£12,000 to spend Tvr chimera v 911

[cerb4.5lee]

Diderot said:

I enjoyed my 18 months or so with my Chimaera (450). Bought from a TVR specialist and it was in very good nick overall. It was good fun, sounded great, but it was laughably agricultural, and build quality and electrical systems of that generation of TVRs is shockingly bad.

Mpg - anything from single figures to 20ish on a long run. Servicing was pricey (at the Specialist), rear hood needed replacing, immobiliser was a fker and needed sorting out, and various other annoying things.

Not had a Boxster, but I did have a 07 plate Cayman S. Compared to the Tiv it's on a different planet altogether (and century for that matter), in terms of handling, build quality (engine issues aside), sophistication, comfort, reliability, mpg etc. Driven numerous Boxsters, and they are very similar of course.

Recently sold a Z4M Coupe (07 plate). The engine is a masterpiece, car was bullet proof, great fun, and though not quite as accomplished as the Cayman not far off either, and more enjoyable. Mpg 30 is easy on a run, average was 24 ish. Z4M much quicker than the Cayman or indeed the Tiv. Downside is that the ride is brutally harsh. Great cars.

Out of the 3 I'd recommend the Z4M - quickest, bulletproof, amazing engine, reliable, looks great, sounds great and is currently holding its value very well indeed.

Very good write up and I am probably too romantic but I had a Z4MR after my Cerbera and it left me seriously flat its a great car in isolation but for sense of occasion and overall feel to me it just felt pretty ordinary after the TVR and I didn't find the engine really lived up to the hype either and the engine is just too quiet for my personal taste.

Having said all that the Z4M is something you can rely on and for piece of mind it obviously blows the TVR into the weeds and as an enjoyable drivers car it would have hit the spot easily for me if I hadn't have experienced a TVR beforehand, I would love a drive in a Cayman to see if they deliver like everyone says as they are highly rated for sure.

[900T-R]

DonkeyApple said:

I have absolutely no idea what any Porsche cost then or now. I was commenting on the ridiculous options structure of them.

But if they were £40k and someone discounted them by £10k wouldn't that mean they cost £30k?

I really doubt it. The car was just launched, there was a 12 month waiting list with people prepared to pay over list price to jump the queue - why on earth would they've wanted to slash the list price? The original list price of a Boxster at launch and well into 1997 was £33.xxx. Look it up, and prove me wrong.

[TA14]

900T-R said:

DonkeyApple said:

I have absolutely no idea what any Porsche cost then or now. I was commenting on the ridiculous options structure of them.

But if they were £40k and someone discounted them by £10k wouldn't that mean they cost £30k?

I really doubt it. The car was just launched, there was a 12 month waiting list with people prepared to pay over list price to jump the queue - why on earth would they've wanted to slash the list price? The original list price of a Boxster at launch and well into 1997 was £33.xxx. Look it up, and prove me wrong.

I'm not talking about a dealer offering a discount. At some stage Porsche knocked about ten grand off the list price. My point was that the £32K Chims were at one point competing against £40K Boxsters (or £50K with options.) Then Porsche knocked a lot off the list price and the prices of the TVR and the Porsche were similar.

[Morningside]

village idiot said:

I bought a chimp... it was crap... it leaked, the battery went flat, the speedo never worked properly, it handled like a ford model t, it was slow, but by God did it sound great.
...

My battery also went flat, leaked, Radiator blew, bonnet got stuck fast and even the front indicator fell out! but I loved it. I only really parted with it due to being a non practical car. My real gripe was the hard and harsh rev limiter.

[anonymous-user]

TA14 said:

900T-R said:

DonkeyApple said:

I have absolutely no idea what any Porsche cost then or now. I was commenting on the ridiculous options structure of them.

But if they were £40k and someone discounted them by £10k wouldn't that mean they cost £30k?

I really doubt it. The car was just launched, there was a 12 month waiting list with people prepared to pay over list price to jump the queue - why on earth would they've wanted to slash the list price? The original list price of a Boxster at launch and well into 1997 was £33.xxx. Look it up, and prove me wrong.

I'm not talking about a dealer offering a discount. At some stage Porsche knocked about ten grand off the list price. My point was that the £32K Chims were at one point competing against £40K Boxsters (or £50K with options.) Then Porsche knocked a lot off the list price and the prices of the TVR and the Porsche were similar.

So the Boxster and Chim were similar prices when new then?

[900T-R]

TA14 said:

I'm not talking about a dealer offering a discount. At some stage Porsche knocked about ten grand off the list price.

Erm, my point still stands - why would they do that when the Boxster was still fresh (which it was in the days of the Chimaera)? And to start with, the list prices were very closely matched, the Boxster's 1997 list price was 33 grand and a bit...

[Baryonyx]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVLz6-9bclY

If TVR noise and drama do it for you then you will enjoy this video. The rear view camera on the Chimaera sounds nuts!

[raceboy]

Had my Chimaera now for about 15 years....and it's a lowly 4.0 with very few 'performance' mods, although it is on none standard suspension and wheels.
The Mrs currently drives a 986 Boxster, and again the lowly 2.7 flavour.
The 2 cars are 2 seater convertables, the similarity ends there.
The Boxster is quick but just not in the same way, on a recent trackday I had trouble keeping up with a 3.2 'S' in the TVR but I'm sure I was having more fun.
The Boxster gets used for the shopping, the drive to work, basically as a 'normal' car, the TVR mainly gets driven for 'entertainment'
I did nearly change it for a 996, there was a buyer lined up for the TVR I went to test drive the 996 C4 and it left me a little cold, it didn't seem as quick as the TVR and, like the Boxster just seemed to much of a 'normal' car, obviously this could be taken as a positive thing, but my 'toy' car needs a bit of pantomime, it needs to scare me, it needs to be 50-50 on it working
I've not ruled out a 996 but it would have to be a Turbo, for the speed, and the more reliable engine, but I think I'm more likely, if I do replace the TVR, with another TVR, or something Caterham'ish', or even a bike.

[DonkeyApple]

raceboy said:

Had my Chimaera now for about 15 years....and it's a lowly 4.0 with very few 'performance' mods, although it is on none standard suspension and wheels.
The Mrs currently drives a 986 Boxster, and again the lowly 2.7 flavour.
The 2 cars are 2 seater convertables, the similarity ends there.
The Boxster is quick but just not in the same way, on a recent trackday I had trouble keeping up with a 3.2 'S' in the TVR but I'm sure I was having more fun.
The Boxster gets used for the shopping, the drive to work, basically as a 'normal' car, the TVR mainly gets driven for 'entertainment'
I did nearly change it for a 996, there was a buyer lined up for the TVR I went to test drive the 996 C4 and it left me a little cold, it didn't seem as quick as the TVR and, like the Boxster just seemed to much of a 'normal' car, obviously this could be taken as a positive thing, but my 'toy' car needs a bit of pantomime, it needs to scare me, it needs to be 50-50 on it working
I've not ruled out a 996 but it would have to be a Turbo, for the speed, and the more reliable engine, but I think I'm more likely, if I do replace the TVR, with another TVR, or something Caterham'ish', or even a bike.

Yup. I've always said that if you can only have one car then logic dictates that you buy Porsche. It's fun enough to drive but utilitarian enough to just be used as an everyday car like a Golf or Nissan etc.

If you have space for a second car I have absolutely no idea why you would ever consider a Porsche unless it was one of the properly mental versions. If the criteria for the second car is to have almost as much fun opening the garage door and starting it up as you will have taking it for a purposeless drive then I don't see how a boggo Porsche can fit that bill.

I wouldn't commute in a Tiv as all the things that make it a special event would end up becoming tedious, but for that car to have in the garage then it is right up there with Moggies, Caterfields and a Vegas suite full of strippers and coke.

[TA14]

DonkeyApple said:

Yup. I've always said that if you can only have one car then logic dictates that you buy Porsche. It's fun enough to drive but utilitarian enough to just be used as an everyday car like a Golf or Nissan etc.

Quite so but it can backfire. When I was wondering whether to buy my first TVR I was also thinking about a 944; the Porsche salesman said something on the lines of 'could you actually live with a TVR as an everyday car?' which I took as a challenge thereby buying the TVR.

(Yes, I know that this falls into one of your earlier TVR buyers categories.)

[TVRJAS]

TA14 said:

Quite so but it can backfire. When I was wondering whether to buy my first TVR I was also thinking about a 944;

I was driving a 86 c plate 944 Lux as an everyday car when I went for my 1st TVR (S2) and a have to say hand on heart the 944 was the better car to use under those circumstances of everyday use.

The fun went out of the S2 on cold frosty morning,icy roads and often thought at that time i wish I was still in the Porsche That was in 1994.

Edited by TVRJAS on Tuesday 16th September 14:54

[raceboy]

TA14 said:

the Porsche salesman said something on the lines of 'could you actually live with a TVR as an everyday car?' which I took as a challenge thereby buying the TVR

I had a very similar experiance :haha:
It would have been about 1999 the Boxster had only just come out and only in 2.5 size, told the Porsche salesman it was either a Boxster or a Chimaera, he lent me a 2.5 for the day, on returning it he asked what I thought, and I told him it wasn't that quick, he told me to buy the TVR and by the time the 'S' comes out I'll be sick of the TVR breaking down, 15 years on I've still bloody got it.

[edward1]

For weekend fun go for the TVR. When I bought my first TVR (a wedge ) I test drove a 944 turbo. On paper performance was similar and the porker felt alot more planted. But sitting in the porsche felt no more special than my company vectra, where as the TVR was a complete experience. I then swapped the wedge for a chim 450. I later spoke to the previous owner who had swapped to a 911, his comment was compared to the chim it was dull.

I always likened running the TVR to running a classic. I did run it as a daily for about 6months before getting a shed for that job and keeping the chim for fun. It had little in the way of performance mods. The handling started to go off but that was tired dampers. A new set and proper geometry alignment really transformed the car. I did several track days and it stood up to hard use with no problems.

If looking for one I'd be looking carefully at the chassis. Interiors can be easily tidied up. Have a read on the forums, not the end of the world but for 12k you should be able to get a very nice one. Especially if you buy in winter when prices are down.

[DonkeyApple]

TA14 said:

DonkeyApple said:

Yup. I've always said that if you can only have one car then logic dictates that you buy Porsche. It's fun enough to drive but utilitarian enough to just be used as an everyday car like a Golf or Nissan etc.

Quite so but it can backfire. When I was wondering whether to buy my first TVR I was also thinking about a 944; the Porsche salesman said something on the lines of 'could you actually live with a TVR as an everyday car?' which I took as a challenge thereby buying the TVR.

(Yes, I know that this falls into one of your earlier TVR buyers categories.)

But as a TVR man, deep down you were looking for any old excuse to bail from a Porsche showroom, you just might not have known that at the time.

I looked at lots of cars before I bought the Griff but I didn't really want any of them, I just couldn't really afford a TVR back then.

[soad]

Has to be a Trevor.

[bababoom]

Well the 450,s are like rocking horse st at the moment.
Found a nice looking 400 face lift model on the bay,
Ticks most of the boxes apart from the naff naff leather.

Don't see many of the mk2 face lifts about either, Where they not that popular when new?

[TVRJAS]

bababoom said:

Well the 450,s are like rocking horse st at the moment.
Found a nice looking 400 face lift model on the bay,
Ticks most of the boxes apart from the naff naff leather.

Don't see many of the mk2 face lifts about either, Where they not that popular when new?

You have looked on the Piston Heads Classifieds haven't you?

Edited

Ummm I just have,you're correct only one 450 in your price range.

Edited by TVRJAS on Tuesday 16th September 18:49

[mikal83]

I'm in a similar position. I have 15k to spend on something nasty , loud and fast, but a head turner. I love attention lol!!!
Had a Chimp 400 HC and it was nice BUT I thought that some folks might have thought I had a an MGC or god help me an mx5 thingy.....had a nice MG roadster and a few GT6's....Now looking at perhaps a Tuscan?????? Help!

[Baryonyx]

Were Griffiths expensive to buy new in comparison to other TVR'S ? Their values have always been very strong. Do they have a special following? They're probably my favourite TVR, it was always bombastic seeing a Griffith 500 roll by when out in Corbridge on a sunny day.

[Diderot]

Much rarer (built in far fewer numbers) than the Chims. Hence their value.