Could anything be more English than this? It’s a cool, crisp day, and we’re dodging rain showers in a tiny open-topped sports car. Birds are singing, the smell of freshly cut grass is in the air, and all is right with the world. There is one thing missing, though. Well, maybe two. Instead of the sounds of a strained little four-cylinder engine, there’s the gentle whir of an electric motor, and there’s not a single drop of oil or other miscellaneous fluid trailing behind us. This is the RBW Roadster—a beautifully restored and reengineered MGB with an electric drivetrain and impressive hardware hidden under evocative sheetmetal.
RBW is launching the Roadster and a coupe GT model at Pebble Beach later in the summer, claiming a fresh take on the electrification of classics. “Everyone is obsessed with numbers,” begins Peter Swain, CEO and founder of RBW. “But there has to be a market for people who understand balance, the importance of light weight, and the pure entertainment of a sports car with a 50:50 weight distribution.”
The RBW Roadster has just 70 kW, or 94 bhp, and despite a low kerb (er, curb) weight of 2860 pounds (a bit heavier than the original MGB), its performance is old-school “swift” rather than EV lunacy. Zero to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds, a top speed of 87 mph, and a range of 160 miles, or 200 miles with an optional bigger battery. At $135,000, it’s not cheap either. However, it’s so much more than merely an EV drivetrain stuffed into a classic body. Swain was determined to improve on the MGB’s dynamics so that it’s safe and thoroughly engineered for the performance available.
