RE: Marcos TSO GT2 Coupé

RE: Marcos TSO GT2 Coupé

Author
Discussion

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

247 months

Monday 18th July 2005
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munky said:
I don't like the Marcos thing of having the major dials in the middle of the dash - I don't really want the missus knowing how fast we're travelling!


And people rave about this very feature in both the old and the new Mini's

amg merc

11,954 posts

252 months

Tuesday 19th July 2005
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Some photos of a real one here (see last 5 photos)...

http://gallery10890.fotopic.net/c289342_49.html

dinkel

Original Poster:

26,887 posts

257 months

Tuesday 19th July 2005
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Looks like a classic Nice tail!

funinthesun

1,170 posts

264 months

Thursday 21st July 2005
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stunning car,

i'd say reflections of a 550 from the back , maybe a 250GTO from the side and most definitely a TVR from the front, like the dorsal vents too...

now pop that engine in a tuscan and and away we go....

victormeldrew

8,293 posts

276 months

Friday 22nd July 2005
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funinthesun said:
stunning car,

i'd say reflections of a 550 from the back , maybe a 250GTO from the side and most definitely a TVR from the front, like the dorsal vents too...

now pop that engine in a tuscan and and away we go....
... and thats precisely why TVR should be VERY worried. There IS demand for a TVR with a V8, and not one made of chocolate. This car addresses that demand, looks good, and Marcos even finish something other than last at LeMans. Looks like a winner to me.

And it even has a presentable rear, surely a first for Marcos!

dinkel

Original Poster:

26,887 posts

257 months

Friday 30th December 2005
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victormeldrew said:

funinthesun said:
stunning car, . . .

... and thats precisely why TVR should be VERY worried. There IS demand for a TVR with a V8, . . . This car addresses that demand, looks good, . . . Looks like a winner to me.

And it even has a presentable rear, surely a first for Marcos!


Right, how many are ordered? Have opinions changed now it has presented itself?

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

247 months

Saturday 31st December 2005
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dinkel said:
victormeldrew said:

funinthesun said:
stunning car, . . .

... and thats precisely why TVR should be VERY worried. There IS demand for a TVR with a V8, . . . This car addresses that demand, looks good, . . . Looks like a winner to me.

And it even has a presentable rear, surely a first for Marcos!


Right, how many are ordered? Have opinions changed now it has presented itself?


60 something last time I heard, but that was several months ago. I'm at Marcos at the end of the month, so I'll try and find out. The first customer ones are due out in January, IIRC. If you read the thread on GG, you'll see how many of the changes asked for have been implemented.

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

247 months

Wednesday 1st February 2006
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Update!

Well, peeps, I got to drive the GT2 again on Monday. Don't scream at me for being slow to post, but we've had a little Scorpion to play with too, and you know what it's like when you have a new toy!

The GT2. Most of you will remember that yours truly was asked by EVO magazine to "have a look" at the new GT2 back in August, which ended up with Lorraine and me spending the entire day with them and Marcos, and having the opportunity to not only try the GT2, but the Convertible too. Those of you that read my comments back then, and the reported "interview" and photos published in EVO, guessed that I was enthusiastic about both cars, but that I felt there were areas where improvement was needed, and other areas where improvement would be nice. There also flowed the torrent of posts after the GT2 was presented to the assembled Griff Pilots at the Growl.

I am pleased to be able to report that nearly all of the derogatory comments and suggested changes have been acted on. THAT PHOTO of yours truly crammed against the forward part of the roll cage is, most definitely HISTORY! The pedal box that will be electrically operated in customer and dealer cars, was adjusted for me by Mark at Marcos, which gave me the opportunity for a quick look round the workshop and see how easy the car is to work on. For a small car, I reckon you'd be more stuck for workspace on an Atom.

As the car is still the works mule, there are always little foibles. "Don't forget there's no handbrake, so park it in gear" were the words ringing in my ears as we drove off.

Driving slowly down the entrance road (there are two speed bumps right outside the offices), the first thing you notice is the noise. Right, that's switched the damn radio off. How can you listen to the glorious yowl of 5.7 litres of V8 with Radio 1 blithering on? Put your foot down, that's how! Or you could always push the button. Or do both, which is what I did. The sound of the engine has been much improved since August, as those of you that saw the car on Top Gear know. It's quite a high pitched growl for those raised on the Rover V8, but it still tingles those vertibras. Once they've been freed from the seat that the acceleration forces them into. Those of you with Griffs and Chims know the 2500rpm-foot to floor-remove head from parcel shelf trick. Well GT2 drivers can just about do it too. Not quite, but very nearly. The engine still doesn't quite give that same kick in the back, but it does a good job of slingshotting you up the road, with your grin embedded in your ears.

There have been many changes in the cockpit, or should I now say saloon? The new seats are quite a surprise, as they feel harder than a park bench when you slide into them, but are actually very good to drive in. We spent two and a half hours driving round with no aches at all. And none of that sliding around you get with the original TVR seats either. I'm 5'8", and as EVO so quaintly put it "short in leg" but there must have been the best part of five or six inches of headroom, even more if I'd slid the seat right back (and bought the pedal box with me). The leg room is on a par with Nobles and Griffs width wise, and more in the length.

The drive tunnel cover has been re-designed, with the former Hopscotch layout of push buttons replaced with a double set of four rotating switches for heater/fan/seat/lights and four matching buttons for door opening and rear fog lights. You also get that divine touch for a powerful car. A starter button! And it's lit up too! The surround for these knobs and buttons now curves gracefully over to the passengers side, with just the right amount of give to make a comfy armrest. Doing the same to the door liner bottom would finish your driving position off perfectly.

Obviously Marcos have not been able to alter the low line of the top edge of the windscreen (which will be done on the production cars), but having the seat in a more central position as far as forward/rearward ajustment is concerned, the forward view was a little less letterbox-like, but not oppresive. Saves on fixing sunvisors anyway.

The idle speed seemed a little fast on the car, which may have had a bearing on the worst part of the car, from my time in it. When I first drove the car, I didn't really rate the gearbox, indeed the one on the Convertible is much smoother. It is so agricultural, I was beginning to wonder if it was me, but when the box won and left me in neutral for the second time, approaching a roundabout, I decided that we'd definitely fallen out. Going up the box was always positive, if notchy, but going down the box, hmmm. I could blame the journalists ham-fisted bashing the daylights out of it, but Marcos seem to think them same, as they've sourced a replacement box from the Monaro to fit to the cars. Maybe it wasn't just me, then.

We finally got to the M5/M42 to bring the car back to the factory, and nod, wave, smile, nod, foot to floor, wave, grin, thumbs-up. There are certainly a lot of folks out there happy to see the car, I'm not so sure they were expecting to see my ugly mug in it, mind.

I got to try the overdrive 6th gear for the first time on the Motorway, it really does make the motorway trundle a pleasure. But if you just put your foot down in top, you could be sat behind a Merlin. There is the most wonderful, deepthroated bellow that surrounds you. It's truly addictive. Not even the Griff sounds like that. I started easing off just to push the throttle again. Wooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmbbbbbbbbbb. Absolutely luvverly jubbly.

Those of you that go along the concrete section of the M42 between the M40 and A41 junctions will know how bloody awful that section is. I brought the Scorpion back that way two days earlier, and thought my head was going to be shaken off my shoulders. In the GT2, I didn't even notice a bump. In fact, as we came off at J5, I had to think if we'd really just driven over that tank testing track.

Then, heart-in-mouth time. Mr. Construction Worker in a new Discovery decides he absolutely HAS to cross the A41. Now. I hit the brakes, and then Mr. Builder decides to do the same. Have you ever seen the amount of forward roll you get in those new Discos when the driver really hits the brakes? They'd save a fortune in fairground rides, I tell you! Paddington Hard Stare as we go round the front of the Disco, then back to relax mode.

Back to the factory, to thank the Marcos crew for the chance to drive the car again. Those lucky sods that have one on order, the wait will be worth it. The dealer cars are in build now, and the customer ones will follow.

I hope to get to try the Convertible in the future, so fingers crossed. Now who's got the numbers for Friday?

maggit

BossCerbera

8,188 posts

242 months

Wednesday 1st February 2006
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mrmaggit said:
Those of you with Griffs and Chims ... The [Marcos] engine still doesn't quite give that same kick in the back, but it does a good job of slingshotting you up the road...

Are you serious? What kind of Griff/Chim have you got? The GT2 shoves harder than Sagaris and Cerberas!

Great post. Terrific how those guys listen to feedback and act on it, isn't it?

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

247 months

Wednesday 1st February 2006
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BossCerbera said:
mrmaggit said:
Those of you with Griffs and Chims ... The [Marcos] engine still doesn't quite give that same kick in the back, but it does a good job of slingshotting you up the road...

Are you serious? What kind of Griff/Chim have you got? The GT2 shoves harder than Sagaris and Cerberas!

Great post. Terrific how those guys listen to feedback and act on it, isn't it?


I'm not saying the Marcos is slow, far from it, but, compared to my Griff, which rides its power very close to throttle position, it's not quite (and it's very close) the same. Tony commented on that when he drove our Griff.

But as for listening to feedback, yes, there are a lot of Companies that would do well to follow Marcos' lead. There would certainly be more happy customers out there.

Tripps

5,814 posts

271 months

Tuesday 7th February 2006
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Excellent review Maggit, glad that everything is going in leaps and bounds up at Kenilworth.

How did you find the brake feel this time around? Last time I drove it, it was a little vague, not terrible (and the brakes themselves were great), but slightly offputting.

Must get my own visit sorted out soon, looks like there should be something for me to see around May

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

247 months

Tuesday 7th February 2006
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the brakes were just as you'd expect, hence no elaboration on the cars' activity when Mr Builder pulled out in front.

Tripps

5,814 posts

271 months

Tuesday 7th February 2006
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mrmaggit said:
the brakes were just as you'd expect, hence no elaboration on the cars' activity when Mr Builder pulled out in front.
Excellent news, as that was one of the foibles I had, although the issue was never with braking ability, rather the initial response - it was a big VAG if that rings a bell!

mrmaggit

10,146 posts

247 months

Wednesday 8th February 2006
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No, definitely not as "wooden" as my old Jetta GTI 16v.

jellison

12,803 posts

276 months

Wednesday 23rd January 2008
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BossCerbera said:
mrmaggit]Those of you with Griffs and Chims ... The [Marcos said:
engine still doesn't quite give that same kick in the back, but it does a good job of slingshotting you up the road...
yikes Are you serious? What kind of Griff/Chim have you got? laugh The GT2 shoves harder than Sagaris and Cerberas!

Great post. Terrific how those guys listen to feedback and act on it, isn't it?
Pity I did not read this a few years back Phil!wink

dinkel

Original Poster:

26,887 posts

257 months

Wednesday 30th April 2008
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Orange and grey demo cars are on online auction.

PM for details, lots did wink

Gazzab

21,061 posts

281 months

Wednesday 30th April 2008
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I bid ! The grey one went for £20K plus 15% and the orange for 18K plus 15%.

jellison

12,803 posts

276 months

Thursday 1st May 2008
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Gazzab said:
I bid ! The grey one went for £20K plus 15% and the orange for 18K plus 15%.
Someone got a bargain then!

marcosal

396 posts

204 months

Thursday 1st May 2008
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jellison said:
Gazzab said:
I bid ! The grey one went for £20K plus 15% and the orange for 18K plus 15%.
Someone got a bargain then!
Interesting to note that the same bidder got both prototypesscratchchin

jellison

12,803 posts

276 months

Thursday 1st May 2008
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marcosal said:
jellison said:
Gazzab said:
I bid ! The grey one went for £20K plus 15% and the orange for 18K plus 15%.
Someone got a bargain then!
Interesting to note that the same bidder got both prototypesscratchchin
Hmm any ideas who?