MGB V8

Although the factory V8 was a short-lived model and only offered as a GT, one MG fan reckons the original is still best.

- Simon Goldsworthy

At first glance, you could be forgiven for thinking that I have drawn the short straw in this comparison, having to champion the MGB against the RV8. After all, even in V8 guise, the humble MGB looks little different to its four-cylinder brethren, and the model as a whole has become such a stereotype of the classic British sports car that for many it is a tired cliché, the easy option for those with little or no imagination.

Contrast that with the RV8, which is a glorious mix of muscular modernity and classic elegance. It is rare too, and easy to portray as the thinking man’s MG. Drive one in any colour other than Woodcote Green and it will turn heads wherever you go, even though most casual onlookers will have trouble identifying it without the help of the badges, fooled by the upmarket panache and supercar waffle from its exhaust.

Personally though, I have never been entirely sold on the RV8. I do love the lines, and that 3946cc, fuel-injected V8 developing a hefty 190Ps as standard is a compelling argument in its favour. I am less keen on the interior, which is undeniably luxurious and quite beautiful, but rather more Jaguar than MG for my tastes. But perhaps its biggest disadvantage is the pricing. Despite being essentially a modernised MGB (and it relied on that MGB heritage to squeak through homologation, with the authorities showing a great degree of flexibility largely because of the limited production run) the RV8 has never been a cheap car.