Wildcat V10 In The Works

The first Melling Wildcat with an optional V10 Viper engine is under construction at the firm’s Rochdale factory.

PH paid a visit to Melling last week and saw the project in build. As our picture shows the engine is a tight fit inside the box section frame, to which it will be rigidly bolted as a structural member.

According to our hosts, the Viper engine is a standard 8.4-litre ‘crate’ engine supplied from the US making 600bhp and with the standard Tremec TR6060 6-speed manual gearbox. We’ve not heard any performance predictions just yet, but as the Wildcat is roughly two thirds of the weight of the 1500kgs Viper we can confidently predict the V10 Wildcat will go like stink!

We’re still waiting for a Wildcat powered by Al Melling’s recently announced ‘redevelopment’ of the AJP V8 he originally designed for TVR, but the Viper V10 does have a Melling heritage all of its own. It was the Melling design consultancy that first reworked Chrysler’s cast iron V10 truck engine in aluminium for (then Chrysler-owned) Lamborghini. The Melling engine had four valves per cylinder but was never used by the Italian manufacturer. Sadly, when Chrysler decided to use the engine in the Viper the corporate bean counters axed the Melling designed valvetrain in favour of a simpler two valve per cylinder set-up.

Meanwhile we couldn't resist showing you the red Wildcat pictured here, complete with V10 registration, and the personal transport of Mrs Melling. In spite of the number plate the car runs a Chevy V8 in full 460bhp NASCAR spec, complete with a single carburettor, a live rear axle and what sounds like a straight-though exhaust. Apparently Mrs Melling has a fondness for American muscle, having previously owned various versions of the Chevrolet Corvette. Yee-haw!

You should be able to see – and hopefully hear - the car at a couple of TVR Car Club events this summer, including the Chatsworth House Gathering which Melling Sports Cars has been invited to attend next weekend.

Oh yes, and that is an original Silk Cut Jaguar racer sitting next to the V10 Wildcat chassis in the Melling workshop. Apparently the car belongs to Bernie Ecclestone and will shortly be up for sale. The Jag’s Melling designed Jaguar V12 racing engine hasn’t been run for 18 years, so the car is back in the workshop to be returned to fully-working condition for the next lucky owner.