What to replace a TVR Chimaera 500 with?
Discussion
Belle427 said:
I fancy a change maybe next year and will probably look at the Cayman S.
I’ve always fancied a Boxster but don’t feel the need for a rag top anymore.
Snap I have no desire for a soft top really. I didn't pick the Chimaera for it being a soft top and in fact have never driven with full top down. I like the idea of the Targa though. I would and am certainly considering a Cayman S. Also.....don't laugh....an MX5 RF is still in the list of possibles.I’ve always fancied a Boxster but don’t feel the need for a rag top anymore.
Belle427 said:
I fancy a change maybe next year and will probably look at the Cayman S.
I’ve always fancied a Boxster but don’t feel the need for a rag top anymore.
Pick A good specification car and you won’t regret it.I’ve always fancied a Boxster but don’t feel the need for a rag top anymore.
I have a Boxster S RS60. Surprisingly quick, handles on rails, beautiful to drive and the noise is addictive!
Not knocking TVRs. All sports cars are good but the Porsche is just completely different to the TVR and I love it.
Belle427 said:
Problem for me is the Caymans/Boxsters still suffer with the famous bore scoring issues, I know a lot of it is blown out of proportion on the internet but it does exist.
I’m sure that is true but it seems that a lot of it is on the low mileage cars. It seems the bore scoring can be caused by Infrequent use and the car being parked up after short journeys. Moisture from combustion sits in the horizontal bores and causes problems.Mine has done 80K plus, Runs like a dream and doesn’t use any oil. Fingers crossed it will stay like that!
phazed said:
I’m sure that is true but it seems that a lot of it is on the low mileage cars. It seems the bore scoring can be caused by Infrequent use and the car being parked up after short journeys. Moisture from combustion sits in the horizontal bores and causes problems.
Mine has done 80K plus, Runs like a dream and doesn’t use any oil. Fingers crossed it will stay like that!
I hear Dom builds Porsche engines now Mine has done 80K plus, Runs like a dream and doesn’t use any oil. Fingers crossed it will stay like that!
It’s none of that, clearly great cars you just can’t tell the front from the back
8Speed said:
Boxsters/Caymans are undoubtedly great cars but the fact that you see them round every corner makes them much less special to me & therefore I'm not attracted to them.
TVRs are more likely to promote interest whereas Porsches rarely get a second glance because of their ubiquity.
If you really enjoy your driving then I'd urge anybody to try one. TVRs are more likely to promote interest whereas Porsches rarely get a second glance because of their ubiquity.
rockits said:
Snap I have no desire for a soft top really. I didn't pick the Chimaera for it being a soft top and in fact have never driven with full top down. I like the idea of the Targa though. I would and am certainly considering a Cayman S. Also.....don't laugh....an MX5 RF is still in the list of possibles.
Having been completely ripped off with the griff, for me tvr never again.For me warranty is key, a mustang less than three years old and importantly, before the warranty runs out, get the Ford extended, exactly the same warranty, 20 odd quid a month for something like 10 extra years, and it’s transferable, good selling point.
So a mustang gt fastback for 25k is possible and providing peace of mind.
David Beer said:
For me warranty is key, a mustang less than three years old and importantly, before the warranty runs out, get the Ford extended, exactly the same warranty, 20 odd quid a month for something like 10 extra years, and it’s transferable, good selling point.
So a mustang gt fastback for 25k is possible and providing peace of mind.
I am actually looking at doing similar next year. Currently have a Chim and a Tuscan, and to be honest the Chim just isn't getting much use now. My wife and I only have a limited amount of free time to enjoy our weekend cars and it's even more difficult to divide that limited time between two of them. She also has a very tidy Z4 3.0si roadster- yet despite having this and and the two TVRs, I spend 90% of my driving time behind the wheel of my old 2004 Honda Accord estate So a mustang gt fastback for 25k is possible and providing peace of mind.
So I've decided that come the spring I may well look to move on the Chimaera and get a nearly new (with warranty) Mustang GT, that I can enjoy pretty much every day whilst still keeping the Accord for whenever more practicality is required. Still ticks the V8 box, has rudimentary back seats, heated & cooled fronts, modern infotainment etc, and still makes a glorious noise.
I love both TVRs to bits, but the things that make them such an occasion to drive in the right conditions also prevent them (for me at least) being used for a lot of journeys where something like a newer Mustang would be fine.
So if anyone is looking for a tidy 4.0hc Chim with a full engine rebuild less than 1,500 miles ago and a re-trimmed interior, I might know where one could be available soon...
Really interesting comments on here, especially regarding the Boxster and the newer TVRs
After a Chimaera, a 350i (Wedge) and two more Chimaera I decided I'd move away from the marque.
I was looking for something sleek, elegant, possibly italian design....
Ended up with something designed with a ruler and built in Blackpool
Ended up with another Wedge
I was tempted to go Tam or Tusc but enough folk on here managed to put me off
notax: I do like the look of that Boxster in blue. (I'll say that quietly since this is a TVR forum)
After a Chimaera, a 350i (Wedge) and two more Chimaera I decided I'd move away from the marque.
I was looking for something sleek, elegant, possibly italian design....
Ended up with something designed with a ruler and built in Blackpool
Ended up with another Wedge
I was tempted to go Tam or Tusc but enough folk on here managed to put me off
notax: I do like the look of that Boxster in blue. (I'll say that quietly since this is a TVR forum)
rockits said:
An added complication seems to be the stupid car tax levies that make buying a new Mustang an expensive option when added So £2175 first year car tax! Then an additional £325 per year for year 2-5 for it being over £40k new price. It is hardly encouraging people to boost the economy.
...
I have said this for years that all car tax should be on fuel. The more miles and fuel you burn the more you pay in tax. The more efficient the car the less you will pay. It is the perfect leveler and fair for all. You could also get rid of half the DVLA as you won't need them so in nett terms revenues from car tax will increase. Win win all round
In France, if you dare buy a Mustang you have an additional tax of 20k euros!! This is almost 50% of the price. But, in 2021, it will raise to 40k and in 2022 to 50k, more than the price of car... This is totally stupid....
I have said this for years that all car tax should be on fuel. The more miles and fuel you burn the more you pay in tax. The more efficient the car the less you will pay. It is the perfect leveler and fair for all. You could also get rid of half the DVLA as you won't need them so in nett terms revenues from car tax will increase. Win win all round
And I totally agree with you about having taxes on the fuel, a Mustang drove 2000 miles per year is greener than a Fiesta doing 20k miles per year.
Ha bl00dy ha - until a year or two ago (NDEC) the V8 Mustang was twice as expensive as the Ecoboost four-banger at nigh-on 113K euro here in the Netherlands... (more than half of which was CO2-based registration tax). Now under the WLTP regime which gives results that are a tad more realistic, it's more like 100K euro but the Ecoboost has gone up to 70K or so.
Still a shedload of money for a 'cheap' car...
Still a shedload of money for a 'cheap' car...
rockits said:
Belle427 said:
I fancy a change maybe next year and will probably look at the Cayman S.
I’ve always fancied a Boxster but don’t feel the need for a rag top anymore.
Snap I have no desire for a soft top really. I didn't pick the Chimaera for it being a soft top and in fact have never driven with full top down. I like the idea of the Targa though. I would and am certainly considering a Cayman S. Also.....don't laugh....an MX5 RF is still in the list of possibles.I’ve always fancied a Boxster but don’t feel the need for a rag top anymore.
Other thing to consider is depreciation, while I expect in a few years’ time Cayman’s will start to appreciate, but at the moment prices are still falling. TVRs retain their value and many are appreciating.
In Street cred there is no comparison, only a couple of weeks ago I went to an event with a friend with a 718 (probable both cars of the same value), they parked him around the back and me at the front next to a Lambo!
So if you want to be boring and have a car that that does everything well, have a Cayman, if you want a hobby that give you loads of fun and satisfaction, that stands out from the crowd get a TVR. My suggestion would be get a T350, probably the must undervalued car in the TVR range at the moment.
Zeb74 said:
In France, if you dare buy a Mustang you have an additional tax of 20k euros!! This is almost 50% of the price. But, in 2021, it will raise to 40k and in 2022 to 50k, more than the price of car... This is totally stupid.
And I totally agree with you about having taxes on the fuel, a Mustang drove 2000 miles per year is greener than a Fiesta doing 20k miles per year.
Wow, didn't know that. it is crazy. The thing is for someone who likes there cars you can't convince them by tax or otherwise to buy something they don't want. My pockets aren't deep enough to pay silly levies and contradictory rules that make zero sense. I also am not going to buy a 1.0 Eco Fiesta instead of my TVR. Neither side is winning.And I totally agree with you about having taxes on the fuel, a Mustang drove 2000 miles per year is greener than a Fiesta doing 20k miles per year.
I even have an issue paying more car tax for an April 2006 car over a pre-23rd March 2006 car but I know they need to draw a line in the sand at some point. I have a dedicated bank account just for monthly DD car tax! That seems silly to me. I can;t tax all the cars and can only drive one at a time so play silly games taxing one or two a month that I will use that month and the rest get SORN. That seems nuts to me but I have no choice but to do it this way.
Similarly I couldn't justify paying car tax of £2175 for the first year on a new Mustang. Or even the additional £310 per year over £40k car tax. When I bought my wife's 3 year Discovery Sport I had to find one that was old enough not to pay the extra £310 per year car tax but also one new enough to be the new 2.0 Ingenium engine. Had an 18 month window of cars and to find an HSE Luxury with the spec I wanted was even harder. Got there in the end!
Just ditch it all and put the tax on fuel.....it is really simple.
s3dave said:
I have a Sagaris and my wife has a Cayman S (gen 1). I would never change the Sagaris, however if I want a daily car that would do long distance GT cruising it’s defiantly the Cayman; same era as the Sagaris but much more sophisticated and comfortable. Engine is excellent but not quite so much oomph. Handling good, but not certainly not so precise in the dry; in the wet I would not take either but if I had to it would be the Cayman.
Other thing to consider is depreciation, while I expect in a few years’ time Cayman’s will start to appreciate, but at the moment prices are still falling. TVRs retain their value and many are appreciating.
In Street cred there is no comparison, only a couple of weeks ago I went to an event with a friend with a 718 (probable both cars of the same value), they parked him around the back and me at the front next to a Lambo!
So if you want to be boring and have a car that that does everything well, have a Cayman, if you want a hobby that give you loads of fun and satisfaction, that stands out from the crowd get a TVR. My suggestion would be get a T350, probably the must undervalued car in the TVR range at the moment.
I agree with you on everything you say there. The Cayman I am sure is great but like many most modern sports cars is too daily like for me. Great to be an only car or a 2nd car but (and I know it sounds silly but many on here will be the same!) I am looking for a 4th/5th car!Other thing to consider is depreciation, while I expect in a few years’ time Cayman’s will start to appreciate, but at the moment prices are still falling. TVRs retain their value and many are appreciating.
In Street cred there is no comparison, only a couple of weeks ago I went to an event with a friend with a 718 (probable both cars of the same value), they parked him around the back and me at the front next to a Lambo!
So if you want to be boring and have a car that that does everything well, have a Cayman, if you want a hobby that give you loads of fun and satisfaction, that stands out from the crowd get a TVR. My suggestion would be get a T350, probably the must undervalued car in the TVR range at the moment.
I am sure a later T car would suit me well and I may well look at that. I guess my issue with this is potential reliability and running costs. You can buy a good one and be lucky but you can also be unlucky and it start to hurt. I guess like all things in life really so no different. I just haven't got the cash to keep shedding thousands on repairs/maintenance but I guess this is ofset by low or now depreciation. Issue is I always/mainly buy cars that are low or no depreciation anyway so always have an eye on this.
My 4200 is a very late 2007 car bought from the first owner at 11k miles and has done £15k miles now after my 4 years I've owned. Nothing goes wrong and/or wears out as I don't drive it enough. It also is depreciation free and doesn't cost much to keep. Earlier, lesser, high miles cars can mean some big bills so buying the best I could find helped me. However it was £25k to buy at the time and would still sell for that now.
The hard thing for me to get over is current buy in prices on later T cars as many are not much lower than their new price and some more. You could say they are better cars than they came out of the factory of course. However when you can buy a 4-5 year old Mustang for £25k and a new one at less than £50k that seems better value to me. I do have an issue with a 5 year old Mustang at £25k though as that would mean residuals are actually very good. A new one with a discount can be had for £45k and less. With a good PCP or finance deal it can be even better 'real' value.
I'm going to take my time and maybe wait until impending economic doom next year as if it bites as much as I fear there might be some bargains out there next year.
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