Tuscan S in this weeks AutoCar
Discussion
OK fair enough, now you've made your intentions clear........
I was asking the question "whether the Tuscan owners who had already replied on this thread thought the relative handling performance was more (or less) important than the aesthetics of the car" - I don't recall saying what anyone did think either way.
Clearly though you think I did and decided to call me a Twat - a particularly nice touch eh?
FYI If someone had asked me the question I'd just give them a civil answer - obviously I'm biased towards a car that's very focussed on track use (i.e. handles very well) but has many shortcomings on the road. See quite easy really
I was asking the question "whether the Tuscan owners who had already replied on this thread thought the relative handling performance was more (or less) important than the aesthetics of the car" - I don't recall saying what anyone did think either way.
Clearly though you think I did and decided to call me a Twat - a particularly nice touch eh?
FYI If someone had asked me the question I'd just give them a civil answer - obviously I'm biased towards a car that's very focussed on track use (i.e. handles very well) but has many shortcomings on the road. See quite easy really
goodlife said:
One of the other hand-built British sports cars did very well in this test:
NOBLE...
...until the wheel fell off- but Lee Noble did deliver a solid excuse.
Any Tuscan owners tried a Noble? How did it compare?
I have owned many a fast cars (see profile) from Speed Six Cerbera
(finger followers) to 996TT (470BHP) and have driven most of the new TVR's, The Noble is by far the fastest, maddest and most fun thing that I have ever owned 
build quality also seems very good so far (4 weeks old) The only down sides are the turning circle and the very low ground clearance, I have beenn so impressed that I have just ordered the GTO 3R to replace the 3. Go test drive one they are awesome.
Thx
Lee.
MikeE you quoted me and then appeared to offer the view that if anyone bought the car for any other reason than it's handling then they were posing.
My reply was perhaps OTT and apologies abound if I have misread you post, but I was unhappy at being misquoted and certainly do not share your view that buying a car for a reason other than how good it is round the twisties is lame.
Me buying a TVR would be a life long ambition fulfilled, would mean that I get to play with TVR's other than a weekends !! and oh the noise as well. Hope this is considered a more civil reply
My reply was perhaps OTT and apologies abound if I have misread you post, but I was unhappy at being misquoted and certainly do not share your view that buying a car for a reason other than how good it is round the twisties is lame.
Me buying a TVR would be a life long ambition fulfilled, would mean that I get to play with TVR's other than a weekends !! and oh the noise as well. Hope this is considered a more civil reply
MikeE said:
If you bought it more for the posing value then, well, erm, fine
Don't be silly MikeE, that would be like someone buying one ina rather, err, "interesting" shade of violet just because it was one of the first off the production line.....and then replacing it with the Swordfish spec when the film came out - now I am sure no one would do that
Graham
PS - I bought mine because I had a Chimaera that was great, then I had a few drinks at the Motorshow and was foolish enough to have taken my cheque book with me - oh, and the fact it looked great, had a big bunch of power and I love it!
graham66 said:
MikeE said:
If you bought it more for the posing value then, well, erm, fine
Don't be silly MikeE, that would be like someone buying one ina rather, err, "interesting" shade of violet just because it was one of the first off the production line.....and then replacing it with the Swordfish spec when the film came out - now I am sure no one would do that
Graham
PS - I bought mine because I had a Chimaera that was great, then I had a few drinks at the Motorshow and was foolish enough to have taken my cheque book with me - oh, and the fact it looked great, had a big bunch of power and I love it!
OK Graham you've got me banged to rights there
I've updated my profile just to show how much bull
t I spout >> Edited by MikeE on Monday 30th June 09:50
Well they did say the cars chosen were the best cars they'd driven in the UK, so on that count Tuscan owners can be proud (if you give a sh** about what some journo thinks in the first place)!
The fact that it handle like a banshee is why I've just bought one.... I wanna ride with the Devil!
Rock on,
Mikie
The fact that it handle like a banshee is why I've just bought one.... I wanna ride with the Devil!
Rock on,
Mikie
I remember test driving a very (very) early Tuscan as an afterthought during the purchase of an Elise three years ago.
My then car was the Cerb which always felt reasonably planted although having just driven Hethel's still fresh marvel, perceptions of overall balance, grip and poise had been somewhat redefined.
But you know something? That targa experience one fine, sunny Cheshire afternoon lives with me to this day. The pull of the SP6 unit utterly smooth, almost BMW-esque next to the peaky AJP8 I had grown used to and a throttle action which certainly affected that (in)famous Wheelerism of 'the human traction control..'
And the combo of al fresco scents accompanied all the while by the warbling mellifluence from those biker styled bazookas was nothing short of automotive rapture.
Sure, I knew within half a mile that this was no Lotus but it really didn't matter.
It boils down to this simple, unavoidable reality: as an object of pure, non-specific but multi-layered desire, the Tuscan - and especially the S variant - has few peers this side of a V12 Lamborghini for sheer, life-affirming magnificence.
Would I like one? Did George Peppard love it when a plan came together?
I agree with the above comment that such tests are not massively significant: remember Clarkson's comment on the Top Gear 'Supercars' video re the Diablo? "Round a twisting, turning country lane, an Escort Cosworth would leave it for dead."
So 'Cosseh' versus Lambo? Says it all really.
>> Edited by derestrictor on Tuesday 1st July 18:40
My then car was the Cerb which always felt reasonably planted although having just driven Hethel's still fresh marvel, perceptions of overall balance, grip and poise had been somewhat redefined.
But you know something? That targa experience one fine, sunny Cheshire afternoon lives with me to this day. The pull of the SP6 unit utterly smooth, almost BMW-esque next to the peaky AJP8 I had grown used to and a throttle action which certainly affected that (in)famous Wheelerism of 'the human traction control..'
And the combo of al fresco scents accompanied all the while by the warbling mellifluence from those biker styled bazookas was nothing short of automotive rapture.
Sure, I knew within half a mile that this was no Lotus but it really didn't matter.
It boils down to this simple, unavoidable reality: as an object of pure, non-specific but multi-layered desire, the Tuscan - and especially the S variant - has few peers this side of a V12 Lamborghini for sheer, life-affirming magnificence.
Would I like one? Did George Peppard love it when a plan came together?
I agree with the above comment that such tests are not massively significant: remember Clarkson's comment on the Top Gear 'Supercars' video re the Diablo? "Round a twisting, turning country lane, an Escort Cosworth would leave it for dead."
So 'Cosseh' versus Lambo? Says it all really.
>> Edited by derestrictor on Tuesday 1st July 18:40
eharding said:
Where are these "B" roads, exactly? - round my way the limiting factor isn't the Tuscan, its the ability to see round corners for the horse/tractor/sheep on a bicycle.
That being said, when I had both the Griff and the Tuscan I did take the opportunity for some extended back-to-back hooning on the local B roads, and the Tuscan suspension definately doesn't like rutted and bumpy tarmac - the Griff was certainly an easier drive - but wasn't the RR setup aimed at track use anyway?. The harnesses in the Griff made a difference though.
The Autocar route seems to be to from Craven Arms to Abermule in Wales. The route they've drawn out on the map deviates from both the B4368 and the B4385 which would be the obvious routes to go through what seems like somewhere near Sarn. I'm not sure how accurate their map is - in some places it seems to go where no road exists!
www.streetmap.co.uk/newmap.srf?x=325000&y=295000&z=5&sv=325000,295000&st=4&ar=N&mapp=newmap.srf&searchp=newsearch.srf
Derestrictor, as eloquently as ever, makes a very fair point, placing the value of the journalism against the reality of life with the appropriate article.
I have never had a job as a true salesman - although we all "sell" in our everyday lives to some extent - but remember a lesson from a sales course many years ago.
Man goes into hardware shop.
Man: I want a drill bit please - 6 mm.
Assistant: No sir you don't want a drill bit.
Man: I beg your pardon, but I want to buy a drill bit.
Assistant: No sir you don't want to buy a drill bit.
Man: (now getting irate) I'LL have you know that I think I know what I want!
Assistant: No sir. You see I think what you want is a 6mm hole !! If I can provide you with that hole, will you be satisfied?
So, to get to the point, the journalists are reviewing the cars. What we customers want, if you'll pardon the cr@ppy buzz word, is the experience. Have we the intelligence to read the prose and make the article work by telling us what we want to know?
I have never had a job as a true salesman - although we all "sell" in our everyday lives to some extent - but remember a lesson from a sales course many years ago.
Man goes into hardware shop.
Man: I want a drill bit please - 6 mm.
Assistant: No sir you don't want a drill bit.
Man: I beg your pardon, but I want to buy a drill bit.
Assistant: No sir you don't want to buy a drill bit.
Man: (now getting irate) I'LL have you know that I think I know what I want!
Assistant: No sir. You see I think what you want is a 6mm hole !! If I can provide you with that hole, will you be satisfied?
So, to get to the point, the journalists are reviewing the cars. What we customers want, if you'll pardon the cr@ppy buzz word, is the experience. Have we the intelligence to read the prose and make the article work by telling us what we want to know?
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