Sag First drive

[Andyt25]

Went out in a car dealer friends Sag yesterday. A few things that baffled me...

Looks absolutly stunning but it felt 'softer' than my T350T. Def easier to drive but didn't feel any quicker. My T350 sounded louder but then I have a red rose exhaust.

I'm sure it is a quicker car but it didn't feel 15k quicker or different from my T350...

Would I have one....Of course...just for the way it looks. Kept turning back to look at it. Stunning.

[deders]

Hi

Yes I went from a T350 which I loved to a Sagaris, i was thinking for ages about changing to one as I always wanted one from the very first time I saw one. From inside for sure it feels very much the same as the 350 but the styling is to die for, this is the only reason i changed and a year and a half later the second glances still continue to be regular occurrence its just like the first day of ownership which helps to justify the extra 15K a little ! ;o)

[willtvr]

deders said:

Hi

Yes I went from a T350 which I loved to a Sagaris, i was thinking for ages about changing to one as I always wanted one from the very first time I saw one. From inside for sure it feels very much the same as the 350 but the styling is to die for, this is the only reason i changed and a year and a half later the second glances still continue to be regular occurrence its just like the first day of ownership which helps to justify the extra 15K a little ! ;o)

Agree that it has the potential to look better but wing vents would have to be opened up, it would then look a bit more purposeful and less kitcar-like. Rear end treatment is more pleasing aesthetically but dont see the point in dummy scoops and vents myself.

[crimbo]

I think that stats wise there's about 1second in it to 100mph which I doubt anyone can notice, and at the high 100's I would think a t350 will pull a little better due to it having less drag.

[Andyt25]

Agree WillTVR...The vents would look better opened up, but wht didn't TVR leave then open... was it because of the stones and shiit coming up through?

The other thing is I do prefer the T350 front end when lookin head on at the two cars ...it'S less fussy, but the Sag just seems more of an event...Not that the T350 is for shrinking violets.

The car I drove was red with black leather with yellow inserts....standard red never really appealed to me but with the dark wheels it look the bks..Some may remember it was on Piston Heads a few months ago.

Edited by Andyt25 on Sunday 22 November 05:54

[crimbo]

Apparently they closed the vents due to rubbish hitting the windscreen etc, Vents can be opened with a fine mesh inserted to stop debris getting past. It cost quite a bit of money though, personally I don’t mind them closed or open as I think just having them in generally adds an aggressive edge aesthetically that not many other cars will match.

[shaunsmith]

crimbo said:

Apparently they closed the vents due to rubbish hitting the windscreen etc, Vents can be opened with a fine mesh inserted to stop debris getting past. It cost quite a bit of money though, personally I don’t mind them closed or open as I think just having them in generally adds an aggressive edge aesthetically that not many other cars will match.

I had an in depth conversation with the guy who designed the Sagaris when I was at the factory 3 weeks ago. I asked the question about the slats. He said it was down to the time & cost cutting them out only, not for debris flying out as that could have been easily rectified. That was the Russians rigid stance, shame...

[crimbo]

Thanks for the update, I'd love to have a chat with that guy, I recall hearing somewhere that some people were worried about cracks apearing over time after they were cut out but i'm not sure whether thats true or not?

Edited by crimbo on Sunday 22 November 17:00

[Druid]

shaunsmith said:

Correct

Thats how I understand it, stones and water was a bit of Top Gear 'expert' nonsense.

[bogie]

not that much in it in a straight line IMO ...more though if the Sag has the close box/diff as the std setup was a bit long to be honest

When we first specced ours we didnt get a chance to drive different Sags, at that time they didnt even have a demo ! ...so ordered with std diff. By the time it was in for its 6K service it was having the CR box/diff combo fitted...that livened it up sufficiently

dont forget, by the time the car actually shipped to customers, the official figures had been dropped from a claimed 406bhp to a more realistic 380bhp ..what was a T350? 350bhp ? ...doubt you would notice 30bhp on the road without doing performance tests with a GPS box or such like to be honest ....

the Sag to me was always like the Exige is to the Elise ...a more hardcore version of the same thing, dressed up a bit different ...it certainly makes the T350 good value (as is the Elise) yet lots of people just cant resist the looks of the Sag, and that extra 10% or so performance is just a bonus

[shaunsmith]

crimbo said:

Thanks for the update, I'd love to have a chat with that guy, I recall hearing somewhere that some people were worried about cracks apearing over time after they were cut out but i'm not sure whether thats true or not?

Edited by crimbo on Sunday 22 November 17:00

I had mine cut out 3 years ago by PDQ, no cracks whatsoever. The desisgner wasn't happy at all with the decision as he felt the same as me, they were integral & necessary to complete the extreme unique appearence. He was a very interesting, unasuming, pleasant fella. He left shortly afterwards in 2005 not just because of the slats but the general way things or goings on at the factory after Peter left.

I have to admit I was chuffed to meet the designer of such an iconic car. Top Guy...

[crimbo]

great to here, it maybe something I will do later in my sagaris experiance