Frontline’s Electric MGB with a Manual Soul

Electric restomods often spark controversy faster than they sprint to 60. Enthusiasts worry about soul, feedback, and connection being sacrificed at the altar of modernity. But in a quiet village in Oxfordshire, UK, Frontline has built something that flips that script: the BEE GT, a handcrafted, electric MGB that doesn’t just mimic the past—it drives like it.

The BEE—short for “B EV Edition”—is Frontline’s answer to years of demand for an electric option. Until now, the brand was known for its roaring LE50s and Abingdon Editions, reimagining MGs with modern combustion power and obsessive craftsmanship. But the BEE GT? It hums a different tune. Literally.

From the outside, you’d never know the difference. Every BEE starts life as a genuine MGB GT coupe before being stripped, reworked, and rebuilt to Frontline’s standards. The seams are cleaned up, the paint process takes a month, and every line looks as if it rolled out of Abingdon in 1967—only better.

There’s no OEM electric car gimmickry with LCD screens here. Just an absence of exhaust pipes and a subtle charging port. It’s a sleight of hand that purists might appreciate even if they bristle at the power source.

Design That Speaks Softly, But Stuns

Open the driver’s door, and you’re greeted by a cabin that feels more like a tailored lounge than a retro sports car. Every surface is customizable, every stitch considered. Want quilted leather with British racing green piping? Done. A period-correct dash reinterpreted in matte aluminum and Alcantara? That too. The seats are based on Frontline’s own aluminum tub design, sculpted precisely to each customer’s frame after a sit-down fitting session at the company’s Oxfordshire clubhouse. The trim shop is located above the main workshop.

The BEE GT’s blend of traditional analog detail and EV functionality extends to its instrumentation. The classic MGB binnacle is reimagined with a range dial replacing the battery gauge and a power meter in place of the tach. It’s subtle, but it reorients your expectations just enough. Bluetooth audio is discreetly integrated, and 50 pounds of insulation has been carefully added throughout the shell to deliver acoustic refinement. Even the sun visor brackets, once brittle Bakelite, are now beautifully machined aluminum.

Rear seats? Gone. Instead, the BEE GT offers a custom luggage bay, beautifully lined in leather or wood, complete with polished aluminum tie-downs that wouldn’t look out of place on a Riva yacht. It’s a car you could tour Europe in—quietly, efficiently, and stylishly.

Built to Be Driven

But you don’t buy a Frontline just to look good in your driveway. You buy it to drive. And the BEE GT, despite its green intentions, is designed to be driven hard. Beneath the bonnet lies a 100V Hyper9 motor delivering around 120 hp and 162 lb-ft. It’s paired with a 40kWh custom battery pack. It’s no drag-strip dominator, but the numbers don’t tell the story.

The BEE GT isn’t trying to be fast—it’s trying to make you feel something. And it succeeds.

Where most EVs prioritize instant torque and silent launches, the BEE GT goes against the grain. Its power curve has been carefully tuned to build like a traditional engine, with real benefit coming the higher you rev. And rev it you will, because this retains a five-speed manual gearbox. It’s borrowed from a Mazda Miata and mated to a ceramic paddle clutch. That alone would make it unique. But what truly sets it apart is how you interact with it.

Of course, there’s no need to use the clutch when setting off. Leave it in third and roll through town with just your right foot doing the work. But when the road opens up, drop to second, heel-and-toe your way down a gear, and suddenly you’re immersed in a driving experience that feels more 1960s than 2020s. The whine of the motor builds to a fizzy crescendo as you climb through the revs. The engagement is real. The mechanical satisfaction of slotting home a gear, even in an EV, hasn’t been lost. In fact, it might be heightened.

This isn’t just gimmickry. It’s engineering with a point. The five-speed box, the clutch, the rev range—they’re all deliberate, tuned for emotion over efficiency. Tim Fenna, Frontline’s founder and chief engineer, said it best: “We resisted conventional EV conversion despite the demand until we were able to deliver a vehicle that delivered the Frontline drive and ethos…the result impressed even us.”

And that ethos runs deep. The car rides on Frontline’s own suspension setup, featuring fully adjustable Nitron dampers and a limited-slip diff that helps the car pivot through corners. Front and rear brakes have been uprated with four- and two-piston alloy calipers, respectively. Road feel is crisp, with steering that’s direct and responsive, if a touch weighty at low speeds.

Push it hard, and you’re rewarded with poise, balance, and grip. It’s not perfect—low-speed rides can be stiff, and throttle modulation at parking speeds takes a light touch. But on a twisty country road, the BEE GT shines. It encourages you to get into the rhythm of driving. And when was the last time an EV made you want to row through gears just for the joy of it?

Performance? 0–60 mph takes 8.8 seconds. Top speed is 120 mph. Again, not headline figures, but numbers that become irrelevant once you’re engaged in the experience. And when the fun’s over, plug in at home with a 7kW wallbox, and you’ll be fully recharged in 5.5 hours. Range sits around 140 miles. It’s more than enough for a weekend escape.

Future-Forward Nostalgia

What the BEE GT offers is something vanishingly rare: an EV that feels old-school in all the right ways. It isn’t trying to be the fastest, the flashiest, or the most efficient. It’s trying to make you feel something. And it succeeds.

Of course, all this comes at a price. Commissioning a BEE GT starts around $150,000, and few will leave the Frontline workshop without a few personalized extras that send the total higher. But that price isn’t just for the parts—it’s for the process, the craftsmanship, and the connection.

To many, the idea of electrifying a classic is still heresy. But even die-hard petrolheads may find themselves smiling behind the wheel of a BEE. And in this reimagining, perhaps the future of classic motoring doesn’t have to be a museum piece or a rebellion. Maybe it can be both heritage and horizon, analog and electric, and tradition and innovation.

Buzzkill? Hardly. The BEE GT is alive!

SPECS

Frontline BEE GT

• Vehicle: 1960s MGB GT Coupe (fully restored)
• Drivetrain: Hyper9 100V electric motor
• Battery: 40kWh lithium-ion (7 modules total, split front and rear)
• Power: 120 hp (future versions: up to 200 hp)
• Torque: 162 lb-ft
• Transmission: 5-speed Mazda Miata manual with ceramic paddle clutch
• Top Speed: 120 mph
• 0-60 mph: 8.8 seconds
• Range: ~140 miles
• Charging: Type 2 AC, 5.5 hours to full on 7kW
• Chassis: Nitron adjustable dampers, Quaife LSD, uprated brakes
• Wheels/Tires: 15-inch Dunlop-style alloys, Bridgestone Turanza T005
• Interior: Fully bespoke leather/Alcantara, Bluetooth sound, 50 lbs of sound insulation
• Weight: 1,186 kg
• Builder: Frontline Cars, Abingdon, UK
• Website: www.frontline-cars.co.uk