Typhon almost finished ...

[prime_al]

Poppped up today to see my car now painted and with the seats and pedal box in - allowing the next stage of the customisation process (i.e set up for heel and toe and my specific back support needs). The car is pretty close now just lacking the engine and gearbox and final bits of trim .. I'm going to mail a few pics to Pies and hope he will pop them up under this for me. I've also taken a few nice pics of the reflex charcoal show car showing the cars front and back (love those rear exhausts !). N.B. Had a 'static' go with the sequential box for the first time and although that levers shape is clearly unfinished the action I'm pleased to say was slickly positive.

[prime_al]

jeremyc said:

RichB said: I see that's running on Dunlop tyres, have TVR abbandoned Toyos or are they simply for rolling it around the workshops? Rich... The car at MPH03 was on Dunlops as well. Maybe Toyo don't do 19" tyres, or aren't rated for 220mph.

Here's the text from my earlier thread :

Sent TVR a copy of the M3 CSL disclaimer which those of us who want will need to sign similarly. My car is going to have a set of sticky road legal track Dunlop tyres fitted (off a Mercedes pace car I'm told), I'm also going to have a set of Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3's for wet weather use. Although the car comes as standard on the Toyo tyres which Int says are pretty good round Rockingham its nice to have some choice particularly with the performance capability of this car ...

Oh .. tyre sizes are 255/35 x 19 front and 255/40 x 19 rear (yeah I know that seems the wrong way round and that it's unusual to have the same size f & r) ...

[prime_al]

ByronTVR said:

Excellent cars... you lucky owners! Any more pics pls?!

The steering wheel in the photos of my car was a temporary substitute the proper item looks like this ... its a mixture of braveheart suede and black leather. Feels nice ..

[Prime_al]

ScoobyManchester said:

DoctorD said: I'm sure prime_al would like to tell you what kind of power/torque figures it's producing at the moment, but he has agreed not to steal TVRs thunder. Use your imagination and then some.. I have a pretty wild imagination , gis' a clue! BTW, will this car have rear seats or the GT fuel tank?

That dilema got resolved a while back. Mine was going to be without rear seats and with the larger fuel tank. Since then the spec has firmed up with a 70 litre tank AND rear seats. When I saw that the rear seats add hardly any weight at all (top and bottom thinly padded squabs on top of the naked carbon fibre) it made sense to include them. The car has 4 point harnesses front AND rear attached to a rear bar which is part of the rear roll cage structure. It also has front inertia reel seat belts as with anyone in the back you cannot logically use the front harnesses as they pass through the space where their heads would be!

Clues: if you've seen Brundle's new DVD and wondered whether TVR have a car that can really cut it in that sort of 200mph hyper car company - worry no longer ...

[prime_al]

whitey said:

looking good Prime_al !! I'm very jealous !!! Few questions: Have TVR confirmed if the supercharged engine is 500 or 550 bhp ? >> Sorry - I'm not aware of any official power or torque info confirmed yet (current dyno outputs would make you laugh though ..) << Is the sequential box standard on the Typhon ? >> Dunno mine will << Are you having a LSD or Hydratrak diff ? >> Mine's got a BTR Hydratrak LSD fitted << A magazine article had mentioned the possibility of Traction control on the Tuscan R's, do you know anything about this ? >> Yep <g> as ever its called a restrained right foot, though the sticky 'track day' Dunlops will also play a major role (I understand the magazine to have been mistaken)<< I see the rear exhaust pipes have an insert in them. In the TVR car at MPH03 this was horizontal, but on the first customer car it is vertical, any reason why ? And whats it for ? >> No idea to be honest but would guess its a minor design variation from one car to the next << Do you know if the carbon fibre body can be repaired in the same way as GRP in the event of any damage ? >> Not qualified to say and hoping never to have to find out - the cars external skin is not just carbon fibre most of its under chassis is too, it also has a full length underbody diffuser designed to create significant downforce so draw your own conclusions ! When do you expect delivery ? >> early in 2004 << Cheers A very jealous Whitey !!

Hi Whitey, wow thats a lot of questions .. not sure I can answer them all .. I've stuck what replies I can in between the >> << brackets above.

Hope they provide a bit of info but as ever best port of call for a definitive answer technically is an email to Ecosse at the factory ..

Cheers

Prime_Al

[Prime_al]

_DJ_ said:

Alan, Are you able to disclose any information about what they factory are doing with your engine? It almost sounds like the your car is going to be used as the test bed for the supercharged engine. Do you know how many engines of that spec exist at the moment? I know you can't disclose the details of power output, but it'd be good to know how the engine is being developed, tested etc and whether you're involved. Is the engine that is currently on the dyno going to be fitted to your car? The car sounds awesome by the way (quite a claim to fame, having TVR's first supercharged supercar!). DJ

The guys as you would expect are working on refining the balance of emissions vs performance vs reasonable fuel economy (with range in mind) of the supercharged engine. Only thing else I can add is that mine is not the test bed for the engine.

Rather than claiming any fame what I'd like to be doing is cheering a blower T400R along at Le Mans soon - I can see the headline now 'Bentley Blower Boys are back ..."

[Prime_Al]

cacatous said:

Sagaris will probably use the 4.0 and a supercharger with the Typhon using the 4.2 and a supercharger...

My Typhon has a supercharged 4.0 in it(the block's stonger I understand).

>> Edited by Prime_Al on Friday 9th January 23:01

[Prime_Al]

_DJ_ said:

Is the formal TVR announcement about the Sagaris what you were expecting for the supercharged engine? "TVR claiming 480-500bhp and 430 lb-ft of torque." I was personally expecting a bit more (with the rumoured 550bhp being bandered around). Perhaps the Sagaris will use a smaller s6? DJ

Power and torque in this case I would suggest depends on the mapping, breathing and boost - all of which are variable depending on the application (consider the speed 12 or Mc F1 engines in road and race tune for example) ...

>> Edited by Prime_Al on Friday 9th January 22:58

[Prime_Al]

PetrolTed said:

I think the Sagaris is to use a 3.6 supercharged unit.

I understand the 4.0 unit is to be fully developed first though Just to add to our earlier thread I also now understand the engine power in the racing Sagaris has been calculated to ensure a level playing field when they mix it with the existing 4.5 AJP8 Tuscan racers...

[Prime_Al]

jamer said:

Alan All I can say is that I know nobody else who puts as much effort in keeping their TVR in tip top conditon as you.. and although I vowed in 1999 never to go out on a testdrive with you again (the bit around the Queniborough roundabout with slicks on and the 170mph with the bonnet undone on the A46 springs to mind) I might bend you ear this year as a `one off ' Just don't tell the wife After waiting this long it will be great to hear the sonic boom on the A1 P.S I've just sold your old 4500 to a chap in Northampton, I told him that if he didn't look after it you would be on his case! >> Edited by jamer on Thursday 15th January 13:27

There goes my reputation in the neighbourhood for prudence and safe driving - have to join me later on in the year when the Typhon's properly run in and we can find somewhere to stretch its legs - how about a hot lap or two of the Nordscheife (wonder what she'll pull through the Karrussel)

Best to you and the missus

[Prime_Al]

pauly said:

Al I was at the factory last Friday and saw your car wow what a beast. And Peter Wheeler himself was overseeing some work on it. You are one lucky S.O.B

Glad you thought so Pauly - looking forward to getting up myself in a few weeks, certainly a feel good colour isn't it I've paid for the lads at Armorfend to go down to Racing Green this week where the factory Typhon is currently to draw up the template for the car - should have it armorfended in a week or two...

[Prime_Al]

DoctorD said:

I think it's almost there now. The plan is to collect it by the end of this month/early April and then the long and frustrating process of running it in. I'm looking forward to a drive of it too, if I can prise his fingers off the steering wheel.. p.s. I'm Al's brother

Sorry I've been so quiet (skiiing/ work etc ..)- brief update to everyone - The engine's in ( hooray !!) and the gearbox should be in end of this coming week - final fettling involves the manufacture of a carbon fibre airbox replacing the experimental aluminium mock up and capable of staying sealed under 1bar pressure.

Still on target to pick up in early April once the lads get back from Sebring ...

[Prime_Al]

I was last up a week ago, thanks as ever to Chris's patience I spent time in the engine & gearbox development depts talking technical to my hearts content - the dyno readout is now astonishing even for a power junkie like me - more fettling was going on last week with the new air filter in place (also has the 3.45:1 final drive in now) - the gearbox was missing 2 bearings but I was able to gain a detailed understanding of its workings and it really is clever - should be both quiet in operation and positive but yet is a true sequential not a robotised manual, you do need to use the clutch though both on up and down shifts - the cogs are small and designed to be synchro assisted (this is not a dog box). Otherwise just nailing final details (like badging and that gear selector knob) - eta (now) 1st week in May - booked the Marque Club package for Le Mans so need to get it soon to run it in for the trip down ...

popped up some new pics below (including some of the carbon aero underbody).. thanks as always for the well wishes ..















>> Edited by Prime_Al on Saturday 10th April 14:12

[Prime_Al]

luca brazzi said:

Great pictures, so many questions. Totally and utterly different to the underside of mine. 1. What's all the writing say on the side of the drivers seat? Will hold off all the other questions for the moment LB

Its a caution disclaimer but must admit I haven't read it yet ! might be to do with the carbon bodywork ..

[Prime_Al]

dod said:

Al, Any chance we could see pictures at full size? I'd like to drool in detail. Luca, Maybe you could help out if it's not asking too much? Ta in advance, David

Sorry David, already spoken to Luca about this and its a no go (from my side) for now. Having said this let me know by private email if you'd like one or two of the pics shown I'll send them to you direct - no problem ..

[Prime_Al]

ccharlie6 said:

great! i can't wait to hear. it'll definitely crack 200mph no matter what i just know it >> Edited by ccharlie6 on Tuesday 13th April 20:55

My cars geared so that top i.e 6th is similar to a 4.5 Cerbie i.e almost 30mph per thou (with the 19" wheels it is slightly longer in fact)its being set up with a 7500rpm limit and it has a 0.32 drag coefficient - given the huge power and torque it is expected to pull max revs even in top so 200mph should not be a problem at all ..

[Prime_Al]

roadsweeper said:

Supersonic said: DoctorD said: We already know.... and it's very good. You will be pleased Without stating the exact power output, can you confirm it's more than the stated (in mags) 500bhp? I second that question! I was a bit disappointed with the 500bhp being quoted considering that is has a supercharger. 600bhp would be what I would like if I was (i.e. could afford to!) buying one.

Final mapping in-situ (i.e with filters etc) is almost done and I don't want to spoil the headlines or steal TVR's thunder so I'm keeping stumm. I will say that 500bhp is way, way too low ..

[Prime_Al]

ccharlie6 said:

good to hear these two weeks are going to feel veerryy long i bet although i supose that rear brakes are important

Sadly I've had an update chat this afternoon and detailed planning says although I can still get to Le Mans this year in the beast its gonna be very close - delivery is now early June following SVA ... (still at least the weather should be better (sung to the tune of all ways look on the bright side of life .. ))

[Prime_Al]

cacatous said:

I would have thought 275 or 285 section rear tyres would have been better with 245 or 255 at the front? Obviously you want to be able to feel when that much power is going to break but not instantly!

Know exactly what you mean Cacatous - been there and discussed that as you'd expect - the T400/440R car was designed with the 255 tyres in mind given its weight, target handling feel and downforce objectives. However that was before the supercharged engined was conceived .. as my brother DoctorD points out it has been fitted with a t/c device with a variable potentiometer so hopefully that will help out on low grip surfaces .. we'll see...