Discussion
Does anyone know what Les and his pals have actually bought? Is it just the name or has he the rights to build all previous models and engines? To me TVR will always be the Peter Wheeler era of cars so I'd be more than happy if he just reproduced Cerberas, Tuscans and the odd Sagaris. I'd like to see them bring back a one make race series before any road car.
One thing's for sure, there has been massive changes in the performance stakes during the past decade.
You can now buy family hatchbacks with more bhp and torque than some of the fastest production TVR's, with performance figures that match or exceed our cars!
I am thinking that perhaps 450-500bhp with a healthy dose of torque in a one ton car would do the trick, along with TC, airbags and ABS.
You can now buy family hatchbacks with more bhp and torque than some of the fastest production TVR's, with performance figures that match or exceed our cars!
I am thinking that perhaps 450-500bhp with a healthy dose of torque in a one ton car would do the trick, along with TC, airbags and ABS.
I can't imagine a fast family hatchback feeling as special or grabbing attention like a Cerbera or Tuscan etc. 350bhp from a 2.3 4 cylinder will never feel the same as from an AJP or Speed6, with their looks, interiors and sheer presence on the road there are not many real world performance cars that can match that anymore.
harry henderson said:
I can't imagine a fast family hatchback feeling as special or grabbing attention like a Cerbera or Tuscan etc. 350bhp from a 2.3 4 cylinder will never feel the same as from an AJP or Speed6, with their looks, interiors and sheer presence on the road there are not many real world performance cars that can match that anymore.
I agree!But I'd also wager it would still be a tad embarrassing seeing a standard production hot Golf or similar keep up with you....
My Golf R would show my Cerbera red rose a clean pair of heels in the majority of scenarios. It's also just as much fun albeit in a different way. Then again my discovery would show both cars a two finger salute off road.
Anyway the Tvr is an event etc but a new one will have to be very special what with mainstream cars offering so much from £30k upwards. If it's circa £80k then it needs to spank standard 911s and worry turbos.
Anyway the Tvr is an event etc but a new one will have to be very special what with mainstream cars offering so much from £30k upwards. If it's circa £80k then it needs to spank standard 911s and worry turbos.
Gazzab said:
My Golf R would show my Cerbera red rose a clean pair of heels in the majority of scenarios. It's also just as much fun albeit in a different way. Then again my discovery would show both cars a two finger salute off road.
Anyway the Tvr is an event etc but a new one will have to be very special what with mainstream cars offering so much from £30k upwards. If it's circa £80k then it needs to spank standard 911s and worry turbos.
Yeah, that's what I was getting at.Anyway the Tvr is an event etc but a new one will have to be very special what with mainstream cars offering so much from £30k upwards. If it's circa £80k then it needs to spank standard 911s and worry turbos.
The new breed of super hatches, that can be had for as little as £250 per month on PCP deals are now the new giant killers (If you're into that sort of thing), whereas 10 years ago it was one of TVR's USP's.
Having said that, I wouldn't swap my TVR for anything, I love it, but am also under no illusions that there is now a whole heap of more capable, (if a little boring looking and samey) machinery out there. I think it's important that TVR keep the new models light, or a huge increase in power.
chris watton said:
One thing's for sure, there has been massive changes in the performance stakes during the past decade.
You can now buy family hatchbacks with more bhp and torque than some of the fastest production TVR's, with performance figures that match or exceed our cars!
I am thinking that perhaps 450-500bhp with a healthy dose of torque in a one ton car would do the trick, along with TC, airbags and ABS.
That's probably the big issue in reality. When the Griff 5.0 was launched it was a very seriously fast car. Very quickly saloons and then hatchbacks started being as fast and then faster. The arms race of the last decade has left us in a position where there is absolutely no chance that a modern TVR could replicate what it was that put them in the map back in the early 90s. You can now buy family hatchbacks with more bhp and torque than some of the fastest production TVR's, with performance figures that match or exceed our cars!
I am thinking that perhaps 450-500bhp with a healthy dose of torque in a one ton car would do the trick, along with TC, airbags and ABS.
If that's the case, there is a debate as to why bother on the performance side. Ie trying to enter the modern arms race is going almost guarantee failure. To even begin to compete means an expense that would be ruinous.
Any modern sports car is going to be under huge pressure to enter this competition but one sure way to avoid it and stand a chance of building an affordable car with character is maybe to go down the 'retro' route.
Possibly, the next TVR may take its styling queues from the past, much as the two most popular TIVs of all time did, the Chim and Griff.
A Coyote engine will give all the performance need with scope for nutters to be nutters and for it to be affordable. And a retro look would allow it to swerve the performance arms race. With chassis and shell made overseas where tech and labour is more affordable. Assemble it all here and allow customers to have them trimmed and coloured in any which way as per usual.
jpf said:
The point I was making was the 4 cylinder Ford was the root of TVR.
confused
When did TVR last make a car with a 4-pot engine?
Thought it was Austin/Morris B series motor originally?
Last 4 pot was the pinto engined Tasmin in early 80's?
TVR was the hooligan car of the 80/90's/2000's and was so fast for the money a lot of things were forgiven. In todays market, as has been said, there will be little or no performance advantage in any market sector/price so it has to be special in some other way. You cant use the full performance or speed of a hot hatch on todays roads and average speed cameras etc are on the increase, you could never use a V6 F type at full chat very often (if ever) on the roads, it has to have some wow factor not based on 0 to 100. Looking at Tvrs in the 90s was enough, the grunt made it special, and visiting to watch my speed6 cerbera being built, made it extra special.
The F type is a spiritual Tvr succesor as Jag had no answer to TVR in the day. All Porsches look the same, so no challenger there!
I hope TVR come back with a simple formula manual with WOW...and a LS motor has enough grunt!
The point I was making was the 4 cylinder Ford was the root of TVR.
confused
When did TVR last make a car with a 4-pot engine?
Thought it was Austin/Morris B series motor originally?
Last 4 pot was the pinto engined Tasmin in early 80's?
TVR was the hooligan car of the 80/90's/2000's and was so fast for the money a lot of things were forgiven. In todays market, as has been said, there will be little or no performance advantage in any market sector/price so it has to be special in some other way. You cant use the full performance or speed of a hot hatch on todays roads and average speed cameras etc are on the increase, you could never use a V6 F type at full chat very often (if ever) on the roads, it has to have some wow factor not based on 0 to 100. Looking at Tvrs in the 90s was enough, the grunt made it special, and visiting to watch my speed6 cerbera being built, made it extra special.
The F type is a spiritual Tvr succesor as Jag had no answer to TVR in the day. All Porsches look the same, so no challenger there!
I hope TVR come back with a simple formula manual with WOW...and a LS motor has enough grunt!
TVR as a Marque isn't complete without some form of racing association.
I remember writing that on a PH forum nearly a decade ago (at a time when N.S had already dismantled TVR Motorsport) and IMO it still holds true today.
AFAIK the new owners have had sports car racing involvement before,so im finding it difficult to imagine a re-born TVR from these guys that doesn't include a race car.
So with no actual facts whatsoever (in true PH forum style
) im going to predict here and now, that the next big TVR announcment will (or should !) be a new Race Car.
I remember writing that on a PH forum nearly a decade ago (at a time when N.S had already dismantled TVR Motorsport) and IMO it still holds true today.
AFAIK the new owners have had sports car racing involvement before,so im finding it difficult to imagine a re-born TVR from these guys that doesn't include a race car.
So with no actual facts whatsoever (in true PH forum style
) im going to predict here and now, that the next big TVR announcment will (or should !) be a new Race Car.Willtl said:
Maybe I'm being ignorant, but which family hatchbacks can hit 60 in just over 4 seconds or are we saying TVRs can't do this either?
Whilst these cars may handle better, they don't have the sheer acceleration, looks or the soundtrack!
Golf R, Mercedes AMG A class.... Whilst these cars may handle better, they don't have the sheer acceleration, looks or the soundtrack!
The acceleration thrill of the golf is pretty awesome.
According to Steve Heath's Griffith & Chimera book, Performance car and Autocar tested the performance. Autocar got 4.2 seconds from the Griffith 500 and Performance car got 4.8 seconds so in the right hands (and assuming the engines still have the necessary performance) they should still have the edge in the dry.
Gazzab said:
My R is 4.9 as dsg.
Most Tvr launch attempts will be nowhere near the fastest time. An R can repeat it even in the wet.
A friend of mine has an Audi RS4, when we 'cough' 'compared' our cars the Audi annihilated me from a standing start but on a rolling start whoever got the march kept it.Most Tvr launch attempts will be nowhere near the fastest time. An R can repeat it even in the wet.
Traction off the line is always going to be an issue in a TVR but through the gears they still pack a punch.
Afterwards I said to him his car sounded great but his reply to me was 'Does it? I don't know all I can hear is yours.... He also said he knew who was having more fun......
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