Chimera an everyday-car?

[timewind]

Hi Folks

Im about to evaluate a new cabrio-sportscar for everyday use.

The last 2 candidates are Porsche 996 or 993 Cabrio or the Chimera 4.5 or 5.0.

Needless to say the Chimera is much sexier , the only concern I have is its everyday -reliability.

Has anyone experience with the Chimera as an everyday car with 15k miles a year and sometimes snow or wet conditions?

At the moment im driving a Saab Viggen and a TVR S3C wich is great fun but has not enough power and its not for everyday.

Thanks for your help

[ABBTVR]

Needless to say the Chimera is much sexier , the only concern I have is its everyday -reliability.

Hi Reto,
Go for the Chim, had mine in daily use now only for three months, every morning (and evening) is a buzzzzzzz!
They say all tiv's are more reliable with everyday use.
Big Al

[hut49]

Use my 450 every day whatever the weather, although I'd probably draw the line at snow/ice on the road (but I wouldn't drive a Porsche on that either even with ABS/traction control).

The 450 gets spoilt rotten most weekends with all fluids topped up plus body waxing (now hairless )/roof waterproofing with 2+ coats of Thompsons every other month during autumn & winter/rubber seals around doors and boot lubricated every coupla months/full underbody hammerite and waxoyl in autumn.

No leaks and 100 per cent reliable on around 1000 miles a month. Can't ask for anything more

Hutch

[manek]

Same here -- I used mine as everyday, daily driver. No technical problems arising from that and there's always a good excuse for going out...

Though it will bump up costs and depreciation as high milers get more difficult to sell.

[shadowninja]

used my chimaera everyday for 2 years, about 12000 miles a year... no problems really (well none that required immediate attention, bar the car alarm failing). snow/ice driving was an eyebrow raiser... always useful to have a front wheel drive car to hand

[chris watton]

Nothing wrong with using the Chim as an everyday car, as long as you pick a good one that's been looked after. Plus of course, it's wise to let the company pay for the fuel bills!!, as I do!
It is handy though, to have a front wheel drive car as back up. my fiancee has a ZR160, which I drove last night to take my son back home. As I drove past the gritter lorry, spewing grit at the car like shotgun pellets, I said to myself, 'boy I'm glad I'm in Chans car, and not my Chim'!!!, as I heard the grit bounce off the le Mans green paintwork!!, but dont tell her!!
Chris

[clint888]

Its a matter of luck really. If you get a good late one high on Blackpools's learning curve most of the kinks will have been ironed out but you can still get a dog especially with the diabolical Lucas Electrics. I wouldn't mind driving the chim a few miles to work every day but--rep miles--never--wouldn't trust it on long journeys.

[ocean1]

I use my 95 4.0 everyday for everything (12000 miles pa), I have to as I have no other car. I have had very little trouble since purchase in April last year. I do not find any problem in the wet. I havent had snow yet but this will not put me off, just go easy on the throttle. I hear that the 5.0 would be more of a handfull in the wet due to the extra power and the characteristics of the engine, maybe a 4.5 would be a nice compromise. PS I have just had to spend 2 hours replacing the handbrake pivot bolt, but all cars go wrong sometimes.

Regards Ocean1

[Neil Hyde]

For what it's worth , Jan 94 4ltr purchased Feb 2001 with 44k . Now done 77k with every day use and frequent business trips including "parking" on the M5 /M6 merge on a frequent basis .
Only problem has been a fuel pump failure within 5 miles of home .
Living proof that the more you use 'em , the better they are !!

[scruffy]

Do you play golf?

(..sorry guys )

Buy it. Use it every day. It'll be fine. What could possibly go wrong (is this the same question you would ask of your Fabia?). There are things that go wrong and the more you use it the more frequently things will seem to go wrong.. bloody obvious really.

Oh, and I saw the amount of luggage you could get in the back of a Chimaera in Sprint.. at least a couple of bin bags worth of body parts*

*Reference to the bits you can buy from Halfords...

[arandle]

Just thought I'd add my comments on this one - as they are slightly at odds with the general drift.....

Before the Chim I had an S3 and used that as my daily driver, after a winter I decided it was hard going and bought the Chim as it's easier to drive (PAS, decent heater, etc)on the daily commute. My experience, like everyone elses, is that the more you drive them, the better they are - I've had no engine problems at all using mine daily.

But...

Don't expect any level of comfort if you're, like me, doing an M25 run everyday. As of tomorrow my Chim becomes a weekend only fun car and I'm resorting to air conditioned, automatically transmissioned, sonically relaxing comfort for the daily work run in my Ford Explorer.

Yes you can use a Chimeara as an everyday car, but if you can use something else instead, I would (and will be).

Not wishing to decry the Chim at all, fantastic car, it's just not designed for bumper to bumper clutch pumping in driving rain. When you do that every day you are very unlikely to get in and drive her "just for fun" - that's what I found, turned the Tiv into mundane transport rather than a hobby (and I love the car too much for it to become mundane).

Don't know if that helps or not (probably not), just wanted to point out the reality as I've found it after driving the Chim to work for the last 10 months.

[Qube]

No , i don't think the chimaera is suited for everyday use, after a year and half of ownership i still think the car is great but, as a weekend or novelty toy something to come back to when the day is over, a fun car when the mood takes you, or a nice drive with the top down, all this would be lost in everyday terms, personally i own three cars and i find my audi A4 tdi an everyday car. if i used the tvr as an everyday car i think it would become so tiresome , i'd have to sell it as the novelty is starting to wear off already.

[timewind]

Thanks.

I have to re-think the issue. Maybe I'll keep the Saab for everyday and buy the Chimaere just fur fundriving.

Thanks for the help (this forum is defintely a big plus for TVR)

[M@H]

Hi,

I bought my Chim in the knowledge it would be my everyday car... however soon after the Autumn setting in, sitting in traffic queues all morning and evening in the dark and rain, and getting 20ish mpg on optimax, I finally thought better of it.

I'm using a Citroen Saxo for the everyday hack about in the crud weather and am saving the Chimaera for when it warms up a bit, or the weekend. I also then don't spend the day worrying about he car sat in the office carpark..

Matt

[Don]

The Mrs uses her Chimaera as an everyday car - and has for nearly three years.

BUT...she doesn't do large mileages...about 12-14K a year...so..plenty of use but not repmobile stuff.

I wouldn't compare the Chimaera with a 996/993 cabrio..its a very different sort of car. The closest Porsche (IMHO) is the Boxster S (I have one) in terms of the two seater format, practicality etc.

As always the best advice is test drive 'em all and go for the one that floats your boat. As for me...well..if you can have the Chim for fun and get about in something else - have the Chim. If you need a single car...consider the Porsche...for reduced ownership sh*t.

[ribol]

For my two Euros worth I would buy the Porsche if it was to be my only car and the TVR if I had another car to use. The Porsche is a fabulous piece of engineering but lacks what the TVR has in abundance – character. I have a Chim and use it more than I thought I would have but when I want to rather than when I have to. I suspect if I used it as my only mode of transport the economics of it would not work out too well.

I am sure there are people on here who would go on and on about TVRs offering good reliability and superb build quality. Since that is a debate that will run and run and there is no definitive answer I will just say that mine puts a smile on my face whenever I drive it and I am happy to do whatever is necessary to keep it running as it should. If you are not prepared to tinker and spend it may not be an ideal choice.

Ivan

[shadowninja]

bah

i still think a chimaera is an every day car... this morning, after managing to melt the ice around the door button so that i could depress it i scraped the ice off the windows, jumped in, fired up the beast and drove off if it was slightly warmer and i wasnt late for work, i would have taken the roof down

[taylormj4]

Hut49,
interested in your first post....
what do you use to lubricate the door seals etc.?
Cheers,
Matt

[kenny chim 4]

shadowninja said: bah

i still think a chimaera is an every day car... this morning, after managing to melt the ice around the door button so that i could depress it


I'm like Ocean1 in that it's my only car too (no regrets tho) but the above really caught me out this morning- just could not depress the door release!(old type). I should've anticipated it really and bought de-icer sooner! Warm water did the trick though..
Incidently, aside from the odd weekend blast, I'm getting much better miles to the gallon now that I'm taking it easy- and that includes ignoring the revving wanna-race Vectra sitting alongside at the lights. It feels dignified to drive of fairly slowly with them assuming you're going to floor it. Just watch their brake lights come on as they think you've spotted plod
Sorry, I digress. You should try a Chimaera as an everyday car but if you can afford to run 2 cars, buy it and keep it as a plaything.
Kenny

[hut49]

taylormj4 said: Hut49,
interested in your first post....
what do you use to lubricate the door seals etc.?
Cheers,
Matt

Halfords Rubber and Nylon Lubricant - yellow spray can. Seems to completely restore the intended properties of the seal i.e. flexibility and non-stick surface.