What a GT car, no wait, WHAT A CAR!

What a GT car, no wait, WHAT A CAR!

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PorscheFreak

Original Poster:

121 posts

178 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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Just thought I'd post up to say that I'm having a love affair with the Chim.

It's become the daily drive, and it copes so well with absolutely everything that I ask it to do. Doesn't matter if they are short journeys, lots of running around, to far away client meetings, it absolutely laps up being used.

It feels like it is almost human. On very cold mornings the tickover can be lumpy for the first couple of miles, then once warm it's a smooth as silk. Just needs waking up. Not like the Porsche, you turn it on and it's on, the Chim needs to wake up a bit first.

Long journeys are a pleasure, so comfortable what with the transmission tunnel to rest your arm on etc. The roof does let in a lot of noise, but I can live with that.

I love the fact that on a long motorway drive it will behave impeccably, yet as soon as we are onto the twisties it turns into a full on sensory attacking maniac.

This was, without a doubt the best £4,800 I have ever spent, so pleased with the car, and peoples reception to it, it seems the world loves to see TVR's on the road.

I'll stop gushing now.

domV8

1,375 posts

180 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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hehe

theholygrail

261 posts

167 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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TVR. Everything else is just a car.

Dr Mike Oxgreen

4,101 posts

164 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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PorscheFreak said:
I'll stop gushing now.
No, you won't!

You're absolutely right about the Chimaera being able to switch roles effortlessly from comfy long-distance cruiser to lairy hoonmobile. It is a fantastic car!

TVRJAS

2,391 posts

128 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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Great post thumbup

Makes a nice change to read a positive opinion of what these cars are all about than the usual Help me please posts.

Makes even nicer reading coming from a Porsche owner biggrin I have only owned a 944 some 20 years ago so can't comment if driving a modern 911 gets positive reaction. But 17 months and almost 10k of driving the Chimaera It certainly does put a smile on other road users and pedestrians.

Only Sunday after leaving our local club meet I was stopped at some temporary traffic lights roof off and an elderly gentleman gave me a little shock when he poked his head almost into the car on the passenger side and says " Arrrr that sounds so nice,reminds me of a lovely boat engine" biggrin

Drove off when lights changed and he stopped to watch me pass with a big smile and a wave which was returned.

Just such a nice feeling when others appreciate the beautiful sound of a TVR... Think he referred my sound to a boat on tick over because of this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHnSX2Az5gE

Nice to hear you're loving and using the car and long may it continue thumbup

Edited by TVRJAS on Friday 21st November 14:04

davo23

318 posts

151 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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Absolutely bang on. A year of ownership and I'm still in love. I look forward to every trip.

Cannot think of another car for the money even worth considering.

Sardonicus

18,928 posts

220 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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Just wait till the honey moon period is over laugh ...... getmecoat

keith2.2

1,100 posts

194 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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Ha!

Yes it's fab to see that you're enjoying it so much. I'm now in the stage of ownership whereby I'm only in love with it when I'm looking at it.

When I'm not looking at it, I'm looking at Tuscans and 911s in the classifieds.

When I'm driving it, I notice the wet carpet and the unbearable heat - and until this week, the awful brakes (seized rear caliper).

I'm also currently all too aware that I have spent nearly £500 having things fixed this month, and have covered 12 miles.

It's 3 miles to the garage. Do the maths.

However...

Something I DO know, is that the next time take it out, I'll turn the key, the engine will thunder into life, and I'll smirk. Then - clear of town and mechanicals warmed - Day or night, Rain (erm, ok not rain...clouds..) or shine...I'll drop a gear or two and plant it. On the assumption that the road will be dry enough that I won't spin the rears up and punt myself into the second-to-nearest field...I'll be completely besotted again.

This will last until roughly 5 seconds after the next thing breaks, and the cycle will begin again.

I have little doubt that she views me with a good deal of contempt, but knows I'm the key to being looked after.

In many ways, it's kind of a big shouty plastic cat.

Richard 858

1,882 posts

134 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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Aaron (OP) I couldn't agree more, I've spent alot on upgrading mine but don't regret a minute (or £) of it. Smile for every mile as they say. Still the best value true sports car by miles, and British at that (no offence to Porsche of course). I'm aiming for the MK classic run next year (April I think) as I missed it this year, as it's local to you it might be of interest to you, and it's for Charity.

Dr Mike Oxgreen

4,101 posts

164 months

Friday 21st November 2014
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On the subject of reactions, I've had a real mixed bag.

  • A few months ago a bloke absolutely hollered at me: "TVR! Go go go go go!!!" He must have made himself hoarse!
  • I've had "wker" several times. And I can't really argue.
  • Temperature: significantly sub zero. Roof off (naturally). I'm wearing a woolly hat and my manly* leather driving gloves. Bloke on pavement simply says: "fking hell!"
* They're not at all ghey.
  • Very classy older French lady at a petrol station said "beautifool car - so Engleesh!" Sadly she was with her husband and I was with my wife, otherwise things could have happened...
  • Four-year old boy dragged his mother to a standstill on a pedestrian crossing and pointed, open mouthed. He had good taste in cars; pity he was such a horrendous shade of ginger, bless him.
  • Slightly oddly dressed chap approaches me at a petrol station and starts talking about how he loves TVRs. Then his female companion returns from the kiosk, and he says: "this is my carer. We're going to the zoo today!" So owning a TVR gets admiring comments from people who aren't allowed out on their own.
  • I've also had teenage boys shout out "lovely car!" which fills me with hope that the love of TVRs is not dead, even amongst young people.
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Friday 21st November 20:02

Pinx

188 posts

119 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
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Since owning mine, all comments have been positive except one, where some bloke shouted out "st car", but i overlooked this, as, on the same street i got, "Dad, Dad, its a TVR, Wow" also "Nice car mate" and finally "Oi Mate, Rev the engine, so my mate can hear it on the phone" which i duely did, resulting in a big smile and a thumbs up from the guy..
When ever i fill up for fuel, someone always stops and either comments on it or waits to listen to it start.
From talking to people, it seems they love the fact that its a TVR and that its British, the sound, looks and speed are just bonuses.

Having had mine quite a few months now, i can honestly say i would never sell it. Every time i open the garage door, i smile and think "I've got one !"

2 sMoKiN bArReLs

30,230 posts

234 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
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Twenty years for me. Still go in the garage just to have a look biggrin

pb450

1,301 posts

159 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
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Totally agree with Pinx. The fact that it's British (what else is these days!) means a lot to me. Also the peep inside the garage, which generates the thought "I've got one !" is a feeling that's still as strong 2.5 years into ownership. The noise and performance are the icing on the cake.

Still could do with a few less questions of "does it break down a lot?" (NO!) but I shrug these off with a laugh. They've clearly never owned a TVR! Their loss, not mine. smile

vixen1700

22,665 posts

269 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
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theholygrail said:
TVR. Everything else is just a car.
True.

Had a TVR since 1998 (Vixen) and an S for over a year and both always put a smile on my face whenever they're driven.

Only ever get positive reactions about them.

Although I got a "TVRs are st" shouted at me by a kid going to school this year which made me chuckle, although I was quite pleased that a schoolkid knew what a 25 year old, pretty rare car was. hehe

2020tony

176 posts

138 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
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I just added a lovely Tuscan 2 weeks ago but still driving the Chim more!

chimyellow

363 posts

258 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
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My wife turned around to me a couple of months ago and beaming from ear to ear said 'I really enjoyed that'
Shame it was only after she had driven the Chimaera home from Somerset via the Cotswolds in a spirited way and not due to a more personal reason.
But if she says that about a car then it must be a special car.

Richard 858

1,882 posts

134 months

Saturday 22nd November 2014
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Mike, she's a wonderful woman !

caduceus

6,069 posts

265 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
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I do love Porsche build quality, but that's where it ends.. hehe Glad you're enjoying the Chim!
£4,800 is a great price. Did she need much work? 4ltr?

Johnniem

2,660 posts

222 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
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Caught sight of this thread and it brought back all sorts of wonderful memories of my 7 year ownership of the Chim. Now with another happy TVR convert with whom I keep in touch. I also see PB 450 on here! Hi Pierre. 😉. I am in the opposite situation from the OP. Was with 450 Chim and now have a Cayman 3.4 gen 1. The two cars are not really entirely comparable. I think you own the Tiv with your heart and maybe a bit of visceral need mixed up with some man maths.

The Chim is indeed an incredibly able car but only if you take the time to learn its foibles and to know when it's going to kick back, hard. The Cayman is, however, a car for drivers who, perhaps, need the car to take some of the pressure off. It is truly incredibly able as a piece of engineering and there are very few cars out there that have such balance. One gets it serviced every two years and isn't constantly looking for what the next upgrade might be and convincing oneself by using man maths that's it is worth doing.

The Cayman suffers from very little torque at low revs but once one gets to 3 - 4k all hell lets loose and it goes, right up to 7k. It loves it, all day long. Against the porker I prefer the mad levels of low level torque offered by the Chim but it is just a question of changing driving techniques back to when I owned a R5 Turbo back in the 80's. Hold it at 3,000 revs until some real power is needed and then press the loud button.

Talking about loud, there really isn't another more visceral noise than the unsilenced V8. I grew up with a list of such boats and there's nothing to compare. The sports exhaust on my porker has a higher pitched sound and when at full tilt it ain't bad but is nothing like the Chim. I have been told that my Cayman is 'the best sounding porsche I've ever heard' but that's subjective.

I get a lot more comments about the Cayman than I did about the Chim but I guess my heart will always be with a V8. My wallet however? Perhaps not. There's a chap in my road who has a T350. I hear it when he is warming it up and I always pop out front to see it pass by. If I still had the Chim, we would be pally by now but because the pork is parked out there we haven't even spoken. I guess it would be a bit weird for him if I came round to admire his car! Happy motoring to the TVR crew!

jamienshelly

1,826 posts

137 months

Sunday 23rd November 2014
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Why would it be weird? He would probably be grateful of another TIV fancier nearby!, And you make some valid points too.
The Chimaera is around 20 years old now and people still compare it to modern metal, whether it be Merc, Bmw, Porsche or any other (usually German) marque. That is another reason I am pleased with ours, It will hold its own against most, they stand out more, sound nicer and 99% of owners are really proud of their cars, will talk to anybody and help/advise other owners or prospective owners at a moments notice.
As for the Honeymoon period, its been 2 years now an the only thing that has changed is, I don't enjoy it in the rain as I can't have the roof off and listen to the soundtrack and its a little bit twitchy.
And nothing, and I mean nothing, do Noise and theater like a TVR.