TVR 'Ring times

[dvs_dave]

What with all the current hype around 7:30ish minute Ring times for various Porsches, Chevys and Nissans, does anyone have any official times for TVRs (i.e closed track, professional driver, factory prepped car etc.)?

From what I can find, TG lap times are the only thing to go by and from these, TVR's come away as being bloody quick.

Would be interesting to see how much quicker these new breed of 'Ring meisters actually are.

[Big Ashy]

Seem to remember "Monstergriff" setting a very impressive time in a well sorted Griff, can`t remember the exact time but it was well under 8 mins if my memory serves me correctly? No doubt someone will be along soon to put me straight!!

[hollowpockets]

Big Ashy said:

Seem to remember "Monstergriff" setting a very impressive time in a well sorted Griff, can`t remember the exact time but it was well under 8 mins if my memory serves me correctly? No doubt someone will be along soon to put me straight!!

It was 8.32, i done a 8.49 in my T350 but i'm positive with a racing driver and some tweaking of the car, a modern T350/Sag/Tuscan could be doing it in 8 minutes or less perhaps

[dvs_dave]

Has anyone ever taken a Tuscan Challenge car around? I reckon Ceejay in his Wilder Speed 6 T350 needs to give it a pop.

I'm surpised that there don't seem to be any sort of official figures??? C'mon, someone must know???

[SLOWER]

I read this only the other day........

TVR ring times

http://www.tvrmonster.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3...

Edited by SLOWER on Sunday 29th June 22:41

[dvs_dave]

Hmm, they're a bit of a let down tbh. Then again, they are all amateurs on an open circuit.

[jwoffshore]

Hmmm... I'm an amateur on a 12 year old Yamaha that's worth less than £2k and I'm faster than any of those TVR times, though the Monster Griff would give me a good run. It is disappointing, as I was thinking of taking my Tiv over one of these days. Looks like it might end up being a frustrating endeavour. I think where most TVRs lose out is on high speed handling. They are generally short wheelbase (OK, except the Cerb) and poor aero. Oh well, I guess it's still fun trying!!

[hollowpockets]

dvs_dave said:

Hmm, they're a bit of a let down tbh. Then again, they are all amateurs on an open circuit.

Not sure if you've been but it is a bit daunting in your own car trying to put in a clean lap when the place is hoaching with cars and bikes, also the worry of binning your pride and joy into a wall seems to have an effect on your confidence when going over blind summits into corners...

In my opinion its the driver thats more important at the ring, even with 8.49 i was passing 911 turbo's, csl's and rs4's etc but there were people in old golf's and bmw's lapping faster simply because they knew the track well.

ceejays car would be good to see round the ring as i think even my T350 handled the high speed corners very well, it understeered a bit in the tight slower corners though and i felt the brakes let it down and didn't push too hard because of that.

[900T-R]

Echo the above - reckon I'd be faster in the stripped, rear-caged Shed on crappy tyres and with a turbo on its way out, than in my TVR. Reason - if I bin the former I'm reasonably safe, I wouldn't have too much heartache about the car and the biggest financial burden would be the cost of a few metres of armco barrier...

and even them I'd probably pussyfoot along the track ...

It's a whole different ball game if you're a pro driver for a car manufacturer - of course they wouldn't like the publicity of you writing off the car, but hey - no pain no gain...

My first and so far only lap 'at speed' was in the 12 min range as it was pouring down (good thing too, hardly any traffic and no bikers around) Car didn't belong to me, either..

[TVR_owner]

I had a quite a busy time at the Ring last year. Never took a TVR but had my RS6 avant. Standard everything apart from some T1R tyres.

I have been round on a clearish track in what I think is a quite credible time but its all down to knowing the track. I doubt very much if a standard road going TVR would go Bridge to Gantry in under 8 minutes. A sensibly modified TVR (with the task in mind) the right driver, a clear circuit, and vast circuit knowledge could squeeze under 8 minutes IMHO.


edited to try and make some sense.....

Edited by TVR_owner on Monday 30th June 09:49

[Bluebottle]

dvs_dave said:

Hmm, they're a bit of a let down tbh. Then again, they are all amateurs on an open circuit.

A bit harsh mate. The Ring has something like 127 corners to remember, so stringing a good lap together takes a lot of practice to learn the "knowledge" of the Ring. No matter how good a driver you are (and Phil James & Andy Race are experienced race drivers) you ain't gonna be quick straight out of the box.
and thats assuming you get a clean run, which you won't on a "tourestfarten" sp? day.
I went in October and on each lap I had to slow down for at least two big accidents on each run.

[jsr]

SLOWER said:

I read this only the other day........

TVR ring times

http://www.tvrmonster.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3...

Edited by SLOWER on Sunday 29th June 22:41

It's interesting to note the standard Chimaera 400 time of 9:57. Didn't Sabine (IIRC) on Top Gear do that in a transit van!!!!! (and JC in a diesel Jag?)

Goes to show how much an experienced ring driver can take off the lap time.

The GTR and Corvette's have had a lot of development of time at the ring, as well as wind tunnels, other circuits etc - far more than even the best tuned TVR could ever hope to receive. Whilst i love my TVR and all the recent models, the GT-R is in an entirely different league

[900T-R]

jsr said:

SLOWER said:

I read this only the other day........

TVR ring times

http://www.tvrmonster.com/forum2/index.php?topic=3...

Edited by SLOWER on Sunday 29th June 22:41

It's interesting to note the standard Chimaera 400 time of 9:57. Didn't Sabine (IIRC) on Top Gear do that in a transit van!!!!!

10:12 Actually as the brakes were shot halfway the distance.

Edited by 900T-R on Monday 30th June 15:05

[Bluebottle]

jsr said:

It's interesting to note the standard Chimaera 400 time of 9:57. Didn't Sabine (IIRC) on Top Gear do that in a transit van!!!!! (and JC in a diesel Jag?)

Goes to show how much an experienced ring driver can take off the lap time.

The GTR and Corvette's have had a lot of development of time at the ring, as well as wind tunnels, other circuits etc - far more than even the best tuned TVR could ever hope to receive. Whilst i love my TVR and all the recent models, the GT-R is in an entirely different league

JC in a jag

Sabine in a transit

[dvs_dave]

Bluebottle said:

dvs_dave said:

Hmm, they're a bit of a let down tbh. Then again, they are all amateurs on an open circuit.

A bit harsh mate. The Ring has something like 127 corners to remember, so stringing a good lap together takes a lot of practice to learn the "knowledge" of the Ring. No matter how good a driver you are (and Phil James & Andy Race are experienced race drivers) you ain't gonna be quick straight out of the box.
and thats assuming you get a clean run, which you won't on a "tourestfarten" sp? day.
I went in October and on each lap I had to slow down for at least two big accidents on each run.

I do understand that the Ring is a very tough track to master (been a few times and have the scars to prove it ) and on a tourist day it's impossible to really press on, especially when driving your own P&J. However it suprises me that aside from Joe Bloggs punting his Tiv around, no one (e.g. TVR, Auto Sport Magazine etc.) seems to have ever put in a proper time?

What sort of times could be expected from a Cerbera 4.5, Tuscan S, Sagaris etc. if given a proper go?

[900T-R]

dvs_dave said:

However it suprises me that aside from Joe Bloggs punting his Tiv around, no one (e.g. TVR, Auto Sport Magazine etc.) seems to have ever put in a proper time?

Given that the market importance of TVR outside the UK has always been just about zero and the 'press car' of a local TVR importer more often than not was the only car of that model to be imported into that country (Netherlands: only 1 T350C and 1 Tuscan Mk II registered, and 'our' distributor was always one of the most estabished worldwide), I'm not in the least suprised. GM, Nissan, BMW and Porsche truly have something to gain from excercises like these that is in realistic proportions to the expense; this was never the case with TVR, at least not in continental Europe.

[Guillotine]

This is the recent 08:37 lap i did, didn't try untill half way round as it was my first lap.
It still turned out to be the fastest run due to incidents (superbike weekend )

http://www.tvrmonster.co.uk/videoring2008.html

also here is an 08:57? with one of the new M5V10s, my lad filmed it. We were two up with a weeks luggage and spares/kit in the boot.

http://www.tvrmonster.co.uk/video/MonsteratRing.wm...

finally, there's some laps on youtube from "bosscerbera" Phil James who was doing something like 08:50 on his first visit with a couple of pointers. 400bhp Cerb.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=HhgdVu3kzf4

Make your own minds up. I reckon I could do a Sub8 if conditions allowed...but mine's hardly std. Std Cerb...still around the 8 with Sabine/HansS driving I reckon.

Radical Lap record is here, set by Phil Bennett (I happened to be there and he was p1ssed off as he only went out for a shakedown and as they'd taken the record they stopped. PB reckened it had another 5secs in it atleast!) Gives a comparrisson!
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dfqrHY_JEcQ

Remember, the Ring is 12 miles long, so if you are 10secs quicker at the Ring, you'd be atleast 3secs quicker per lap at Silverstone...a country mile in Racing!

WE GO BACK IN OCTOBER...FULLY SUPPORTED FOR THE LAST TIME...20+TVRS!

Edited by Guillotine on Monday 30th June 21:39

[shaunsmith]

With the right set up a 'tricked' TVR Tuscan S, Sagaris & certainly Guillotines Griffith would easily breach 8 minutes Bridge to Gantry with minimal traffic only & a very good knowledge of the Ring, no question.

It's only a matter of time before a TVR lowers the BTG record held by a 'chubby' CSL with a time of 7:53...

Maybe even this year!!!

[Bluebottle]

Guillotine said:

Radical Lap record is here...http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=dfqrHY_JEcQ

F#ck me! things happen quick in a Radical ..I think that's gotto be the first time i've gone 7mins 26secs without blinking (and thats a full lap!)


Anyone wanna buy a Supercharged Griff? I think I've just found my next toy

[s6boy]

Guillotine said:

This is the recent 08:37 lap i did, didn't try untill half way round as it was my first lap.
It still turned out to be the fastest run due to incidents (superbike weekend )

http://www.tvrmonster.co.uk/videoring2008.html

I recognise the dash but that's no TVR....the wipers didn't lift once
BTW was that a bird fly up and into the screen at about 2:30?