RE: Driven: T350C

[robkola]

Must pop down and ogle . .

Though the shot from the rear driver's side reminds me of the old Triumph GT2s! Now they could shift as well (as being a deathtrap) . ..

Not that I'm slating it - I'm really impressed with ALL the newer models :stillonentrylevel4litrechimaeraownershipphase:

[rich1231]

It does indeed look good, but as davidd said it does look very similar to a 911. Only things I dont like are the wheels.

[Graham.J]

Hawthorns is about 2 miles from me, I frequently (when I'm fit and well) go and look at the cars there, IIRC they had a Vanquish in, a dodge viper, but will have to go and see this, what a beast, that's really evil.

Love it in black too, makes it that much more menacing.

[neilv]

Well I've been thinking long and hard about the next TVR, Cerbie, Tuscan, another Griff?

It's well and truly decided now. That car is truly gorgeous, can't wait for a test drive.

[lucozade]

mmm..... concerns over access to the boot through the window. A bit of a security issue? If I got the just of things correct.

Apart from that it does look the part.

Perhaps not so mean looking as the Tuscan but certainly lovely.

[apache]

bennno said:
think sp6 is relatively sorted now, but i guess with any engine tuned to almost 100bhp/ltr it may need attention every now and again.

damn and blast had pretty much decided on black, and saw none on the production line, so thought it would be pretty much exclusive! it looks so good i guess those plans are toast..

What colours of interior go with black as I dont like lt grey as per this one. Is Red bad taste, black too dark or creme / magnolia a bit old hat? Suggestions please...

Bennno

Black, Anthracite wheels and cream leather with black carpets......JFDI!


>> Edited by apache on Friday 27th December 13:35

[Simon@63]

bennno said:
think sp6 is relatively sorted now, but i guess with any engine tuned to almost 100bhp/ltr it may need attention every now and again.

Bennno

This worries me a little.

I am planning an NEC trip to see the Targa and am close to divorcing an Elsie. But 'almost 100bhp/litre' reliably is not an unreasonable expectation.

For goodness sake there are Italians that can get that out of a v-twin and have (recently) learned to make them reliable.

Help! Please re-assure me they don't go pop.

[CraigAlsop]

Simon@63 said:
Help! Please re-assure me they don't go pop.

Well, the fact that benno is returning to the fold should put your mind somewhat at ease - have a search on some older threads to see how scathing he was about TVR reliability

The truth is some may still go pop, but:
a) The engine seems to have become far more bullet proof over the last couple of years
b) The factory have been fixing these engines, even on some cars that are out of warranty
c) Even "reliable" car brands have occasional issues (Have a look at the thread on M3 (un)reliability )

So you get 4 out of 5:
Performance, Lotus approaching handling, value for money, "drop-dead" looks.
If you can live with your Elise happily, then I'm sure you could live with a T350C (although the fuel bill may be a little bit of a shock )

[Pesty]

but i guess with any engine tuned to almost 100bhp/ltr it may need attention every now and again.

Some 1 said ^^^^^^
I'm sure you guys will correct me but havn't Honda V-tech engines been giving 100bhp/ltr for years? I'm prety sure that in all the thousands Honda have made there has never been a warenty claim on the Engine itself.
Also BMW M3 Engines Have 100Bhp/ltr I seem to remember a recal/mod to some bolts to do with the cam shaft but other than that arnt they bullet proof?
I love TVR's But 100bhp/ltr is no excuse for them to be unreliable.

[PetrolTed]

Pesty said: Also BMW M3 Engines Have 100Bhp/ltr I seem to remember a recal/mod to some bolts to do with the cam shaft but other than that arnt they bullet proof?

Not at all. There hve been other issues, but BMW whisk the car away and have it back with a new engine within the week so the owners become less concerned about what the specific problem was.

[Nick Elliott]

Have a look at this site about M3 engine reliability http://members.roadfly.org/jason/m3engines.htm

[nubbin]

There are a bunch of Tamora owners out here, with early production models, who have had NO problems with reliability. The 3.6 seems to be a well sorted engine and feels unburstable, just like my Chimaera engine did. Mine is on 7500 miles, flasher's way over 10,000, and alt has somewhere in between. Don't worry about reliability, unless you get a V8 cerbie, or a Tuscan that a previous owner thrashed from cold. Look after a S6 engine, especially when cold, and it shouldn't let you down.

[Thom]

nubbin said:Don't worry about reliability, unless you get a V8 cerbie, or a Tuscan that a previous owner thrashed from cold. Look after a S6 engine, especially when cold, and it shouldn't let you down.

The other day I read the exact opposite.

[Simon@63]

CraigAlsop said:
If you can live with your Elise happily, then I'm sure you could live with a T350C (although the fuel bill may be a little bit of a shock )

---

nubbin said:
Don't worry about reliability, unless you get a V8 cerbie, or a Tuscan that a previous owner thrashed from cold. Look after a S6 engine, especially when cold, and it shouldn't let you down.

---

Thanks to both of you for your comments. N.E.C. bound I am!

Divorce court to follow.

[trackdemon]

nubbin said: There are a bunch of Tamora owners out here, with early production models, who have had NO problems with reliability. The 3.6 seems to be a well sorted engine and feels unburstable, just like my Chimaera engine did. Mine is on 7500 miles, flasher's way over 10,000, and alt has somewhere in between. Don't worry about reliability, unless you get a V8 cerbie, or a Tuscan that a previous owner thrashed from cold. Look after a S6 engine, especially when cold, and it shouldn't let you down.

This is confusing. Well it is to me! I am seriously considering a Cerb next year and everything I have read points at the V8 being the more reliable motor, especially as the SP6 Cerb was early in the SP6 production lifecycle. My budget of around £20k only really means 4.2's are available....

[bennno]

I'm sure you guys will correct me but havn't Honda V-tech engines been giving 100bhp/ltr for years? I'm prety sure that in all the thousands Honda have made there has never been a warenty claim on the Engine itself.
Also BMW M3 Engines Have 100Bhp/ltr I seem to remember a recal/mod to some bolts to do with the cam shaft but other than that arnt they bullet proof?
I love TVR's But 100bhp/ltr is no excuse for them to be unreliable.

yep but it takes a bit more to keep on getting 100bhp per litre as you go over 2L !!!!

ie BMW M5 5L = 400bhp, Honda NSX 3.2L = 276BHP


Bennno

[nubbin]

This is confusing. Well it is to me! I am seriously considering a Cerb next year and everything I have read points at the V8 being the more reliable motor, especially as the SP6 Cerb was early in the SP6 production lifecycle. My budget of around £20k only really means 4.2's are available....

I get the impression that the least reliable cars are 4.2 cerbies, sadly for your intentions. As with all things TVR, someone will come back and say "I have a 4.2, never given me any trouble", etc., but in truth, most of the unreliability talk is of Cerbie and Tuscan problems, and mostly the early production models of each. I've not heard much about S6 Cerbies' reliability. All I can say, with any degree of certainty, is that the S6 engines in most Tamoras, are holding up quite well.



>> Edited by nubbin on Tuesday 31st December 17:06

[BCA]

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I get the impression that the least reliable cars are 4.2 cerbies

---

I dont know of any cars that have had three or more rebuilds, unlike several Tuscans...

Granted, the Tamoras engines seem to hold out alot better - but I really doubt that the Speed six has less issues than the 4.2V8

Im yet to see any speed six engined car go past 30,000miles without a rebuild. Whereas there have been 70k+ cerbera 4.2's for sale in the past.

[Thom]

BCA said:Whereas there have been 70k+ cerbera 4.2's for sale in the past.

Really?
Could you give some example please?

[bennno]

nubbin said:

This is confusing. Well it is to me! I am seriously considering a Cerb next year and everything I have read points at the V8 being the more reliable motor, especially as the SP6 Cerb was early in the SP6 production lifecycle. My budget of around £20k only really means 4.2's are available....

I get the impression that the least reliable cars are 4.2 cerbies, sadly for your intentions. As with all things TVR, someone will come back and say "I have a 4.2, never given me any trouble", etc., but in truth, most of the unreliability talk is of Cerbie and Tuscan problems, and mostly the early production models of each. I've not heard much about S6 Cerbies' reliability. All I can say, with any degree of certainty, is that the S6 engines in most Tamoras, are holding up quite well.

The original 4.2 cerby was a nightmare, mine had a whole new engine after 8k miles and it had to wait at the dealers for 2 months as the factory was too busy to do it due to the number having a prob at the time.

Original s6 engine probs were of a much greater scale than the 4.2 engine from the look of it.

Both 4.2 and Tamora engine seem to both be reasonably sorted now, judging by the posts on here. That said there are relatively few ajp engined cars leaving the factory.

Bennno