but once again, always has its annual service
The latest work carried out was a starter solenoid in August this year
All of this work can be referenced with all of the invoices that will come with the car
It is not just paperwork that’ll come with it
There is also a Cream half tonneau, complete with the original storage bag, a full and beautifully presented toolkit, a couple of spare badges, and even a space-saver spare wheel
The tool kit is the original, appears unused and is complete with the nylon strap, and even the torch
There is also a full-size spare hidden under a cover in the boot, on inspection, it is believed to have never been on the car
RPi were so proud of the work that they did on this specific car that they featured it on their Youtube channel
Now it is time for you to enjoy this wonderfully preserved classic

The Interior

Great leather condition
Excellent wood trim
No corrosion around the windscreen
Still has the original hood

Upon opening the door, you are met with a wonderfully presented interior. From the luxurious leather to the well preserved wood trim, this is one interior that you will never want to leave.

If we start by looking at the two seats fitted to this sporty roadster, we can see that they are presented in very good condition indeed.

Cream leather can sometimes attract stains, however, both of the seats are void of any worrying marks or stains. There are also no rips, tears, or any other types of blemishes on these well-trimmed seats.

It’s not only the seats that are in great condition, even the carpets are. Once again finished in pale cream they have held up well and show little signs of their age. They’re made even better with the additional MG logo in the corners.

Following the carpet up to the centre console, it transitions back to leather. Once again, this leather section is in great condition.

Leather is not the only luxurious trim inside this MG RV8, almost all of the dash, and the door capping’s are both finished in the lovely wooden trim. On the whole, the wood is in great condition, you may find one or two minor marks along it, but this has to be some of the best presented wood around.

One place these cars are known to rot is around the windscreen frame. Both inside and out the window frame fitted to this car looks as good as the day it was fitted. The screen should last for another 30 years if you keep up with the maintenance.

There is one, rather large, interior feature that we haven’t spoken about. That is of course the fabric hood. When up and locked in place you are sitting under the incredibly well-kept original hood. Not only is the headlining fabric in good condition, but so is the rear window. This plastic window doesn’t have any nasty hazing, and still has a working zip mechanism.

When the roof is taken down it stores neatly under its corresponding cream tonneau.

Overall, the interior is in very good condition indeed. Filled with lovely little touches it is only made better by the fact you can drop the top and motor down the road with your ears filled with a V8 symphony.

The Exterior

Finished in Oxford Blue – rare
Great fabric condition
Beautiful wheels – with new tyres
A rare car to see on UK roads
The vendor has noted that a couple of the badges are not looking like new

The RV8 was not a beefed up MGB, but a whole new model, albeit employing some Heritage MG panels.

The MG RV8 gained sportier looks thanks to its wider stance and purposeful looking front chin. Much like the interior, the exterior is presented very well for its age.

Many of the cars that left the factory destined for Japan were finished in Woodcote Green, the V8 Register (part of the MG Car Club) estimates that 1,258 were painted in this colour. In comparison, that same table states that only 214 were finished in Oxford Blue. Making this already rare car, even rarer.

The Oxford Blue paint on this car pops in the sun, with a little pearlescent fleck it dazzles when the right light hits it. You would be hard-pressed to find a paint bubble on the car, which is understandable when you consider the level of care that has been lavished over this car throughout its life.

On all four corners not only are there a set of matching Michelin Cross Climates but there are also some pretty alloys. The original 15” rims are all in great condition, including the spare which appears never to have seen any road anywhere, let alone a salty one.

If you look carefully, you may spot that a couple of the badges are looking like new. This isn’t an issue as there are a couple of spare badges that will come with the car.

With this car, you will be getting an example that you can take to any car show and display it proudly.

People may have heard of the MG RV8, but you’ll be surprised how few people have actually seen one in the flesh.

The Mechanics

3.9l V8 and 5-speed manual box
RPi chip fitted
Incredibly well maintained
Matching tyres all round
Very torquey and capable

Unlike the original MGB, the RV8 had a bit more of get up and go.

To help keep the build costs down MG borrowed the 3.9l V8 out of a Land Rover Discovery, what’s not to love about a large V8?

The issue with the engines is that the ECU still thinks it pulling 2.5 tons of Solihull’s finest down the road. As the RV8 is about half the weight and has half the driven wheels there is some space to tune the engine. That is exactly what has happened with this example.

The current owner has taken the car to RPi Engineering, who have installed one of their trick systems. An X36 3.9 Optimax ECU chip has been fitted. What does this entail you ask?

Well, the Ignition has been upgraded to include Magnecor plug leads, with an accompanying RPi Power Amplifier. They then fit an RPi approved cap and rotor arm, along with NGK BPGES spark plugs and Bosch coil.

What this boils down to, is a far more fun and engaging drive. It is said to be a huge improvement as you have a lot more torque. It is a must do modification for any RV8 owner, and its already been done for you.

Along with this chip, the car has been incredibly well maintained. Within the paperwork photos, you can see the car's service history. This history shows that even if the car has only covered a few kilometres, it will still have its annual service.

Mechanically you are getting a very good example of probably one of the last proper classic British sports cars.

Summary

This is an amazing example of a rare-to-see car. Thanks to its uncommon paint finish, incredible mechanical maintenance, and original features it is presented in a way that will be hard to find again.

Wherever you take this car throughout your ownership you will get admiring and inquisitive looks at your beautiful classic. People love to see these cars.

If you miss out on this car, you will be searching for another like it for a long time. Cars like this don’t come up for sale often so make sure you’re keeping an eye on this one.

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