Is it quick or slow?
Discussion
I was just wondering what kind of performance and bhp i should expect from my 400se.
Before i bought it i was told by my local specialist that it would be nowhere near tvr's claim of 270bhp.Probably nearer 190.
Since buying the car this is certainly obvious from the car's performance given it's claimed weight.It is hard to say just how quick it is as of course there are many sensations to take on board when giving a wedge full vegetables but i reckon it's about as quick as a decent hot hatch.Certainly no quicker.
My car has full history,lots of paperwork and 36000 on the clock.
How well do your(standard)cars perform?Some people on here talk about teasing porsches and the like.I get embarressed if i tried that.
What do you guys think?
Cheers Jim
Before i bought it i was told by my local specialist that it would be nowhere near tvr's claim of 270bhp.Probably nearer 190.
Since buying the car this is certainly obvious from the car's performance given it's claimed weight.It is hard to say just how quick it is as of course there are many sensations to take on board when giving a wedge full vegetables but i reckon it's about as quick as a decent hot hatch.Certainly no quicker.
My car has full history,lots of paperwork and 36000 on the clock.
How well do your(standard)cars perform?Some people on here talk about teasing porsches and the like.I get embarressed if i tried that.
What do you guys think?
Cheers Jim
I was at the vmax event on sunday where the highest speed achieved by a TVR Griff 500 was 158mph.
I got a ride in a porsche which pulled 189mph, and there were several faster ones there.
V8 Tvr's are grunty fun cars to drive, but if its raw performance or competitive edge you're after then get a more modern TVR or a Porsche. Of course, if you do get a porker, the kids you pass will change from giving thumbs up's and cheery grins to nazi salutes and scowls.
I got a ride in a porsche which pulled 189mph, and there were several faster ones there.
V8 Tvr's are grunty fun cars to drive, but if its raw performance or competitive edge you're after then get a more modern TVR or a Porsche. Of course, if you do get a porker, the kids you pass will change from giving thumbs up's and cheery grins to nazi salutes and scowls.
JimF said:
I was just wondering what kind of performance and bhp i should expect from my 400se.
Before i bought it i was told by my local specialist that it would be nowhere near tvr's claim of 270bhp.Probably nearer 190.
Since buying the car this is certainly obvious from the car's performance given it's claimed weight.It is hard to say just how quick it is as of course there are many sensations to take on board when giving a wedge full vegetables but i reckon it's about as quick as a decent hot hatch.Certainly no quicker.
My car has full history,lots of paperwork and 36000 on the clock.
How well do your(standard)cars perform?Some people on here talk about teasing porsches and the like.I get embarressed if i tried that.
What do you guys think?
Cheers Jim
Before i bought it i was told by my local specialist that it would be nowhere near tvr's claim of 270bhp.Probably nearer 190.
Since buying the car this is certainly obvious from the car's performance given it's claimed weight.It is hard to say just how quick it is as of course there are many sensations to take on board when giving a wedge full vegetables but i reckon it's about as quick as a decent hot hatch.Certainly no quicker.
My car has full history,lots of paperwork and 36000 on the clock.
How well do your(standard)cars perform?Some people on here talk about teasing porsches and the like.I get embarressed if i tried that.
What do you guys think?
Cheers Jim
I think you should get it to a rolling road, preferably someone who knows the RV8. 190 at the wheels probably is probably ok, i.e. 230'ish at the flywheel. TVR's power claims were notoriously "optimistic". It should certainly see off a hot hatch (in a straight line anyway).
7.
I have to say, there was quite a difference in grunt between the 400SE and the SEAC. Was fortunate enough to be able to drive them back to back for a few weeks (after I'd sorted some of the electrical issues with the SEAC) and the SEAC was noticably quicker and louder! I'm sure you have liberated a few more horses if you 've changed the air filter (think it had an old K+N jobbie on it when we had it). Have you still got the original mild steel exhaust on it? Jamie
tallbloke said:
I was at the vmax event on sunday where the highest speed achieved by a TVR Griff 500 was 158mph.
I got a ride in a porsche which pulled 189mph, and there were several faster ones there.
V8 Tvr's are grunty fun cars to drive, but if its raw performance or competitive edge you're after then get a more modern TVR or a Porsche. Of course, if you do get a porker, the kids you pass will change from giving thumbs up's and cheery grins to nazi salutes and scowls.
I got a ride in a porsche which pulled 189mph, and there were several faster ones there.
V8 Tvr's are grunty fun cars to drive, but if its raw performance or competitive edge you're after then get a more modern TVR or a Porsche. Of course, if you do get a porker, the kids you pass will change from giving thumbs up's and cheery grins to nazi salutes and scowls.
Glad to see your continuing back therapy is not slowing you down !!!!
beacon said:
tallbloke said:
I was at the vmax event on sunday where the highest speed achieved by a TVR Griff 500 was 158mph.
I got a ride in a porsche which pulled 189mph, and there were several faster ones there.
V8 Tvr's are grunty fun cars to drive, but if its raw performance or competitive edge you're after then get a more modern TVR or a Porsche. Of course, if you do get a porker, the kids you pass will change from giving thumbs up's and cheery grins to nazi salutes and scowls.
I got a ride in a porsche which pulled 189mph, and there were several faster ones there.
V8 Tvr's are grunty fun cars to drive, but if its raw performance or competitive edge you're after then get a more modern TVR or a Porsche. Of course, if you do get a porker, the kids you pass will change from giving thumbs up's and cheery grins to nazi salutes and scowls.
Glad to see your continuing back therapy is not slowing you down !!!!
I'm still waiting for my first physio session.
Last week I finished harvesting the spuds from my allotment.
Well, i must admit that my 400se has DEFINATLY, and ill repeat DEFINATLY got better since i got her. Ive done just over 6500 miles in her since January, and she has really opened up!
Im a firm believer that a 'used' car is so much happier...
With regards to hatches, i had a race with a Civic Type R the other day and it wasnt easy to get away, but great fun!
Also, one of my best buds has got a 2002 Carrera 4 Chop-top and its almost the same speed as the 400! We both have slightly different power bands but i would say on the move, the wedge is quicker...DONT BE TEMPTED ON THE CORNERS THOUGH!
Im a firm believer that a 'used' car is so much happier...
With regards to hatches, i had a race with a Civic Type R the other day and it wasnt easy to get away, but great fun!
Also, one of my best buds has got a 2002 Carrera 4 Chop-top and its almost the same speed as the 400! We both have slightly different power bands but i would say on the move, the wedge is quicker...DONT BE TEMPTED ON THE CORNERS THOUGH!
I've had the same feeling about my 350i which I've owned for a month or so. The quoted output is 197bhp. I had a Calibra V6 with 168bhp on tap and that was definitely quicker on top speed and acceleration. Mine has done 94K miles so should still go reasonably well so I suspect something isn't quite right. I have had a problem with the hood which has prevented me from going over 70 mph so as soon as I've sorted it out I'll get on the motorway and see what it'll do
I'm not too bothered and have no regrets about buying it. It still represents a lot of car for the money compared with others I was looking at like Stags and TR6's both of which would have cost me twice as much. It has a bodywork that doesn't rust, a chassis that is relatively easy to keep rust free, it's easy to maintain and it's got that great V8 sound. It ticks all the boxes for me.
I'm not too bothered and have no regrets about buying it. It still represents a lot of car for the money compared with others I was looking at like Stags and TR6's both of which would have cost me twice as much. It has a bodywork that doesn't rust, a chassis that is relatively easy to keep rust free, it's easy to maintain and it's got that great V8 sound. It ticks all the boxes for me.
Dave Meredith said:
I've had the same feeling about my 350i which I've owned for a month or so. The quoted output is 197bhp. I had a Calibra V6 with 168bhp on tap and that was definitely quicker on top speed and acceleration. Mine has done 94K miles so should still go reasonably well so I suspect something isn't quite right. I have had a problem with the hood which has prevented me from going over 70 mph so as soon as I've sorted it out I'll get on the motorway and see what it'll do
I'm not too bothered and have no regrets about buying it. It still represents a lot of car for the money compared with others I was looking at like Stags and TR6's both of which would have cost me twice as much. It has a bodywork that doesn't rust, a chassis that is relatively easy to keep rust free, it's easy to maintain and it's got that great V8 sound. It ticks all the boxes for me.
I'm not too bothered and have no regrets about buying it. It still represents a lot of car for the money compared with others I was looking at like Stags and TR6's both of which would have cost me twice as much. It has a bodywork that doesn't rust, a chassis that is relatively easy to keep rust free, it's easy to maintain and it's got that great V8 sound. It ticks all the boxes for me.
This is exactly what i'm talking about.Before the 400se i had a civic type r.Before that a revo'd cupra tdi.The wedge doesn't really feel any slower,but defo not faster.
As you say though,as a package for the money it's a lot of car.I'm afraid i feel rather smug when i see a mx5 go by with it's feminine styling and half an engine!
JamieG said:
I have to say, there was quite a difference in grunt between the 400SE and the SEAC. Was fortunate enough to be able to drive them back to back for a few weeks (after I'd sorted some of the electrical issues with the SEAC) and the SEAC was noticably quicker and louder! I'm sure you have liberated a few more horses if you 've changed the air filter (think it had an old K+N jobbie on it when we had it). Have you still got the original mild steel exhaust on it? Jamie
What did you replace the K+N with and did you fit any kind of cold air feed?
If you put a 400SE up against modern Rice Rockets, it wont feel faster.
The modern ricer kicking 150 - 200bhp will give a wedge a good run for its money... The differnec will be the presence on the road and the noice the wedge will be making.
When my 400SE was at its best it would keep up with a 355 and was only marginally slower than a standard Skykine GTR.
When I raced my father (he was driving my Golf TDI 130) I was faster on straights, but when the road was uneven, the golf would easily outhandle the Wedge, and also was able to carry more speed through the bends. off the lights, the wedge will put more power down than a front wheel drive ricer but you have to bear in mind these cars are almost 20 years appart.
Done be upset if you are wasted by a modern rally hybrid or a modern, multi-valve, vtec engined car .. just remember, when the wedge was king, the average Joe was driving around in Vauxhall Cavaliers, Astra GTE's and the good olf Siera.
Forgot to add my exhaust on the 400SE is louder than NACAD's 450SEAC with side pipes .. as was prooved driving through Mulsanne 3 years ago
The modern ricer kicking 150 - 200bhp will give a wedge a good run for its money... The differnec will be the presence on the road and the noice the wedge will be making.
When my 400SE was at its best it would keep up with a 355 and was only marginally slower than a standard Skykine GTR.
When I raced my father (he was driving my Golf TDI 130) I was faster on straights, but when the road was uneven, the golf would easily outhandle the Wedge, and also was able to carry more speed through the bends. off the lights, the wedge will put more power down than a front wheel drive ricer but you have to bear in mind these cars are almost 20 years appart.
Done be upset if you are wasted by a modern rally hybrid or a modern, multi-valve, vtec engined car .. just remember, when the wedge was king, the average Joe was driving around in Vauxhall Cavaliers, Astra GTE's and the good olf Siera.
Forgot to add my exhaust on the 400SE is louder than NACAD's 450SEAC with side pipes .. as was prooved driving through Mulsanne 3 years ago
Edited by jvaughan on Wednesday 11th October 14:13
JimF said:
Dave Meredith said:
I've had the same feeling about my 350i which I've owned for a month or so. The quoted output is 197bhp. I had a Calibra V6 with 168bhp on tap and that was definitely quicker on top speed and acceleration. Mine has done 94K miles so should still go reasonably well so I suspect something isn't quite right. I have had a problem with the hood which has prevented me from going over 70 mph so as soon as I've sorted it out I'll get on the motorway and see what it'll do
I'm not too bothered and have no regrets about buying it. It still represents a lot of car for the money compared with others I was looking at like Stags and TR6's both of which would have cost me twice as much. It has a bodywork that doesn't rust, a chassis that is relatively easy to keep rust free, it's easy to maintain and it's got that great V8 sound. It ticks all the boxes for me.
I'm not too bothered and have no regrets about buying it. It still represents a lot of car for the money compared with others I was looking at like Stags and TR6's both of which would have cost me twice as much. It has a bodywork that doesn't rust, a chassis that is relatively easy to keep rust free, it's easy to maintain and it's got that great V8 sound. It ticks all the boxes for me.
This is exactly what i'm talking about.Before the 400se i had a civic type r.Before that a revo'd cupra tdi.The wedge doesn't really feel any slower,but defo not faster.
As you say though,as a package for the money it's a lot of car.I'm afraid i feel rather smug when i see a mx5 go by with it's feminine styling and half an engine!
I'm sure you mean when you go past an MX5!!
cdt said:
JamieG said:
I have to say, there was quite a difference in grunt between the 400SE and the SEAC. Was fortunate enough to be able to drive them back to back for a few weeks (after I'd sorted some of the electrical issues with the SEAC) and the SEAC was noticably quicker and louder! I'm sure you have liberated a few more horses if you 've changed the air filter (think it had an old K+N jobbie on it when we had it). Have you still got the original mild steel exhaust on it? Jamie
What did you replace the K+N with and did you fit any kind of cold air feed?
I replaced the old filter with a BMC CDA cold air feed.It feels a little stronger and more consistant.
Thought that my standard 350i was slow. And it was. A year later it doesn't run properly = ECU nackered. Borrowed a ECU and it looked like the engine went from 3.5 to 4.0... Have my old ECU back (resoldered) and same result! Moral of the story: If your ECU has never been touched, perhaps it is worthwhile to resolder as due to age these joints are not up to the standard anymore.
Other typical situation is a worn camshaft. If worn, it could be producing less than half of the original output. The lobes on cylinder 7 and 8 are often the first to go.
So if overtaken by an mx-5, reread the above. And if the wedge is in good nick, and you know how to get the power down: it still is a serious contender on the road these days.
Rob
Other typical situation is a worn camshaft. If worn, it could be producing less than half of the original output. The lobes on cylinder 7 and 8 are often the first to go.
So if overtaken by an mx-5, reread the above. And if the wedge is in good nick, and you know how to get the power down: it still is a serious contender on the road these days.
Rob
The thing to remember, is that it's not about how fast your car is, or is not by comparison. But the way that it looks, drives and feels - something that TVRs have always been known for. In their day, the wedges were mighty quick cars (and still are). Today, they are classics for all the right reasons thats why we own them. The latest generation of TVRs have picked up where the V8s left off and are doing to the opposition exactly what the wedges did in their heyday which was to trounce the more expensive exotica in terms of looks, performance and value for money...Last year i had a go with simonspider,he owns a Lamborghini Murcielago,followed him for a while,when he opened it up going up a hill he looked in the mirror not expecting me to be there,but i was,think this shocked him.Maybe i'm not as quick top end but on the road he aint going to loose me.
stainless steve said:
Last year i had a go with simonspider,he owns a Lamborghini Murcielago,followed him for a while,when he opened it up going up a hill he looked in the mirror not expecting me to be there,but i was,think this shocked him.Maybe i'm not as quick top end but on the road he aint going to loose me.
Here here, on our trip to LM this year we had a T350c, Tuscan2 and a Vette C5 we had a little fun, but the other drivers told me they were a shocked they didn't manage to increase distances between their cars and mine.
Our newest wedges are about 15 years old the older ones 26, they probably won't match a modern car in all respects, but this must prove just what they were in their day. Having said that really upset a chap in a year old boxter a few weeks ago, i enjoyed it he didn't, shown how to it by a 24 year old car!
Regards,
Chris
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