RE: TVR T350R?

Tuesday 7th October 2003

TVR T350R?

Hotter T350 to hit the track but what about the road?


Next season we can look forward to T350C's racing in the GT cup class of the British GT championship. It was hoped that they'd hit the circuits this year but as ever development always takes a little longer than expected.

T350R
Rrrrrr!

The rules for TVR's own Tuscan Challenge series were also amended in 2003 to accomodate the cars but again the first car didn't make it out in time. When they do race though, we expect the good looking coupe to have been acquired some extra brawn in the shame of a wide body or extended wheel arches.

Our sources have been raving about how good the car looks in race trim and we now believe a road version is under development too. Yet more power, bigger brakes and brutish styling to come? T350R anyone?

T350R
The shape of things to come?
T350R

Artist's impressions by Bodo

Author
Discussion

griff2be

Original Poster:

5,089 posts

267 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
I'm told that the racing version of the T350 looks fantastic, but very different to the road car (as in it looks nothing like it!!).

Which seems odd, as I would have thought that there was a marketing benefit to be had from having a race version of a car you can buy from the showroom.

koen

148 posts

272 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
Great job Bodo. IMHO the green one looks fantastic.

Marki

15,763 posts

270 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
That is a beast fantstic stuff ,,,,,,good work Bodo i salute you Mr

Swilly

9,699 posts

274 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
I really like the look of those deep spiders on the rear

cacatous

3,163 posts

273 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
I want one!! I have asked for something like this on the Tuscan for ages! Bodo, can you knock something up?

griff2be

Original Poster:

5,089 posts

267 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
cacatous said:
I want one!! I have asked for something like this on the Tuscan for ages! Bodo, can you knock something up?


Isn't it called the T440R?!!

andyvdg

1,536 posts

283 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
If the T350R goes into GTs, what happens to the T400/T440R ? Does that move up a class (GTS ?) ?

apache

39,731 posts

284 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
Thats more like it!, the 350 looks appropriately aggresive now

Larco

356 posts

270 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
Wheel arches look like they have been bought from halfords (escort mexico) and screwed on with self tappers. Or is just a bad picture

frostie

428 posts

275 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
My understanding is that the Tuscan challenge will be totally replaced by a series for the T350R in 2004. The T350R will be a wide bodied version and as far as I am aware a road going version will be made available. I think next years Motorshow in May should be very interesting...

Frostie

>> Edited by frostie on Tuesday 7th October 12:47

Apache

39,731 posts

284 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
Anyone know when the Clarkson motor show is? I have it on good authority that something interesting from oop north will be making it's first showing

griff2be

Original Poster:

5,089 posts

267 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
frostie said:
My understanding is that the Tuscan challenge will be totally replaced by a series for the T350R in 2004. The T350R will be a wide bodied version and as far as I am aware a road going version will be made available. I think next years Motorshow in May should be very interesting...

Frostie

>> Edited by frostie on Tuesday 7th October 12:47


There a number of reasons why I think you are wrong about 2004:

- the season starts again in April (i.e. not long!!)
- the first car has not seen the light of day yet
- teams were struggling for budget to race Tuscans this year, let alone buy new T350s
- TVR told me earlier in the year that the series will continue with two classes running in the same races

In other words, there is life in the Tuscans yet!

What I think you will see happening is bigger grids next year with a handful of T350s battling against a larger number of Tuscans. And as time progresses, more Tuscans being replaced with T350s. Assuming they turn out to be a good competitive car.

TVR cannot tell us yet whether the T350 will be quicker or slower than the old Tuscan. The regs as currently written mean that although there are 2 classes, there is only the one race and championship points are awarded irrespective of class. So if you are a title contender for next year what do you do - gamble and buy a T350? Or gamble and stick with your Tuscan?

It could get very messy if the T350 is significantly faster or slower than the Tuscans, because it could destroy the very thing that makes the Challenge such good motorsport - good close racing.

Still, it will be interesting to see how things develop.

james

1,362 posts

284 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
Nice pictures Bodo, but I think you may be wrong about the flared wheel arches. I'd expect it to wear a wider body, as I know that in the past Peter Wheeler has expressed the opinion that flared wheelarches are a sign that you got the design wrong, and couldn't fit the wheels inside the bodywork.

sublimatica

3,196 posts

254 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
Interesting how the bottom two pictures have reflections different colours from the cars. Is this a TVR trick to fool the eyes, I wonder?

Excellent potatoshops, Bodo. Love the green one's rear end, and the widened spiders. Top job!

FourWheelDrift

88,537 posts

284 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
Larco said:
Wheel arches look like they have been bought from halfords (escort mexico) and screwed on with self tappers. Or is just a bad picture


Artist's impressions by Bodo

Marki

15,763 posts

270 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
Larco said:
Wheel arches look like they have been bought from halfords (escort mexico) and screwed on with self tappers. Or is just a bad picture


They do ,, and i think it make it look even more purposefull like the 993 GT2 niceeeeeeee

cacatous

3,163 posts

273 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
griff2be said:

cacatous said:
I want one!! I have asked for something like this on the Tuscan for ages! Bodo, can you knock something up?



Isn't it called the T440R?!!


No! I'm talking about a Tuscan with a wide body. Did you know they did a wide body Tuscan in the 60's?

It could crack 0-60 in 3.8secs and get to 160mph...

Now if they could make it a permanent hard top and give it a wide body then it would look better than anything on the road!

Just wait until I win the lottery, you'll see what I mean!

DustyC

12,820 posts

254 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
Bloody fantastic

gemini

11,352 posts

264 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
I*d buy two

If I had the money!

Bodo

12,375 posts

266 months

Tuesday 7th October 2003
quotequote all
Thanks for the comments, gentlemen
Both cars from the bottom pictures actually have the same treatment done to the wheel track; and yes, the wheelarches on the gray one are bolt-on parts from halfords The green one however has drawn-out wheelarches in honor of Ned.

It would be interesting to see if they are really going to be introduced as challenge/road versions, and what they will look like.
Since there are not many parts/features on the T350C to leave out for a track version, most treatments may be done to suspension/brakes/engine methinks