1997 TVR Chimaera 400

Highlights

• Thoroughly developed, properly sorted Chimaera 400

• CANEMS programmable engine management upgrade

• 2014 body-off chassis refurbishment with engine rebuild

• Uprated suspension, cooling and fuelling throughout

• Extensive specialist service history with major service completed December 2025

Overview

For a model now comfortably into its fourth decade, the TVR Chimaera continues to punch well above its weight in the affections of British sports car enthusiasts. Launched at the Earls Court motor show in 1992 and produced until 2003, it became TVR's best-selling model by some margin, with approximately 6,000 cars leaving the factory across its twelve-year life. It was a car built for enthusiasts, by enthusiasts, and it still wears that ethos on its fibreglass sleeve.

Development across its production run was evolutionary. A Borg Warner T5 gearbox replaced the Rover-sourced LT77 in 1994, a 1996 facelift introduced the crossbar grille and signature hidden door releases beneath the mirrors, and a 2000 update brought faired-in headlights and Cerbera-sourced seats. Throughout, the recipe remained the same: a charismatic roadster powered by a V8, delivering the kind of raw, rear-drive thrills that are almost extinct in the modern market.

The 400 sits right at a sweet spot of the range. It's a car that rewards ownership, and rewards enthusiast development even more. Which brings us neatly to this particular example.

First registered on 27th February 1997 and finished in deep, metallic-flecked Moonraker Black over a magnolia leather cabin with navy carpets, this Chimaera 400 has been the subject of a sustained and thoughtful programme of upgrades that lift it well beyond standard specification, without ever straying from what makes a Chimaera a Chimaera.

The headline change is a CANEMS fully programmable engine management conversion, installed and dyno-mapped by a recognised specialists Lloyd Specialist Developments Ltd and backed up by a new genuine fuel rail and Bosch EV6 injectors. The vendor describes the result as transformative, with crisp, linear response right from idle and a drive that's sharper and more tractable at any pace. Supporting it is a coordinated suite of modernising work: a new aluminium radiator and Spal cooling fan, all 8mm fuel hose replaced with Gates Barricade R14 ethanol-resistant injection hose, a fresh alternator, and a new remote central locking and immobiliser setup.

Underpinning all that is a complete 2014 body-off chassis refurbishment with new wishbones, Powerflex bushes and Nitron adjustable coilover dampers, alongside a full engine rebuild: the solid foundation on which every subsequent upgrade sits. Bronze JR alloys (16-inch front, 17-inch rear) on Yokohama Advan rubber give it real visual presence, while the Moonraker Black paintwork displays a deep, mirror-like gloss which the vendor notes follows a professional Stage 2 machine polish and Sonax ceramic coating. The original TVR alloys on Toyos are included too, should the next custodian want to revert to a more standard look.

For the PHer who wants a Chimaera that delivers on every bit of the marque's theatre with modernised fuelling, cooling and chassis hardware to back it up, this is one of the more thoughtfully developed examples we've seen come to market.

History and documentation

• First registered 27th February 1997

• Complete body-off chassis refurbishment carried out April to July 2014, including new wishbones, Powerflex bushes, Nitron adjustable coilover dampers, and engine honing and rebuild with new cam, followers, bearings, piston rings and gaskets (supported by signed restoration letter dated 12th August 2014 and USB memory stick of photographic evidence)

• CANEMS programmable engine management conversion installed August 2023 by Lloyd Specialist Developments Ltd, with new genuine fuel rail and Bosch EV6 injectors (invoice SI-4895); this is said to eliminate the common 'shunting' and low-speed hesitance of the original 14CUX system and delivers modern-day driveability and cold-start reliability

• All 8mm fuel hose replaced with Gates Barricade R14 ethanol-resistant injection hose (Oct 2023)

• New aluminium radiator, Spal cooling fan, alternator and remote central locking/immobiliser fitted in recent ownership

• Stamped TVR service book and specialist invoices: Jul 1997 at 5,955 miles, Jan 1998 at 12,932 miles, Feb 1999 at 15,285 miles, Feb 2000 at 18,300 miles, Aug 2002 at 25,293 miles, Apr 2005 at 38,646 miles, Aug 2007 at 44,433 miles, Aug 2014 at 57,574 miles, Oct 2022 at 65,137 miles (54k service by selling dealer), Aug 2023 CANEMS conversion, Oct 2023 minor service and Waxoyl treatment, Oct 2023 Spal fan and brake work, Jun 2024 steering rack overhaul, Nov 2024 major service and new central locking, Dec 2024 new alternator, May 2025 sump reseal, Dec 2025 annual service and aluminium radiator

• Huge history file including stamped TVR service Filofax, owner's handbook, original dealer paperwork, old MOT certificates and extensive specialist invoices

• Two keys supplied, along with Hawk alarm/immobiliser remote fobs

• USB memory stick containing photographic record of the 2014 body-off restoration

• Cherished registration C10RMS is not included in the sale and the car will revert to an age-appropriate plate

• Original TVR alloy wheels with Toyo tyres are included separately for the next owner

• Current MOT valid until 18 Aug 2026

• Indicated mileage of 70,070 miles is consistent with documented service and MOT readings

Interior

• Magnolia part leather cabin with contrasting black centre tunnel, navy carpets and magnolia leather piping presents cohesively and is believed to remain entirely original

• Aluminium gear knob, handbrake release, stalks and dash switchgear lift the ambience against the engine-turned aluminium fascia and ivory-faced TVR dials

• Three-spoke Personal steering wheel with black spokes and gold TVR boss shows light polishing to the leather rim but no splits

• Seats show honest age-related creasing and light crazing across cushions and bolsters but remain supportive, with contrast stitching intact

• Polished stainless Chimaera-branded sill tread plate on the driver's side shows surface scuffing from use

• Driver-side door jamb shows some cracked lacquer and minor fibreglass marks around the striker plate area from earlier repair work

• Navy carpets are clean and unstained; a few carpet edges (along the door pillar and rear bulkhead) were left open following the 2014 body-off restoration in discreet positions and have not been refinished

• Aftermarket head unit is neatly integrated alongside the original auxiliary gauges, with Pioneer speakers in the rear bulkhead

• Boot compartment is cleanly carpeted in grey with a red fire extinguisher mounted to the rear bulkhead, and the bootlid underside is neatly finished with grey carpet

• Soft-top rear plastic window is clear and crack-free with no yellowing

• All electrics, gauges and switchgear are reported as fully functional

Exterior

• Finished in Moonraker Black with visible metallic flake, showing a deep, mirror-like gloss which the vendor notes follows a professional Stage 2 machine polish and Sonax ceramic coating

• Vendor describes the car as being in good condition for its age, with the specific marks noted below

• Light stone chip touch-ups are visible on the nose and wing mirrors

• Minor lacquer peel is present on the driver's side rear skirt

• Small unrepaired fibreglass mark on the underside corner of the lower rear bumper (passenger side) remains unsprayed and is only visible from underneath; it predates current ownership and has been disclosed by the vendor

• Shutlines are consistent throughout and reflections along the flanks are smooth

• Black soft-top is taut and clean, with a clear rear screen and tidy stitching

• Upgraded bronze JR multi-spoke alloys fitted, 16-inch at the front and 17-inch at the rear, wrapped in Yokohama Advan Fleva V701 rubber with healthy tread and no visible kerb damage

• Underside shows a powder-coated white tubular chassis protected by a thorough coat of Waxoyl, with wishbones, exhaust and suspension components presenting clean and dry

• Twin central-exit stainless exhaust tailpipes are straight and free of significant corrosion

Mechanical

• 4.0-litre V8, producing 240 bhp and 270 lb ft in factory specification

• Upgraded with CANEMS fully programmable engine management, new genuine fuel rail and Bosch EV6 injectors, installed and dyno-mapped by Lloyd Specialist Developments Ltd

• Bosch silicone HT leads and new ignition componentry feed the distributed coil packs

• Borg Warner T5 manual gearbox driving the rear wheels

• Nitron adjustable coilover dampers, new wishbones and Powerflex bushes fitted during the 2014 body-off refurbishment

• Engine honed and rebuilt in 2014 with new cam and followers, bearings, piston rings and gaskets

• Aluminium radiator, Spal electric cooling fan, new alternator, and Gates Barricade R14 ethanol-resistant fuel hoses all fitted during current ownership

• Remote-activated central locking and immobiliser fitted November 2024

• Most recent major service completed by Lloyd Specialist Developments Ltd in December 2025 at circa 69,600 miles, covering annual service, new Bosch HT leads, track rod ends, steering rack gaiter, exhaust and gearbox mounts, anti-roll bar drop links and the aluminium radiator upgrade

• Sump reseal carried out May 2025; the vendor reports a very slight oil seepage from the sump was noted at the December 2025 service and is being monitored by the specialist, with a further sump re-seal as the planned remedial action should it progress

• Drilled front brake discs with refurbished calipers (offside replaced 2023)

• Stainless exhaust system is in sound order with no blowing or perforation

• Vendor reports the car starts, runs, idles and drives beautifully, with no untoward sounds or smoke, and describes the soundtrack as "only rivalled by a Spitfire"

• Beyond the monitored sump seepage noted above, the vendor advises nothing else needs attention and the car is ready to be driven and enjoyed

Summary

The Chimaera has always been about sensation. The thrum of a lightly-muffled V8 inches from your right foot, the rush of the wind in your hair, the way the world narrows to the tarmac ahead. What sets this one apart is the degree to which it delivers all of that while also driving with genuinely modernised manners at everyday speeds. CANEMS programmable engine management, Bosch EV6 fuelling, aluminium cooling, ethanol-safe fuel plumbing, Nitron adjustable damping and Yokohama Advan-shod bronze alloys all stack up to a Chimaera 400 that's been meaningfully developed rather than simply maintained.

Back it all up with a huge paper trail, and you've got one of the more thoughtfully engineered Chimaera 400s likely to come to market. Recently serviced, it’s properly sorted and ready to be enjoyed.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located near Westbury, Wiltshire.