Well I just had a hearty lunch. First of all I ate my hat and then I indulged
in some humble pie. This was after a rather pleasant drive in the country. In a
Tamora.
When I first set eyes on the Tamora at the 2000 Motor Show I was
disappointed. Girly bits of chrome surrounded the lights and the car looked like
an unbalanced interpretation of a Griffith. The interior was nice but the rest
of it looked to me like TVR had done a rush job.
In some respects they had done. This is a car based on a Tuscan chassis with
a few changes under the bonnet and a different body. Looks wise it didn't win
many friends - or as many orders as previous TVR stunners. To be fair TVR have
produced such stunning looking cars in the past, we now have very high
expectations. Annoyingly for TVR if they fall short of our expectations it hits
them hard in the order book.
Then I read the first reviews. Evo poured praise on it. Well they must have
done so because they were granted access to the car before the other mags? Then
Top Gear raved about it. Mmm... perhaps there was more to this than meets the
eye.
Over the last few months I've seen the press car parked up at race meetings
and at car shows and it's still not done it for me. That rear end... I just
couldn't get to grips with the styling.
This morning I saw the TVR Centre's demo car parked around the back of their
workshop, under a lean-to surrounded by industrial sized bins and rain puddles.
A Tamora in the real world at last. Much more like it. Bold stickering helps to
break up the large rear end, but a good look at the back of the car in did
appeal more. No longer was I fixated by the diffuser, but more by the flared
arches only just covering the wheels. Fitted with a new type of Avon tyre, the
high profiles actually suit the car in a way that didn't work on the orginal
tractor tyred Tuscans. It gives the rear of the car quite an aggressive look.
Getting into the car, it would seem that TVR have stepped back from Tuscan
style steamship instrumentation with lots of lovely leather and a simple
instrument pod. Two analogue dials set against almost plain white backgrounds,
wind towards the centre with a large LCD unit in the middle. It's better than
the Tuscan's Casio calculator unit being wider and with a broader range of
graphical displays on offer. It's also good to see that they've incorporated
three change up lights in the middle of the rev counter. The change up points
can be set by the driver too.
Speed 12 driver Michael Caine took me out to sample the back roads around
Hertfordshire. With only 400 miles on the clock we couldn't give it a harsh
going over but nonetheless it proved enough to give a real taster of what this
car is about.
After twenty minutes we swapped over and I took the wheel. The floor mounted
pedals are identical to the Tuscan's but the driving position isn't. The
steering wheel is quite high and coupled with the shallow windscreen and wrap
around seats it's quite a racy driving position.
Tootling off up the road it quickly became apparent that this is a very easy
car to drive. When run in it will rev to 8,000rpm. With the serious power and
torque further up the rev range, driving the car at lower revs is very easy and
not likely to unnerve newcomers to the marque. Driving the car in traffic is not
a problem with the clutch and gearbox reasonably light so you won't need Fatima
Whitbred's thighs to drive one.
It was once we got to the twisty bits that the Tamora came into it's own
however. Despite using the Tuscan's chassis, the car feels so much smaller and
nimble - a word I've never used to descibe any TVR to date. The electrically
assisted steering is light yet the feedback is delicious. Even at lowish speeds
the chassis is an absolute delight encouraging you to plant the car for every
corner, not just hoon it round. Driving a Griffith or Chimaera cross country is
normally a battle of nerve versus chassis as you drive fast enough to give
yourself the challenge of both enjoying the speed and mastering the less than
perfect chassis. The Tamora is a car in which to enjoy cross country treks
without having to push it to the limits of adhesion.
The Tamora marks a turning point for TVR. For years they've produced cars
with enormous grunt and mediocre handling. Enthusiasts begged them to get into
bed with Lotus and produce a car with enormous power and fantastic handling.
With the Tamora they've achieved the required result.
It may not be as pretty as cars of old but I'd recommend you drive a Tamora
before passing final judgement. I'm an old stick in the mud and whilst I'm still
not sure what I think of the rear end, I am simply gobsmacked at what fun it
was, even without passing 4,000rpm!
Test drives are available at the TVR Centre in Barnet, but they do ask that
you book in advance: www.tvr-centre.co.uk.
Price including VAT and delivery is £37,410.