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- The Advertiser
2025 Frontline MGA review: Quick drive
Australia and the MGA go way back. From 1957 to mid-1962 more than 2000 MGAs were assembled in factories at Enfield and Zetland in Sydney. In a streetscape then dominated by chunky Holden sedans and blocky Bedford trucks, the British sports car was a sensation, turning heads like Ferraris or Lamborghinis do today. Under its sheet metal this MG still had the separate chassis, lever-arm shocks, leaf-spring live rear axle and wooden floor of the vintage vibe TC, TD, and TF models that preceded it. But it looked modern, with streamlined bodywork styled by MG's chief designer Syd Enever that was inspired by the rebodied TD roadster he had created in 1951 for the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Six decades later, the MGA is back – and this one's going to turn heads, too. Developed in Britain by MG restoration and restomod specialist Frontline Cars, the new Frontline MGA looks like a carefully restored classic. But under the skin is a modern powertrain, plus redesigned and upgraded suspension, brake, and steering hardware, that combine to make it a brilliantly beguiling sports car. The Frontline MGA follows the formula established with the company's long line of MGB restomods. "The MGA was the natural next step for us," explains Tim Fenna, founder and chief engineer of Frontline Cars. "It's an icon of British motoring, but one that was always crying out for more performance and refinement." Australian market versions of the car will be manufactured, sold and serviced by Sydney-based Frontline Cars Australia, a subsidiary of Modern Classic Cars Foundation, which has built Frontline MGBs for the past 10 years. Frontline Australia MGAs start with an Australian market donor car – a roadster, or the rarer coupe – that can either be sourced by Frontline or supplied by the customer. The chassis is strengthened and fitted with a redesigned front suspension that features Nitron telescopic shocks and fabricated upper links in place of the vintage lever-arm shocks that were standard on the original MGA. The original leaf-sprung banjo rear axle is swapped for a late model MGB unit that's been modified to allow coil springs and Nitron shocks and is located by upper and lower trailing links and a Panhard rod. Other chassis upgrades include disc brakes all round, the front rotors vented and clamped by four-piston calipers, and electronic rack and pinion steering. Customers can choose between traditional-style 15-inch wire wheels or 15-inch Dunlop alloys that look like the wheels fitted to Jaguar's D-Type and Lightweight E-Type racers during the 1950s and 60s. Customers can choose between two naturally aspirated Mazda engines, one a 2.0-litre unit that develops 168kW of power at 7200rpm and 241Nm of torque at 4500rpm, the other a 2.5-litre unit that develops 216kW at 7100rpm and 330Nm at 4200rpm. They drive the rear wheels through a Mazda five-speed manual transmission. Each engine features a bespoke individual throttle body induction system, revised camshaft profiles, a new ECU, and a tuned stainless steel exhaust system. The 2.5-litre engine's balance shaft has been removed to reduce frictional losses and improve throttle response. All the mechanical hardware is topped with a body that retains its stock dimensions but has been carefully reworked to improve its structural rigidity, primarily by way of the addition of an aluminium honeycomb floor (British-built models have a steel floor) that now tightly ties together the bodysides. Detail bodywork changes include the removal of the front indicators – they are now located within the modern LED headlight units – and the deletion of the octagonal MG badge from the boot lid. Look closely and you'll also see discreet Frontline badging near the vents either side of the narrow bonnet, but otherwise the Frontline MGA looks just like a beautifully restored original car. The cockpit is more luxuriously trimmed, in leather or Alcantara, than that of any original MGA, however. The dash features Frontline-branded Smiths dials, and there's an audio system with two speakers, two tweeters, an amplifier, and a Bluetooth module all controlled by a discreetly hidden head unit. The modern luxuries don't stop there. Customers can specify heated versions of Frontline's optional aluminium-framed bucket seats, and one-touch electric windows are available on the coupé. Air-conditioning is also available as an option. Australian-spec cars get a host of minor detail changes – everything from ADR-approved seat belts to steel brake lines – that allow the Frontline MGA to be registered on Australian roads. We had the chance to get behind the wheel of the first Frontline MGA built, a British-spec car fitted with the 2.0-litre engine, and a relatively tall 3.07 diff rather than the 3.4 or 3.7 ratios typically used in the Frontline MGBs because the owner wanted the car to feel relaxed while cruising. And relaxed it is: At 80km/h in fifth gear the Mazda engine, which will rev enthusiastically to 7750rpm, is turning just 2000rpm. The engine sounds properly rorty-snorty when you take it through the gears, like an old-school British performance four-cylinder engine. And though the Mazda four has much more top-end bite than any of those old Brit engines, it has a similarly solid swathe of mid-range torque you can exploit with the transmission's tightly packed ratios. The Mazda powertrain weighs 60kg less than the vintage MG hardware, which takes weight off the front axle and means the Frontline MGA tips the scales at about 900kg. So, despite its tall diff ratio, the little MG felt marvelously alive on British B-roads, easily scooting to 130km/h or 145km/h between the corners. The ride is tightly controlled, but it's not harsh, thanks to the way the Nitron shocks deal with sharp inputs and the absorptive quality of the generously sidewalled 185/65 R15 Bridgestone Turanza tyres. The electronic power steering assists up to about 50km/h, then drops away. Feel and feedback through the steering wheel rim is terrific. You can have manual steering if you want. Don't bother. It'll only make you sweat muscling the woodrim steering wheel at low speeds. Like all old-school rear drive sports cars, the Frontline MGA likes to be braked in a straight line, then turned into a late apex as you get on the throttle. Get too ambitious with your right foot, though, and the abundant traction from the standard Quaife limited-slip differential will push the nose wide. Brake feel is very good, and the well-placed pedals, combined with the beautifully crisp throttle response and the short throws of the transmission, make heel-and-toe downshifts a cinch. What stands out about the Frontline MGA, however, is how taut and tight it feels. There's no scuttle shake – none – and no vibration back through the steering. Suspension noise and impact harshness are very well suppressed. Though it's very light, and with a live rear axle, the car feels astonishingly planted and composed, even on indifferent roads. In terms of the way it drives the Frontline MGA is a truly stunning piece of work. Indeed, there are modern sports cars that don't feel as coherent as this reworked MG. For sheer fun and driver engagement the modern sports car that comes closest to the Frontline MGA is – ironically, given its powertrain – Mazda's MX-5 roadster, a car that is 47mm shorter, with an 80mm shorter wheelbase, but 262mm wider and at least 170kg heavier. There's something else in the MX-5 comparison, too: The idea that less is more. Tim Fenna says the 2.0-litre Frontline MGA takes about 5.0 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100km/h (the 135kW MX-5 takes at least 6.0 seconds). The 2.0-litre Frontline car is thus just 0.7 seconds slower to 100km/h than the 2.5-litre model, and both versions have a top speed of 250km/h. Increased cost of the bigger engine aside, we suspect its extra power and torque could make the Frontline MGA, which has neither traction control nor ABS, a bit of a handful, especially on a wet road. The 2.0-litre model feels the sweet-spot car. The original MGA was a relatively affordable sports car. The Frontline MGA is not, with prices starting at about $290,000 plus taxes and shipping and the cost of a donor car, according to Frontline Australia CEO David Dyer. "The major reason for building the car in Australia is the customer can get involved," Dyer says. It also means access to a reasonable stock of relatively rust-free right-hand drive donor cars – 81,000 of the 101,000 MGAs built between 1955 and 1962 were exported to the US, and fewer than 1900 right-hand drive cars are believed to exist in the UK. What's more, the Australian-built Frontline MGA doesn't attract the imported vehicle luxury car tax. Yes, the Frontline MGA is expensive. But for the money you get a genuinely bespoke, joyously analogue driver's car that's thoroughly engaging at real-world speeds on real-world roads. And it will turn more heads than any run-of-the-mill modern Ferrari or Everything MG Content originally sourced from: Australia and the MGA go way back. From 1957 to mid-1962 more than 2000 MGAs were assembled in factories at Enfield and Zetland in Sydney. In a streetscape then dominated by chunky Holden sedans and blocky Bedford trucks, the British sports car was a sensation, turning heads like Ferraris or Lamborghinis do today. Under its sheet metal this MG still had the separate chassis, lever-arm shocks, leaf-spring live rear axle and wooden floor of the vintage vibe TC, TD, and TF models that preceded it. But it looked modern, with streamlined bodywork styled by MG's chief designer Syd Enever that was inspired by the rebodied TD roadster he had created in 1951 for the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Six decades later, the MGA is back – and this one's going to turn heads, too. Developed in Britain by MG restoration and restomod specialist Frontline Cars, the new Frontline MGA looks like a carefully restored classic. But under the skin is a modern powertrain, plus redesigned and upgraded suspension, brake, and steering hardware, that combine to make it a brilliantly beguiling sports car. The Frontline MGA follows the formula established with the company's long line of MGB restomods. "The MGA was the natural next step for us," explains Tim Fenna, founder and chief engineer of Frontline Cars. "It's an icon of British motoring, but one that was always crying out for more performance and refinement." Australian market versions of the car will be manufactured, sold and serviced by Sydney-based Frontline Cars Australia, a subsidiary of Modern Classic Cars Foundation, which has built Frontline MGBs for the past 10 years. Frontline Australia MGAs start with an Australian market donor car – a roadster, or the rarer coupe – that can either be sourced by Frontline or supplied by the customer. The chassis is strengthened and fitted with a redesigned front suspension that features Nitron telescopic shocks and fabricated upper links in place of the vintage lever-arm shocks that were standard on the original MGA. The original leaf-sprung banjo rear axle is swapped for a late model MGB unit that's been modified to allow coil springs and Nitron shocks and is located by upper and lower trailing links and a Panhard rod. Other chassis upgrades include disc brakes all round, the front rotors vented and clamped by four-piston calipers, and electronic rack and pinion steering. Customers can choose between traditional-style 15-inch wire wheels or 15-inch Dunlop alloys that look like the wheels fitted to Jaguar's D-Type and Lightweight E-Type racers during the 1950s and 60s. Customers can choose between two naturally aspirated Mazda engines, one a 2.0-litre unit that develops 168kW of power at 7200rpm and 241Nm of torque at 4500rpm, the other a 2.5-litre unit that develops 216kW at 7100rpm and 330Nm at 4200rpm. They drive the rear wheels through a Mazda five-speed manual transmission. Each engine features a bespoke individual throttle body induction system, revised camshaft profiles, a new ECU, and a tuned stainless steel exhaust system. The 2.5-litre engine's balance shaft has been removed to reduce frictional losses and improve throttle response. All the mechanical hardware is topped with a body that retains its stock dimensions but has been carefully reworked to improve its structural rigidity, primarily by way of the addition of an aluminium honeycomb floor (British-built models have a steel floor) that now tightly ties together the bodysides. Detail bodywork changes include the removal of the front indicators – they are now located within the modern LED headlight units – and the deletion of the octagonal MG badge from the boot lid. Look closely and you'll also see discreet Frontline badging near the vents either side of the narrow bonnet, but otherwise the Frontline MGA looks just like a beautifully restored original car. The cockpit is more luxuriously trimmed, in leather or Alcantara, than that of any original MGA, however. The dash features Frontline-branded Smiths dials, and there's an audio system with two speakers, two tweeters, an amplifier, and a Bluetooth module all controlled by a discreetly hidden head unit. The modern luxuries don't stop there. Customers can specify heated versions of Frontline's optional aluminium-framed bucket seats, and one-touch electric windows are available on the coupé. Air-conditioning is also available as an option. Australian-spec cars get a host of minor detail changes – everything from ADR-approved seat belts to steel brake lines – that allow the Frontline MGA to be registered on Australian roads. We had the chance to get behind the wheel of the first Frontline MGA built, a British-spec car fitted with the 2.0-litre engine, and a relatively tall 3.07 diff rather than the 3.4 or 3.7 ratios typically used in the Frontline MGBs because the owner wanted the car to feel relaxed while cruising. And relaxed it is: At 80km/h in fifth gear the Mazda engine, which will rev enthusiastically to 7750rpm, is turning just 2000rpm. The engine sounds properly rorty-snorty when you take it through the gears, like an old-school British performance four-cylinder engine. And though the Mazda four has much more top-end bite than any of those old Brit engines, it has a similarly solid swathe of mid-range torque you can exploit with the transmission's tightly packed ratios. The Mazda powertrain weighs 60kg less than the vintage MG hardware, which takes weight off the front axle and means the Frontline MGA tips the scales at about 900kg. So, despite its tall diff ratio, the little MG felt marvelously alive on British B-roads, easily scooting to 130km/h or 145km/h between the corners. The ride is tightly controlled, but it's not harsh, thanks to the way the Nitron shocks deal with sharp inputs and the absorptive quality of the generously sidewalled 185/65 R15 Bridgestone Turanza tyres. The electronic power steering assists up to about 50km/h, then drops away. Feel and feedback through the steering wheel rim is terrific. You can have manual steering if you want. Don't bother. It'll only make you sweat muscling the woodrim steering wheel at low speeds. Like all old-school rear drive sports cars, the Frontline MGA likes to be braked in a straight line, then turned into a late apex as you get on the throttle. Get too ambitious with your right foot, though, and the abundant traction from the standard Quaife limited-slip differential will push the nose wide. Brake feel is very good, and the well-placed pedals, combined with the beautifully crisp throttle response and the short throws of the transmission, make heel-and-toe downshifts a cinch. What stands out about the Frontline MGA, however, is how taut and tight it feels. There's no scuttle shake – none – and no vibration back through the steering. Suspension noise and impact harshness are very well suppressed. Though it's very light, and with a live rear axle, the car feels astonishingly planted and composed, even on indifferent roads. In terms of the way it drives the Frontline MGA is a truly stunning piece of work. Indeed, there are modern sports cars that don't feel as coherent as this reworked MG. For sheer fun and driver engagement the modern sports car that comes closest to the Frontline MGA is – ironically, given its powertrain – Mazda's MX-5 roadster, a car that is 47mm shorter, with an 80mm shorter wheelbase, but 262mm wider and at least 170kg heavier. There's something else in the MX-5 comparison, too: The idea that less is more. Tim Fenna says the 2.0-litre Frontline MGA takes about 5.0 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100km/h (the 135kW MX-5 takes at least 6.0 seconds). The 2.0-litre Frontline car is thus just 0.7 seconds slower to 100km/h than the 2.5-litre model, and both versions have a top speed of 250km/h. Increased cost of the bigger engine aside, we suspect its extra power and torque could make the Frontline MGA, which has neither traction control nor ABS, a bit of a handful, especially on a wet road. The 2.0-litre model feels the sweet-spot car. The original MGA was a relatively affordable sports car. The Frontline MGA is not, with prices starting at about $290,000 plus taxes and shipping and the cost of a donor car, according to Frontline Australia CEO David Dyer. "The major reason for building the car in Australia is the customer can get involved," Dyer says. It also means access to a reasonable stock of relatively rust-free right-hand drive donor cars – 81,000 of the 101,000 MGAs built between 1955 and 1962 were exported to the US, and fewer than 1900 right-hand drive cars are believed to exist in the UK. What's more, the Australian-built Frontline MGA doesn't attract the imported vehicle luxury car tax. Yes, the Frontline MGA is expensive. But for the money you get a genuinely bespoke, joyously analogue driver's car that's thoroughly engaging at real-world speeds on real-world roads. And it will turn more heads than any run-of-the-mill modern Ferrari or Everything MG Content originally sourced from: Australia and the MGA go way back. From 1957 to mid-1962 more than 2000 MGAs were assembled in factories at Enfield and Zetland in Sydney. In a streetscape then dominated by chunky Holden sedans and blocky Bedford trucks, the British sports car was a sensation, turning heads like Ferraris or Lamborghinis do today. Under its sheet metal this MG still had the separate chassis, lever-arm shocks, leaf-spring live rear axle and wooden floor of the vintage vibe TC, TD, and TF models that preceded it. But it looked modern, with streamlined bodywork styled by MG's chief designer Syd Enever that was inspired by the rebodied TD roadster he had created in 1951 for the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Six decades later, the MGA is back – and this one's going to turn heads, too. Developed in Britain by MG restoration and restomod specialist Frontline Cars, the new Frontline MGA looks like a carefully restored classic. But under the skin is a modern powertrain, plus redesigned and upgraded suspension, brake, and steering hardware, that combine to make it a brilliantly beguiling sports car. The Frontline MGA follows the formula established with the company's long line of MGB restomods. "The MGA was the natural next step for us," explains Tim Fenna, founder and chief engineer of Frontline Cars. "It's an icon of British motoring, but one that was always crying out for more performance and refinement." Australian market versions of the car will be manufactured, sold and serviced by Sydney-based Frontline Cars Australia, a subsidiary of Modern Classic Cars Foundation, which has built Frontline MGBs for the past 10 years. Frontline Australia MGAs start with an Australian market donor car – a roadster, or the rarer coupe – that can either be sourced by Frontline or supplied by the customer. The chassis is strengthened and fitted with a redesigned front suspension that features Nitron telescopic shocks and fabricated upper links in place of the vintage lever-arm shocks that were standard on the original MGA. The original leaf-sprung banjo rear axle is swapped for a late model MGB unit that's been modified to allow coil springs and Nitron shocks and is located by upper and lower trailing links and a Panhard rod. Other chassis upgrades include disc brakes all round, the front rotors vented and clamped by four-piston calipers, and electronic rack and pinion steering. Customers can choose between traditional-style 15-inch wire wheels or 15-inch Dunlop alloys that look like the wheels fitted to Jaguar's D-Type and Lightweight E-Type racers during the 1950s and 60s. Customers can choose between two naturally aspirated Mazda engines, one a 2.0-litre unit that develops 168kW of power at 7200rpm and 241Nm of torque at 4500rpm, the other a 2.5-litre unit that develops 216kW at 7100rpm and 330Nm at 4200rpm. They drive the rear wheels through a Mazda five-speed manual transmission. Each engine features a bespoke individual throttle body induction system, revised camshaft profiles, a new ECU, and a tuned stainless steel exhaust system. The 2.5-litre engine's balance shaft has been removed to reduce frictional losses and improve throttle response. All the mechanical hardware is topped with a body that retains its stock dimensions but has been carefully reworked to improve its structural rigidity, primarily by way of the addition of an aluminium honeycomb floor (British-built models have a steel floor) that now tightly ties together the bodysides. Detail bodywork changes include the removal of the front indicators – they are now located within the modern LED headlight units – and the deletion of the octagonal MG badge from the boot lid. Look closely and you'll also see discreet Frontline badging near the vents either side of the narrow bonnet, but otherwise the Frontline MGA looks just like a beautifully restored original car. The cockpit is more luxuriously trimmed, in leather or Alcantara, than that of any original MGA, however. The dash features Frontline-branded Smiths dials, and there's an audio system with two speakers, two tweeters, an amplifier, and a Bluetooth module all controlled by a discreetly hidden head unit. The modern luxuries don't stop there. Customers can specify heated versions of Frontline's optional aluminium-framed bucket seats, and one-touch electric windows are available on the coupé. Air-conditioning is also available as an option. Australian-spec cars get a host of minor detail changes – everything from ADR-approved seat belts to steel brake lines – that allow the Frontline MGA to be registered on Australian roads. We had the chance to get behind the wheel of the first Frontline MGA built, a British-spec car fitted with the 2.0-litre engine, and a relatively tall 3.07 diff rather than the 3.4 or 3.7 ratios typically used in the Frontline MGBs because the owner wanted the car to feel relaxed while cruising. And relaxed it is: At 80km/h in fifth gear the Mazda engine, which will rev enthusiastically to 7750rpm, is turning just 2000rpm. The engine sounds properly rorty-snorty when you take it through the gears, like an old-school British performance four-cylinder engine. And though the Mazda four has much more top-end bite than any of those old Brit engines, it has a similarly solid swathe of mid-range torque you can exploit with the transmission's tightly packed ratios. The Mazda powertrain weighs 60kg less than the vintage MG hardware, which takes weight off the front axle and means the Frontline MGA tips the scales at about 900kg. So, despite its tall diff ratio, the little MG felt marvelously alive on British B-roads, easily scooting to 130km/h or 145km/h between the corners. The ride is tightly controlled, but it's not harsh, thanks to the way the Nitron shocks deal with sharp inputs and the absorptive quality of the generously sidewalled 185/65 R15 Bridgestone Turanza tyres. The electronic power steering assists up to about 50km/h, then drops away. Feel and feedback through the steering wheel rim is terrific. You can have manual steering if you want. Don't bother. It'll only make you sweat muscling the woodrim steering wheel at low speeds. Like all old-school rear drive sports cars, the Frontline MGA likes to be braked in a straight line, then turned into a late apex as you get on the throttle. Get too ambitious with your right foot, though, and the abundant traction from the standard Quaife limited-slip differential will push the nose wide. Brake feel is very good, and the well-placed pedals, combined with the beautifully crisp throttle response and the short throws of the transmission, make heel-and-toe downshifts a cinch. What stands out about the Frontline MGA, however, is how taut and tight it feels. There's no scuttle shake – none – and no vibration back through the steering. Suspension noise and impact harshness are very well suppressed. Though it's very light, and with a live rear axle, the car feels astonishingly planted and composed, even on indifferent roads. In terms of the way it drives the Frontline MGA is a truly stunning piece of work. Indeed, there are modern sports cars that don't feel as coherent as this reworked MG. For sheer fun and driver engagement the modern sports car that comes closest to the Frontline MGA is – ironically, given its powertrain – Mazda's MX-5 roadster, a car that is 47mm shorter, with an 80mm shorter wheelbase, but 262mm wider and at least 170kg heavier. There's something else in the MX-5 comparison, too: The idea that less is more. Tim Fenna says the 2.0-litre Frontline MGA takes about 5.0 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100km/h (the 135kW MX-5 takes at least 6.0 seconds). The 2.0-litre Frontline car is thus just 0.7 seconds slower to 100km/h than the 2.5-litre model, and both versions have a top speed of 250km/h. Increased cost of the bigger engine aside, we suspect its extra power and torque could make the Frontline MGA, which has neither traction control nor ABS, a bit of a handful, especially on a wet road. The 2.0-litre model feels the sweet-spot car. The original MGA was a relatively affordable sports car. The Frontline MGA is not, with prices starting at about $290,000 plus taxes and shipping and the cost of a donor car, according to Frontline Australia CEO David Dyer. "The major reason for building the car in Australia is the customer can get involved," Dyer says. It also means access to a reasonable stock of relatively rust-free right-hand drive donor cars – 81,000 of the 101,000 MGAs built between 1955 and 1962 were exported to the US, and fewer than 1900 right-hand drive cars are believed to exist in the UK. What's more, the Australian-built Frontline MGA doesn't attract the imported vehicle luxury car tax. Yes, the Frontline MGA is expensive. But for the money you get a genuinely bespoke, joyously analogue driver's car that's thoroughly engaging at real-world speeds on real-world roads. And it will turn more heads than any run-of-the-mill modern Ferrari or Everything MG Content originally sourced from: Australia and the MGA go way back. From 1957 to mid-1962 more than 2000 MGAs were assembled in factories at Enfield and Zetland in Sydney. In a streetscape then dominated by chunky Holden sedans and blocky Bedford trucks, the British sports car was a sensation, turning heads like Ferraris or Lamborghinis do today. Under its sheet metal this MG still had the separate chassis, lever-arm shocks, leaf-spring live rear axle and wooden floor of the vintage vibe TC, TD, and TF models that preceded it. But it looked modern, with streamlined bodywork styled by MG's chief designer Syd Enever that was inspired by the rebodied TD roadster he had created in 1951 for the Le Mans 24 Hour race. Six decades later, the MGA is back – and this one's going to turn heads, too. Developed in Britain by MG restoration and restomod specialist Frontline Cars, the new Frontline MGA looks like a carefully restored classic. But under the skin is a modern powertrain, plus redesigned and upgraded suspension, brake, and steering hardware, that combine to make it a brilliantly beguiling sports car. The Frontline MGA follows the formula established with the company's long line of MGB restomods. "The MGA was the natural next step for us," explains Tim Fenna, founder and chief engineer of Frontline Cars. "It's an icon of British motoring, but one that was always crying out for more performance and refinement." Australian market versions of the car will be manufactured, sold and serviced by Sydney-based Frontline Cars Australia, a subsidiary of Modern Classic Cars Foundation, which has built Frontline MGBs for the past 10 years. Frontline Australia MGAs start with an Australian market donor car – a roadster, or the rarer coupe – that can either be sourced by Frontline or supplied by the customer. The chassis is strengthened and fitted with a redesigned front suspension that features Nitron telescopic shocks and fabricated upper links in place of the vintage lever-arm shocks that were standard on the original MGA. The original leaf-sprung banjo rear axle is swapped for a late model MGB unit that's been modified to allow coil springs and Nitron shocks and is located by upper and lower trailing links and a Panhard rod. Other chassis upgrades include disc brakes all round, the front rotors vented and clamped by four-piston calipers, and electronic rack and pinion steering. Customers can choose between traditional-style 15-inch wire wheels or 15-inch Dunlop alloys that look like the wheels fitted to Jaguar's D-Type and Lightweight E-Type racers during the 1950s and 60s. Customers can choose between two naturally aspirated Mazda engines, one a 2.0-litre unit that develops 168kW of power at 7200rpm and 241Nm of torque at 4500rpm, the other a 2.5-litre unit that develops 216kW at 7100rpm and 330Nm at 4200rpm. They drive the rear wheels through a Mazda five-speed manual transmission. Each engine features a bespoke individual throttle body induction system, revised camshaft profiles, a new ECU, and a tuned stainless steel exhaust system. The 2.5-litre engine's balance shaft has been removed to reduce frictional losses and improve throttle response. All the mechanical hardware is topped with a body that retains its stock dimensions but has been carefully reworked to improve its structural rigidity, primarily by way of the addition of an aluminium honeycomb floor (British-built models have a steel floor) that now tightly ties together the bodysides. Detail bodywork changes include the removal of the front indicators – they are now located within the modern LED headlight units – and the deletion of the octagonal MG badge from the boot lid. Look closely and you'll also see discreet Frontline badging near the vents either side of the narrow bonnet, but otherwise the Frontline MGA looks just like a beautifully restored original car. The cockpit is more luxuriously trimmed, in leather or Alcantara, than that of any original MGA, however. The dash features Frontline-branded Smiths dials, and there's an audio system with two speakers, two tweeters, an amplifier, and a Bluetooth module all controlled by a discreetly hidden head unit. The modern luxuries don't stop there. Customers can specify heated versions of Frontline's optional aluminium-framed bucket seats, and one-touch electric windows are available on the coupé. Air-conditioning is also available as an option. Australian-spec cars get a host of minor detail changes – everything from ADR-approved seat belts to steel brake lines – that allow the Frontline MGA to be registered on Australian roads. We had the chance to get behind the wheel of the first Frontline MGA built, a British-spec car fitted with the 2.0-litre engine, and a relatively tall 3.07 diff rather than the 3.4 or 3.7 ratios typically used in the Frontline MGBs because the owner wanted the car to feel relaxed while cruising. And relaxed it is: At 80km/h in fifth gear the Mazda engine, which will rev enthusiastically to 7750rpm, is turning just 2000rpm. The engine sounds properly rorty-snorty when you take it through the gears, like an old-school British performance four-cylinder engine. And though the Mazda four has much more top-end bite than any of those old Brit engines, it has a similarly solid swathe of mid-range torque you can exploit with the transmission's tightly packed ratios. The Mazda powertrain weighs 60kg less than the vintage MG hardware, which takes weight off the front axle and means the Frontline MGA tips the scales at about 900kg. So, despite its tall diff ratio, the little MG felt marvelously alive on British B-roads, easily scooting to 130km/h or 145km/h between the corners. The ride is tightly controlled, but it's not harsh, thanks to the way the Nitron shocks deal with sharp inputs and the absorptive quality of the generously sidewalled 185/65 R15 Bridgestone Turanza tyres. The electronic power steering assists up to about 50km/h, then drops away. Feel and feedback through the steering wheel rim is terrific. You can have manual steering if you want. Don't bother. It'll only make you sweat muscling the woodrim steering wheel at low speeds. Like all old-school rear drive sports cars, the Frontline MGA likes to be braked in a straight line, then turned into a late apex as you get on the throttle. Get too ambitious with your right foot, though, and the abundant traction from the standard Quaife limited-slip differential will push the nose wide. Brake feel is very good, and the well-placed pedals, combined with the beautifully crisp throttle response and the short throws of the transmission, make heel-and-toe downshifts a cinch. What stands out about the Frontline MGA, however, is how taut and tight it feels. There's no scuttle shake – none – and no vibration back through the steering. Suspension noise and impact harshness are very well suppressed. Though it's very light, and with a live rear axle, the car feels astonishingly planted and composed, even on indifferent roads. In terms of the way it drives the Frontline MGA is a truly stunning piece of work. Indeed, there are modern sports cars that don't feel as coherent as this reworked MG. For sheer fun and driver engagement the modern sports car that comes closest to the Frontline MGA is – ironically, given its powertrain – Mazda's MX-5 roadster, a car that is 47mm shorter, with an 80mm shorter wheelbase, but 262mm wider and at least 170kg heavier. There's something else in the MX-5 comparison, too: The idea that less is more. Tim Fenna says the 2.0-litre Frontline MGA takes about 5.0 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100km/h (the 135kW MX-5 takes at least 6.0 seconds). The 2.0-litre Frontline car is thus just 0.7 seconds slower to 100km/h than the 2.5-litre model, and both versions have a top speed of 250km/h. Increased cost of the bigger engine aside, we suspect its extra power and torque could make the Frontline MGA, which has neither traction control nor ABS, a bit of a handful, especially on a wet road. The 2.0-litre model feels the sweet-spot car. The original MGA was a relatively affordable sports car. The Frontline MGA is not, with prices starting at about $290,000 plus taxes and shipping and the cost of a donor car, according to Frontline Australia CEO David Dyer. "The major reason for building the car in Australia is the customer can get involved," Dyer says. It also means access to a reasonable stock of relatively rust-free right-hand drive donor cars – 81,000 of the 101,000 MGAs built between 1955 and 1962 were exported to the US, and fewer than 1900 right-hand drive cars are believed to exist in the UK. What's more, the Australian-built Frontline MGA doesn't attract the imported vehicle luxury car tax. Yes, the Frontline MGA is expensive. But for the money you get a genuinely bespoke, joyously analogue driver's car that's thoroughly engaging at real-world speeds on real-world roads. And it will turn more heads than any run-of-the-mill modern Ferrari or Everything MG Content originally sourced from:
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
‘We're losing doctors every day': As Mass General Brigham primary care doctors vote on union, effort is slowed by Trump
Advertisement But MGB, the corporate parent of Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, MGB filed an appeal with the labor board last week challenging the makeup of the prospective bargaining unit, likely putting the matter in limbo indefinitely. That's because '[MGB is] appealing, knowing that cases won't be heard,' said Dr. Mark Eisenberg, a primary care doctor at Mass. General and one of the union organizers. 'They want to take away our democratic vote. They want to make doctors feel like it's hopeless to fight against a giant.' Advertisement MGB said in a May 21 memo to employees that its legal challenge 'isn't about the outcome of the election — it's about making sure the bargaining unit follows established legal guidelines.' The health system says the NLRB regional director in Boston erred by allowing 237 primary care doctors at 29 practices to vote on whether to form their own union. In fact, MGB says, as many as three-quarters of those physicians were ineligible to vote under NLRB rules because they work in practices that are integrated into acute-care hospitals with other kinds of doctors. Under the rules, MGB contends, the proposed union would have to include all physicians at those hospitals, an argument the regional director previously rejected. 'Even when there is a quorum [at NLRB], this is not an unusual strategy,' she said. 'But now [MGB leaders] get the added benefit that the delay is likely to be even longer because there's not even a chance of getting a decision right now.' The National Labor Relations Board seal at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg A week after his inauguration, Trump fired Gwynne Wilcox, the first Black woman to serve on the NLRB, even though her term didn't expire until 2028. The Supreme Court on May 22 allowed Trump to remove Wilcox while legal proceedings over her firing move forward. With only two members, one below the minimum required to fully function, the NLRB is adrift. Advertisement The MGB union election comes as primary care faces a crisis in much of the nation and more doctors are organizing unions. In 2023, primary care physicians at Minneapolis-based Allina Health formed a chapter of the Doctors Council that included more than 600 members. They have been seeking a contract for over a year. 'This idea that attending physicians are more interested in organizing is a very recent phenomenon over the last two to three years,' said Dr. Kevin Schulman, a professor of medicine at Stanford University. From 2000 to 2022, attending physicians Although Massachusetts has some of the most coveted physicians in the world, primary care medicine is broken here, state officials said Among the woes identified by the Health Policy Commission: more patients reporting difficulty finding doctors; physicians struggling with workloads; an aging and burned-out workforce; short-staffed practices; and a meager pipeline of new clinicians. The outlook is unlikely to improve any time soon. Over the next decade, Economics explains the anemic growth. A newly minted doctor can graduate from medical school with over $200,000 in debt. To pay it off, many opt to become specialists, who typically earn much more than primary care doctors. (On average, a full-time family physician with 20 or more years in practice made $292,373 a year in the United States, according to 2022 data from the American Academy of Family Physicians.) Advertisement At MGB, primary care doctors say they are grappling with similar problems faced elsewhere plus some resulting from upheaval at their health system. In particular, they say, 'We have, drip by drip, lost resources and investment that had been given to primary care over the years,' said Dr. Michael Barnett, a primary care doctor at Brigham and a union organizer. 'We are just a chopping block when they need to save money.' Dr. Kristen Gunning, who has been a primary care physician at Mass. General for 17 years, said she had never considered joining a union before she began participating in the effort about 18 months ago. Gunning is considered a part-time employee because she sees patients for 16 hours a week and, in theory, performs four hours of administrative duties. In reality, she said, she works 45 to 50 hours a week because her duties continue to grow, with much of her work taking place before and after she sees patients. That includes answering questions from patients who call her or use the online portal, reading lab and diagnostic test results, reviewing cases of patients who have been hospitalized, calling in prescriptions, and dealing with insurance companies. Primary care doctors picket outside of Brigham and Women's Hospital on Dec. 13, 2024. David L. Ryan/Globe Staff Gunning said Mass. General's leaders promised primary care doctors their first raise in 10 years last fall but withdrew the offer after the physicians petitioned the NLRB to let them form a union. (MGB says NLRB rules barred the system from changing salaries with a union election pending.) Some physicians are so frustrated, Gunning said, that they are retiring earlier than expected, leaving to work at other health systems, or starting concierge practices. Advertisement 'We're losing doctors every day,' she said. MGB says it recognizes the challenges facing primary care doctors and is taking ambitious steps to address them. Klibanski said the money will pay for more than 90 new support staffers and four more doctors. It will also provide more support for 'practices that serve highly complex patients, patients with social needs, and our aging population,' she wrote in an email to staff. The system also intends to create a new position, MGB chief of primary care. MGB gave few details on what else the investment will finance. Nor would the system say where it will get the money; it has complained of financial challenges and recently completed Barnett, like several other primary care doctors, said Klibanski made her announcement largely because of the impending vote to join the Doctors Council, which is part of the Service Employees International Union. (Klibanski says the health system held focus groups with primary care physicians early last year to hear about their challenges.) Advertisement Even if MGB bolsters primary care, said Barnett, an associate professor of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 'there's absolutely nothing stopping them from cutting it again.' That's why, he said, it's crucial for MGB and unionized doctors to negotiate improvements to primary care in a contract. The ballot-counting at the NLRB regional office on Friday will mark the third time that physicians at MGB have taken steps to form a union in the past two years. In June 2023, about 2,600 doctors-in-training at multiple MGB hospitals voted to join the Committee of Interns and Residents of the SEIU. (Last week, Jonathan Saltzman can be reached at
New Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
MGB posts 4.5pct revenue growth to RM227.7mil in Q1 on strong project progress
KUALA LUMPUR: MGB Bhd, a construction and property development solutions provider under LBS Bina Group Bhd, posted steady revenue growth for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025 (Q1FYE2025), supported by continued progress across its core development projects. The group recorded RM227.7 million in revenue for Q1FYE2025, a 4.5 per cent increase from RM217.9 million in the same quarter last year. Pre-tax profit stood at RM17 million, with profit after tax at RM12 million. The improved performance was mainly attributed to the property development segment, which posted a 30.3 per cent year-on-year revenue increase to RM114.2 million, driven by strong contributions from projects such as Idaman Cahaya Phase 2 and Idaman Sari. Meanwhile, the construction and trading segment posted RM192.8 million in revenue, including RM79.3 million from internal transactions. As of March 31, 2025, MGB maintained a healthy financial position, with RM66.9 million in cash and bank balances while maintaining a conservative 0.1 times net gearing ratio. This highlights the group's disciplined financial management and strong balance sheet, providing day-to-day operational flexibility and capacity for strategic investments without straining its financial foundations. Commenting on the Q1FYE2025 results, MGB group executive chairman Tan Sri Dr. Lim Hock San said that MGB is strategically expanding its presence in the affordable housing, commercial and industrial development sectors as it maintains a cautious optimism on its property development outlook, driven by sustained demand for high-quality, affordable homes. "Riding on this momentum, we are well positioned for continued growth, harnessing the efficiency of our Industrialised Building System (IBS) precast concrete and further streamlining operations for maximum productivity. "Moreover, our regional expansion initiatives, including progress in Saudi Arabia, reflect our readiness to grow beyond domestic borders. This is evidenced by the second purchase order secured from Sany Alameriah in March this year, valued at approximately RM88.6 million. "Building upon our initial success, this follow-on order brings the total contract value to RM207 million, encompassing the construction of 726 residential units," he said in a statement. Lim said that MGB's successful entry and growth within international markets, coupled with the group's focus on innovation and productivity, validate the strength of its strategic approach. "These efforts collectively enhance our ability to capture market opportunities and uphold our standards of reliability and excellence and eventually provide greater earnings visibility moving forward," he said. MGB has proposed a final dividend of 1.54 sen per share for the fiscal year 2024, bringing the total dividend to 3.06 sen, in line with the group's policy of distributing at least 30 per cent of profit after tax and minority interest. The group's current construction order book and unbilled property sales stand at a commendable RM1.2 billion and RM584 million, respectively, as of April 30, 2025. This robust pipeline, supported by the group's solid financials and talented team which focused on innovation, along with the balancing and integrating of its environmental, social and governance principles into its business model, will bolster its performance in the upcoming quarters, ensuring continued growth and success.
Cision Canada
5 days ago
- Business
- Cision Canada
Mackenzie Investments Announces May 2025 Distributions for its Exchange Traded Funds Français
TORONTO, May 26, 2025 /CNW/ - Mackenzie Investments ("Mackenzie") today announced the May 2025 monthly cash distributions for its Exchange Traded Funds ("ETFs") listed below that trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and Cboe Canada. Unitholders of record on June 2, 2025, will receive cash distributions payable on June 9, 2025. Details of the per-unit distribution amounts are as follows: Mackenzie ETF Ticker Symbol Distribution per Unit ($) CUSIP ISIN Payment Frequency Exchange Mackenzie Core Plus Global Fixed Income ETF MGB $ 0.05774 55452P101 CA55452P1018 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Unconstrained Bond ETF MUB $ 0.08213 55454N104 CA55454N1042 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Floating Rate Income ETF MFT $ 0.10157 55453X103 CA55453X1033 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Core Plus Canadian Fixed Income ETF MKB $ 0.06489 55452R107 CA55452R1073 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Canadian Short Term Fixed Income ETF MCSB $ 0.05354 55452Q109 CA55452Q1090 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Canadian Aggregate Bond Index ETF QBB $ 0.27218 55452S105 CA55452S1056 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Canadian Short-Term Bond Index ETF QSB $ 0.26933 55453K101 CA55453K1012 Monthly TSX Mackenzie US Investment Grade Corporate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) QUIG $ 0.30418 55455H106 CA55455H1064 Monthly TSX Mackenzie US High Yield Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) QHY $ 0.40061 55455K109 CA55455K1093 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Emerging Markets Local Currency Bond Index ETF QEBL $ 0.43900 55455J102 CA55455J1021 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Emerging Markets Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) QEBH $ 0.31878 55454J103 CA55455J1030 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Developed ex-North America Aggregate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) QDXB $ 0.04749 55454P109 CA55454P1099 Monthly TSX Mackenzie U.S. Aggregate Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) QUB $ 0.21947 554557108 CA5545571088 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Global Fixed Income Allocation ETF MGAB $0.05082 554552208 CA5545522081 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Canadian Ultra Short Bond Index ETF QASH $0.12179 554564104 CA5545641048 Monthly TSX Mackenzie US Government Long Bond Index ETF QTLT $ 0.32074 55454Q107 CA55454Q1072 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Canadian Government Long Bond Index ETF QLB $ 0.22958 55455N103 CA55455N1033 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Global High Yield Fixed Income ETF MHYB $ 0.07740 55454M106 CA55454M1068 Monthly Cboe Canada Mackenzie Canadian All Corporate Bond Index ETF QCB $ 0.31474 55454A102 CA55454A1021 Monthly Cboe Canada Mackenzie US TIPS Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) QTIP $0.56948 55456B108 CA55456B1085 Monthly Cboe Canada Mackenzie Global Sustainable Bond ETF MGSB $ 0.05515 554565101 CA5545651013 Monthly Cboe Canada Wealthsimple North American Green Bond Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) WSGB $ 0.06246 94702B109 CA94702B1094 Monthly Cboe Canada Mackenzie Target 2027 North American IG Corporate Bond ETF MTBA $0.00000 554554105 CA5545541057 Monthly TSX Mackenzie Target 2029 North American IG Corporate Bond ETF MTBB $0.00000 554540104 CA5545401047 Monthly TSX Mackenzie AAA CLO ETF MAAA $0.00000 554538108 CA5545381082 Monthly TSX Further information about Mackenzie ETFs can be found at Commissions, management fees, brokerage fees and expenses all may be associated with Exchange Traded Funds. Please read the prospectus before investing. Exchange Traded Funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. The payment of distributions is not guaranteed and may fluctuate. The payment of distributions should not be confused with an Exchange Traded Fund's performance, rate of return or yield. If distributions paid by the Exchange Traded Fund are greater than the performance of the Exchange Traded Fund, your original investment will shrink. Distributions paid as a result of capital gains realized by an Exchange Traded Fund, and income and dividends earned by an Exchange Traded Fund are taxable in your hands in the year they are paid. Your adjusted cost base will be reduced by the amount of any returns of capital. If your adjusted cost base goes below zero, you will have to pay capital gains tax on the amount below zero. About Mackenzie Investments Mackenzie Investments ("Mackenzie") is a Canadian investment management firm with approximately $213 billionin assets under management as of April 30, 2025. Mackenzie seeks to create a more invested world by delivering strong investment performance and offering innovative portfolio solutions and related services to more than one million retail and institutional clients through multiple distribution channels. Founded in 1967, it is a global asset manager with offices across Canada as well as in Beijing, Boston, Dublin, Hong Kong and London. Mackenzie is a member of IGM Financial Inc. (TSX: IGM), part of the Power Corporation group of companies and one of Canada's leading diversified wealth and asset management organizations with approximately $269 billionin total assets under management and advisement as of April 30, 2025. For more information, visit
AU Financial Review
21-05-2025
- AU Financial Review
‘I wanted to show her how tall I'd grown': A Ukrainian family reunited
The masked assailants came to Yuliia Dvornychenko's home in Torez, a coal-mining town in Russian-occupied Donetsk, at 3am in early 2021, a year before Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Men from the so-called Ministry of State Security (MGB), a local proxy of Russia's Federal Security Service in occupied Ukraine, kicked in her door, put a bag over her head, and dragged her away.
