MGB LE60 2024 Review

Pricing for the 2024 MGB LE60 should be revealed at the launch of Frontline Cars Australia in the coming months, but it’s rumoured that if you fancy one of the 30 cars to be built globally, the V8-powered MG will set you back at least $285,000 plus on-road costs.

We say “at least” because the greatest joy of buying a Frontline MG is the British firm will happily go to extreme lengths to create the car of your dreams.

In-house craftsmen, engineers and designers are ready and able to tailor the LE60 to your exact specification, be it paint, leather, trim elements or something else.

One owner even recently asked for, and received, a hidden champagne cooler – a perfect ending after a long and enjoyable day behind the wheel.

Politely ask for a full carbon-fibre body and Frontline will happily oblige.

Another owner decided, controversially, to forgo the V8 altogether and base their retromod around the wheezy old C-Series 2.9-litre inline-six that in stock form barely managed to punch out 108kW.

When it was finished, Frontline had transformed the 3.0-litre into a howling straight-six worthy of any BMW M car, with the engine capable of producing nearly three times as much power as it did back in the day.

In Australia, Frontline cars will be assembled from kits sent over from England using locally sourced MGBs at a factory associated with Modern Classics Cars (based in Padstow, south-west of Sydney), which has been selling Frontline upgrades over the past eight years.

The world really is your oyster when ordering a 2024 MGB LE60.

If you’re looking for modern-car levels of connectivity or the most advanced infotainment system, you may need to look elsewhere – but check with Frontline first. If you ask nicely, the team is sure to be able to retrofit an off-the-peg solution as the MGB LE60 runs a modern wiring loom.

As standard, the LE60, which has been built to commemorate 60 years of the MGB, comes with an exquisite cabin that matches the highest-quality leather with an Alcantara headlining. There’s also a glorious wooden-rim steering wheel and gear knob that are a joy to both hold and behold.

A proper powerful air-conditioning system, meanwhile, has been part-developed in Australia for our climate, while the bright LED headlights that feature circular daytime running lamps are also sourced from a local Aussie supplier.

The fit, finish and attention to detail in the lovingly handcrafted cabin are a joy – from the Smiths clock to the leather seatbacks and boot lining, and the flawless paint. You won’t for a minute question its stratospheric asking price.

Indeed, no stone has been left unturned to ensure the LE60 is as good as it possibly can be in terms of its design and engineering.

The specifics of what warranty the MGB LE60 will carry in Australia have yet to be hammered out, but the servicing intervals are every 12 months or 10,000km.

The 2024 MGB LE60 is based on a rigid monocoque chassis that has proven surprisingly strong in the world of motorsport and its rigidity and strength has only been bolstered further as part of the extensive modifications made to accommodate the large V8.

It’s worth remembering that the car’s core safety dates back to late-1950s knowhow, so it does without airbags, deformable crash structures and life-saving driver assist systems.

If we were ordering one, we’d opt for the Frontline-developed half cage and tick the box for at least a four-point harness, especially if you want to enjoy your MGB LE60 on track.

It would be a crime to squeeze a modern infotainment system into the 2024 MGB LE60, so if you buy the British retromod you’ll have to forget connecting your phone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

The LE60 does, however, come with a powerful sound system that is hidden away and connects via Bluetooth with your phone.

The 2024 MGB LE60 could have so easily been powered by a crate motor imported from the US. But instead, engineers decided to see just how much they could extract from the original Buick-Rover V8.

In the end, just the aluminium block carries over, with the rest developed by Frontline – including its new heads, bespoke crank, forged pistons and roller cams.

Now bored out to 4.8 litres, Frontline estimates the V8 pumps out 285kW and 423Nm, with the latter delivered at a peaky 4200rpm.

Launch it cleanly off the line and the rear-wheel drive MGB GT is said to be capable of a 3.6sec 0-60mph (0-97km/h) dash and a top speed of around 258km/h.

Frontline claims the 2024 MGB LE60 is capable of averaging a respectable 10.5L/100km on a cruise.

This estimate has not been independently verified but sounds plausible considering how long its fifth gear is and how little the large V8 has to be worked to keep up with modern traffic.

The prospect of steering the powerful rear-drive 2024 MGB LE60 on a cold, damp day on treacherous British roads without either traction control or ABS sounds like something that could end in tears.

But that would underestimate the engineering excellence that has been lavished on the small Brit.

Of course, it helps that without all that bulky safety gear the MG resto is light – just 1132kg without fluids – while the weight distribution is a near-perfect 48:52 front/rear.

Boosting handling, Frontline has developed a six-link independent rear axle that combines with a limited-slip differential and custom Nitron dampers. Despite all that work, the live axle remains, although the horrible rear leaf springs are a distant memory.

Channelling all its might to the rear wheels is a Tremec TKO gearbox that has bespoke internals.

Taking care of braking are six-piston front callipers that bite down on 310mm front ventilated discs. The rears have two-pot callipers and 265mm solid rotors.

Pottering out of the small factory in Oxfordshire along some minor roads, the V8-powered MGB initially struggles a little, with some final calibration needed to smooth out its low-rpm delivery. The exhaust tuning also needs to be finalised.

At the moment it’s far too boomy, deafening in fact, but from then on the Frontline MG experience is an utter joy.

It’s at its best on stretches that mirror typical Australian country roads, delivering impressive composure while never crashing over bumps. There is more vertical ‘bobbing’ on account of its short wheelbase, but the faster you go the better it is.

As standard the MGB LE60 runs 16-inch Dunlop-style alloy rims that measure 215 front and 225 rear on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres.

Both grip and, more surprisingly, traction are strong points, providing plenty of confidence to push far harder than you would ever imagine cross-country.

Not that the LE60 feels like a modern car. The power steering makes it difficult to judge front-end grip and feels overly light, but it’s no deal-breaker and we love the way the Nardi wooden rim writhes gently over a broken road in a valiant attempt to communicate what lies beneath.

It’s involving, while the near-panoramic view ahead (thank pencil-thin A-pillars for that) is evocative.

As you might expect, the naturally-aspirated V8 is a real character. Not feeling especially enthusiastic up until around 3500rpm, you might initially judge the LE60 as merely brisk but not fast. That is, until the retro rev counter needle swings past 4000rpm, at which point it feels like someone under the bonnet lights the afterburners.

The large 4.8-litre then charges to its red line, delivering pace that no longer makes you question its on-paper performance.

It’s a shame that it’s all done by 6600rpm because in the heat of the battle it feels like it could rev out well beyond 7000rpm.

One final interesting observation is that even though it’s fast, noisy and presumably very polluting, other road users (including cyclists) seem genuinely happy to see you out enjoying the roads.

It might just be a British thing, but it appears old MGs lack the baggage attached to many modern supercars.

Spend some time in the 2024 MGB LE60’s wonderful cabin and all the obvious excuses why you shouldn’t buy it over more modern sports cars become harder to swallow.

It simply oozes charm in a way an Aston Martin DB12 just doesn’t. It looks, feels and even smells special and it’s reassuring, considering its cost, that everything is handmade and crafted out of some of the finest materials available.

We also love the hidden modern touches, like traditional winders for the electric window switchgear. Frontline’s own fixed-backrest aluminium seats are light and comfortable, and if you order one from the factory they come with foam inserts shaped to the individual owner.

There’s also enough headroom for the tall, and although the driver’s footwell is offset to the right and the steering wheel is offset to the left – which sounds like a weird combination – you soon acclimatise.

In a world where a Singer Porsche is priced at comfortably more than a million dollars, a 2024 MGB LE60 from Frontline sounds like a mere snip at around $285,000 before on-road costs and customisation.

Especially when you consider they’re beautifully built and a riot to drive – indecently fast and far better than its MGB roots would have you believe.

The MGB LE60 looks drop-dead gorgeous in the flesh with its wide wheel-arches and urban-outlaw bumper-less look, while the level of personalisation and craftsmanship is something for owners to savour, too.

Cruelly, the Oxfordshire factory can currently only churn out one car a month, and its growing order bank means that if you buy now you’ll be in for a lengthy two-year wait.

That’s a hard pill to swallow in the fast-paced world of consumerism, but rest assured when your MGB LE60 finally arrives, you’ll enjoy it for years to come.

2024 Frontline MGB LE60 at a glance:
Price: $285,000 est (plus on-road costs)
Available: Late 2024
Engine: 4.8-litre V8 petrol
Output: 285kW/423Nm
Transmission: Five-speed manual
Fuel: 10.5L/100km (estimated)
CO2: Not applicable
Safety rating: Not tested