TVR Chimaera 4.0 vs S3 - a question of head over heart?
Discussion
I am still saving for my first Tiv, and will probably not be able to buy for until next summer, but I am still trying to decide whether I would go for an early-ish Chimaera 4ltr or a late S3.
I adore the Chimaera, it looks stunning, sounds stunning, and goes like Billyo - what more could you want? If I am driving along in my Fiesta and my girl says to me "wow, look at that Ferrari 430", and I had seen a Chim the other way (I live in a very affluent part of society obviously), there is no way my gaze would be broken.
The S3 on the other hand, has been a grower. I saw one at the Harpenden Classics on the Common last year (saw an S2 this year), and thought it looked nice, not stunning, but nice. Then the owner turned the ignition - nice. I recently read a buyers guide in Classic Cars Mag, which pointed out the low cost of ownership compared to most later Tivs.
In summary, I see the pro's and con's of each as being:
Chim
Pro
-Amazing V8, great looks and entertainment. A sense of occasion every time.
- Big boot
- Not a Speed Six!
Con
- Expensive to maintain (on a budget)
- Fuel costs
- Girl might be intimidated to drive!
S3
Pro
- Great sounding V6
- Ford parts so reliable, cheap and easy to source.
- Cheapish to own, decent entry-level
Con
- Crap boot space
- Older, therefore possibly less reliable
- Not as good looking (opinion)
I have posted this thread in the S/Chimaera forum too to try and get a balanced view. I am 23, with 3 years no claims bonus, living in Luton with no garage. I would prob have to keep the Fiesta due to work committments.
Any advice welcome!
I adore the Chimaera, it looks stunning, sounds stunning, and goes like Billyo - what more could you want? If I am driving along in my Fiesta and my girl says to me "wow, look at that Ferrari 430", and I had seen a Chim the other way (I live in a very affluent part of society obviously), there is no way my gaze would be broken.
The S3 on the other hand, has been a grower. I saw one at the Harpenden Classics on the Common last year (saw an S2 this year), and thought it looked nice, not stunning, but nice. Then the owner turned the ignition - nice. I recently read a buyers guide in Classic Cars Mag, which pointed out the low cost of ownership compared to most later Tivs.
In summary, I see the pro's and con's of each as being:
Chim
Pro
-Amazing V8, great looks and entertainment. A sense of occasion every time.
- Big boot
- Not a Speed Six!
Con
- Expensive to maintain (on a budget)
- Fuel costs
- Girl might be intimidated to drive!
S3
Pro
- Great sounding V6
- Ford parts so reliable, cheap and easy to source.
- Cheapish to own, decent entry-level
Con
- Crap boot space
- Older, therefore possibly less reliable
- Not as good looking (opinion)
I have posted this thread in the S/Chimaera forum too to try and get a balanced view. I am 23, with 3 years no claims bonus, living in Luton with no garage. I would prob have to keep the Fiesta due to work committments.
Any advice welcome!
Can I just add, of course there is an S V8.
Personally I'm likely to pitch for a V6.
In any case I am going through exactly the same thing as you, I have always wanted a TVR, was always thinking of a Chim, but have recently taken a sharp veering course towards an S, in part because the Chim/Griff owners I have spoken to who previously owned S Series, all say they miss the S. Besides bar none the S owners Iv'e asked seem to love the bloody things.
If I want an ultra fast beast, then sorry for the money it would be Jap again, probably a Supra turbo, but what I'm after is that particular sound and look from and English classic sports car, and that isn't about being fastest down the outside lane of the M1 it's about blatting around a windy A road on a sunny day with a pretty girl in the passenger seat....well tis for me anyway.
Personally I'm likely to pitch for a V6.
In any case I am going through exactly the same thing as you, I have always wanted a TVR, was always thinking of a Chim, but have recently taken a sharp veering course towards an S, in part because the Chim/Griff owners I have spoken to who previously owned S Series, all say they miss the S. Besides bar none the S owners Iv'e asked seem to love the bloody things.
If I want an ultra fast beast, then sorry for the money it would be Jap again, probably a Supra turbo, but what I'm after is that particular sound and look from and English classic sports car, and that isn't about being fastest down the outside lane of the M1 it's about blatting around a windy A road on a sunny day with a pretty girl in the passenger seat....well tis for me anyway.
Gut feeling suggests to me to go for a well looked after S3 rather than an early Chimera. Nothing against the Chimera, but the earliers cars in a production run can have a few more niggles than the later ones..
A most sensible compromise however would be a V8S.
Couple around for sale now too..
A most sensible compromise however would be a V8S.
Couple around for sale now too.. Legend83 said:
Blokey - could not agree more! Jap cars are incredible machines, but a bit bland for me - I want, as you say, that distinctive look and noise. WHY DO I HAVE TO WAIT!!! Lol
The thing is that whilst there are owners clubs for Jap cars, I just never got the feel that there was anything like the social/ interest/ hobbyist element to them.
Also I have a mate who bought a Supra for £10k, his comment after several months of ownership was that yes it sat at 100mph on the motorway and that felt like you were doing 60, which actually was bloody boring LOL. You can see his point really.
The best times in my MR2 have been lid off, sunny day, pretty girl, pottering around on a weekend, not blasting down the mway.....that's just boring.
Having said that the Chim is a lovely car, but it's semantics isn't it, I'm not sure I'd say the Chim looks better than the S, infact when I showed her in doors the two cars, she immediately loved the S. I think they were built at a similar time, but the S was styled as a retro 'classic English' style sports car, whilst the Chim is arguably more of a muscle car?
Anyway I'm about as confused as you, so I've decided to 'buy what I buy' because I can always change later so long as I buy a good one!
I'll chuck my 2p into the mix with this one. I have owned my S3 for about 16 months now. During that time, my friend bought and sold a 4.0l Chim - he had it for about 8 months so I have had fairly good experience of both cars.
In line with your summary points I'd say...
Chim
Pro
- Amazing V8, great looks and entertainment. A sense of occasion every time.
I'll give you that. Even the 4.0 is b**stard fast and sounds great - allegedly not as fast as the V8S though....
- Big boot
Are you a golfer
Seriously, yes it has a bigger boot than the S
- Not a Speed Six!
Would be a nice combo though....
Con
- Expensive to maintain (on a budget)
As far as I can tell, less that you can do yourself but atthe end of the day, it is only a Rover V8 so shouldn't be too bad.
- Fuel costs
Yes it does.
- Girl might be intimidated to drive!
Or she might love it in which case you'd never get near it.
S3
Pro
- Great sounding V6
I managed to set off a BMW alarm in Sainsburys carpark the other day just starting the car with a bit of gas on.
- Ford parts so reliable, cheap and easy to source.
Some bits are becoming more difficult to find (eg Indicator lenses) but where there's a will...
- Cheapish to own, decent entry-level
Can't disagree with that.
Con
- Crap boot space
Not as big as the Chim, granted but ny no means crap. I regularly go down to Comb e for the weekend with all my camping gear and marshalling stuff packed in the boot and have space for the roof panels.
- Older, therefore possibly less reliable
As long as its looked after, there's no reason to think this. As I said, I've had mine for 16 months and it hasn't missed a beat. A few small electrical niggles but thats it.
- Not as good looking (opinion)
Each to their own I guess...
In line with your summary points I'd say...
Chim
Pro
- Amazing V8, great looks and entertainment. A sense of occasion every time.
I'll give you that. Even the 4.0 is b**stard fast and sounds great - allegedly not as fast as the V8S though....
- Big boot
Are you a golfer
Seriously, yes it has a bigger boot than the S - Not a Speed Six!
Would be a nice combo though....
Con
- Expensive to maintain (on a budget)
As far as I can tell, less that you can do yourself but atthe end of the day, it is only a Rover V8 so shouldn't be too bad.
- Fuel costs
Yes it does.
- Girl might be intimidated to drive!
Or she might love it in which case you'd never get near it.
S3
Pro
- Great sounding V6
I managed to set off a BMW alarm in Sainsburys carpark the other day just starting the car with a bit of gas on. - Ford parts so reliable, cheap and easy to source.
Some bits are becoming more difficult to find (eg Indicator lenses) but where there's a will...
- Cheapish to own, decent entry-level
Can't disagree with that.
Con
- Crap boot space
Not as big as the Chim, granted but ny no means crap. I regularly go down to Comb e for the weekend with all my camping gear and marshalling stuff packed in the boot and have space for the roof panels.
- Older, therefore possibly less reliable
As long as its looked after, there's no reason to think this. As I said, I've had mine for 16 months and it hasn't missed a beat. A few small electrical niggles but thats it.
- Not as good looking (opinion)
Each to their own I guess...
blokey said:
Legend83 said:
Blokey - could not agree more! Jap cars are incredible machines, but a bit bland for me - I want, as you say, that distinctive look and noise. WHY DO I HAVE TO WAIT!!! Lol
The thing is that whilst there are owners clubs for Jap cars, I just never got the feel that there was anything like the social/ interest/ hobbyist element to them.
Also I have a mate who bought a Supra for £10k, his comment after several months of ownership was that yes it sat at 100mph on the motorway and that felt like you were doing 60, which actually was bloody boring LOL. You can see his point really.
The best times in my MR2 have been lid off, sunny day, pretty girl, pottering around on a weekend, not blasting down the mway.....that's just boring.
Having said that the Chim is a lovely car, but it's semantics isn't it, I'm not sure I'd say the Chim looks better than the S, infact when I showed her in doors the two cars, she immediately loved the S. I think they were built at a similar time, but the S was styled as a retro 'classic English' style sports car, whilst the Chim is arguably more of a muscle car?
Anyway I'm about as confused as you, so I've decided to 'buy what I buy' because I can always change later so long as I buy a good one!
Ah yes, the better half. Now her reaction when I showed her pics of the S was "that doesn't look like a TVR". Problem is (as well as being a bit nonchalent) she knows TVR's as the Sagaris and Tuscan - not quite the same look! As an aside, have driven a Tuscan - what a machine, but too expensive and sensitive for me! Anyway, I am pretty sure that despite sticking her oar in, the missus would be glad to be driven around with the lid down in either really!
Legend83 said:
Ah yes, the better half. Now her reaction when I showed her pics of the S was "that doesn't look like a TVR". Problem is (as well as being a bit nonchalent) she knows TVR's as the Sagaris and Tuscan - not quite the same look! As an aside, have driven a Tuscan - what a machine, but too expensive and sensitive for me! Anyway, I am pretty sure that despite sticking her oar in, the missus would be glad to be driven around with the lid down in either really!
Well if she doesn't like the car you can always get another one
blokey said:
Legend83 said:
Ah yes, the better half. Now her reaction when I showed her pics of the S was "that doesn't look like a TVR". Problem is (as well as being a bit nonchalent) she knows TVR's as the Sagaris and Tuscan - not quite the same look! As an aside, have driven a Tuscan - what a machine, but too expensive and sensitive for me! Anyway, I am pretty sure that despite sticking her oar in, the missus would be glad to be driven around with the lid down in either really!
Well if she doesn't like the car you can always get another one
Nah, she looks good in a 1992 baby blue Fiesta!
dougc said:
Having re-read your original post, have you rung around for any insurance quotes yet?
No, but very good point. As I mentioned in the original post, I can not forsee my purchase until next summer now. By then, I will be almost 4 years NCB. I am guessing that it easier to get classic insurance on an S3 than a Chimaera?
blokey said:
dougc said:
Having re-read your original post, have you rung around for any insurance quotes yet?
That's what I was about to say. Presumably a 2.9S would be somewhat less than a 4.0l Chim.
Just to give you an idea, I bought my S at 23, insured it garaged in St Albans as my second car limited to 5000 miles pa, alarmed, immobolised and with no modifications and the cheapest I could find was just shy of £900. Most insurers wouldn't entertain the idea of giving me a policy. One even laughed at me down the phone.
Legend83 said:
dougc said:
Having re-read your original post, have you rung around for any insurance quotes yet?
No, but very good point. As I mentioned in the original post, I can not forsee my purchase until next summer now. By then, I will be almost 4 years NCB. I am guessing that it easier to get classic insurance on an S3 than a Chimaera?
IIRC it's an age thing ( 10 years I believe ) so both would qualify in alot of cases, so long as it's a 96 or pre Chim. And any younger would be out of budget range anyway.
dougc said:
blokey said:
dougc said:
Having re-read your original post, have you rung around for any insurance quotes yet?
That's what I was about to say. Presumably a 2.9S would be somewhat less than a 4.0l Chim.
Just to give you an idea, I bought my S at 23, insured it garaged in St Albans as my second car limited to 5000 miles pa, alarmed, immobolised and with no modifications and the cheapest I could find was just shy of £900. Most insurers wouldn't entertain the idea of giving me a policy. One even laughed at me down the phone.
I all right mate, I'm 32
bloody wish I was 23 again, I'd have worked alot less hard and gotten upto alot more mischief! Have been quoted £350 for a Chim, but that doesn't really make up for being an old fart. blokey said:
Legend83 said:
dougc said:
Having re-read your original post, have you rung around for any insurance quotes yet?
No, but very good point. As I mentioned in the original post, I can not forsee my purchase until next summer now. By then, I will be almost 4 years NCB. I am guessing that it easier to get classic insurance on an S3 than a Chimaera?
IIRC it's an age thing ( 10 years I believe ) so both would qualify in alot of cases, so long as it's a 96 or pre Chim. And any younger would be out of budget range anyway.
Indeed. Both the S and the Chim will qualify as classic but you'll be lucky to find someone to give you a classic policy under the age of 25 and in some cases 27 or even 30.
*slight thread hijack* doug in you experience is there any truth to the rumour that at higher speeds the S is less stable than the Chim? How does it cruise on the motorways?
Legend might be interested in this question too anway so I'm sure it's an excused hijack
Legend might be interested in this question too anway so I'm sure it's an excused hijack
Edited by blokey on Tuesday 12th September 16:18
Just to give you an idea, I bought my S at 23, insured it garaged in St Albans as my second car limited to 5000 miles pa, alarmed, immobolised and with no modifications and the cheapest I could find was just shy of £900. Most insurers wouldn't entertain the idea of giving me a policy. One even laughed at me down the phone.[/quote]
Ouch. Did you try all the specialists - Adrian Flux etc? My mate used to do that as a prank call to insurers - ring up, give details, newly passed driver etc, car: Lamborghini Diablo. They literally do laugh! Probably the only fun they have at work.
Anyway, back to the point, I will be investigating insurance via the TVR Car Club - probably get some good pointers.
Ouch. Did you try all the specialists - Adrian Flux etc? My mate used to do that as a prank call to insurers - ring up, give details, newly passed driver etc, car: Lamborghini Diablo. They literally do laugh! Probably the only fun they have at work.
Anyway, back to the point, I will be investigating insurance via the TVR Car Club - probably get some good pointers.
blokey said:
*slight thread hijack* doug in you experience is there any truth to the rumour that at higher speeds the S is less stable than the Chim? How does it cruise on the motorways?
Legend might be interested in this question too anway so I'm sure it's an excused hijack
Legend might be interested in this question too anway so I'm sure it's an excused hijack
Edited by blokey on Tuesday 12th September 16:18
Certainly the Chim I have experience of felt a lot more 'taught' than my S. It had only just had new suspension fitted when he bought it and added to aftermarket wheels (17s) and lower profile tyres the ride was somewhat firm and it had a tendancy to tramline on the motorway. At private testing facility speeds there was less buffeting, especially with the lid on and it would happily cruise along without a care in the world (apart from the massive noise coming from the back of course)
My S on the other hand has standard springs and dampers and has 'settled' over the years. At high speed though, this has never been a problem. At the same autobahn speeds as the Chim, it does take a bit more concentration but its not as if you are hanging on for dear life or anything. There is no steering vibration and it doesn't feel as if its 'going light' at speed. At normal motorway cruise speeds however its more relaxing than my everyday runabout.
Edited by dougc on Tuesday 12th September 16:28
Gassing Station | S Series | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff