Tvr vs mx5 turbo
Discussion
Tvr getting a good slagging off in this thread eg .[quote=Herman Toothrot]Being honest though the MX5 would absolutely spank a Griff round a track, my old 5 turbo just managed to out drag a Tuscan at Silverstone, owner looked rather angry as I inched past him. TVR's never made anywhere near the power they quote, a 4L Griff would probably struggle to make 220bhp.
Mostly by people who dont really know anything about Tvrs it seems
Edited by Herman Toothrot on Friday 14th February 14:08
[/quoteMostly by people who dont really know anything about Tvrs it seems
I know MX5s quite well, and call BS. They are not grippy cars and would require a lot of investment to get them close to modern hatchback levels of grip. Likewise, engine power would need to increase 2 fold. MX5s weigh about the same as TVRs. The usual turbocharger and supercharger upgrades add a health margin but generally take the MX5 to mid 5s 0-60 times. Above this, you need seriously large intercoolers to add any more boost and then you start to run in to problems with the clutch, gearbox, diff and driveshafts.
I've owned a couple of MX5s and wanted a much faster sports car. It became obvious very quickly that to get Chimaera performance I'd be spending Cerbera money to get anything close to reliability, and that a TVR would not only look, sound and feel better but also hold some value, whereas Frankenstein's MX5 would be worthless. I don't intend to sell my TVR, but I was thinking ahead to the eventual sale of the butchered MX5 even at planning stage.
I've owned a couple of MX5s and wanted a much faster sports car. It became obvious very quickly that to get Chimaera performance I'd be spending Cerbera money to get anything close to reliability, and that a TVR would not only look, sound and feel better but also hold some value, whereas Frankenstein's MX5 would be worthless. I don't intend to sell my TVR, but I was thinking ahead to the eventual sale of the butchered MX5 even at planning stage.
Its amazing how oftern these threads crop up. Just after I got my TVR I was attacked on web site by a guy with a Meastro Turbo saying how much faster his recorded 1/4 mile was vs a TVR and why was my car so Sh"T. he then went on to say how could his car that only cost pennys compared to mine when new was so much better.
When we met at a car show turns out he had spent thousands (time and money) on updating his car so not like for like at all.
Makes you glad to think that we drive cars that set the bar for everyone else.
When we met at a car show turns out he had spent thousands (time and money) on updating his car so not like for like at all.
Makes you glad to think that we drive cars that set the bar for everyone else.
Its amazing how oftern these threads crop up. Just after I got my TVR I was attacked on web site by a guy with a Meastro Turbo saying how much faster his recorded 1/4 mile was vs a TVR and why was my car so Sh"T. he then went on to say how could his car that only cost pennys compared to mine when new was so much better.
When we met at a car show turns out he had spent thousands (time and money) on updating his car so not like for like at all.
Makes you glad to think that we drive cars that set the bar for everyone else.
When we met at a car show turns out he had spent thousands (time and money) on updating his car so not like for like at all.
Makes you glad to think that we drive cars that set the bar for everyone else.
As a youth I did quite a lot of street rodding - full bodied North American iron type thing.
When you can start with a 7.5 litre V8 and your father has pretty much a fully equipped machine shop and garage, it doesn't take much to be producing 550+hp and enough torque to affect the earth's rotation.
When I bought my Chimaera 500 near new, it confirmed one thing; it is almost cheaper, and certainly a lot easier to buy a fast production car, than to build something that will keep up to a fast production car. Amazingly (well, some would say amazingly), the TVR was more reliable too. More reliable than the most expensive solution produced by any of my friends/colleagues in speed. Not just mechanical reliability, but driving in a straight line when required and not turning on it's roof type reliability.
Quite simply; I was no longer breaking something every other time I hammered the loud pedal, and it wasn't like driving a rocket without steering.
Within a week of acquiring the TVR, I learned something else (this was 1999 btw); it was a Fezza killer!
I could easily keep up with or even over take any Ferrari or Porsche I could find.
With child like enthusiasm I would spend my weekends in the summer months 'hunting' fezza and pork, just for the sport of it all.
The thing I very quickly worked out was (though it did not curb my enthusiastic hunting
); even when I gave Mr Fezza a slightly red face for not being able to 'leave me for dead'; in the end he was driving a Ferrari costing £150k, and I was not.
He always had that to fall back on.
Not every Ferrari driver would 'have a go'. A lot of them treated me with the contempt I deserved.
Good for them.
No disrespect to the MX5/S2000/MR2 owners, for most of us (meaning the soft top sports car collective) it's more about the wind in your hair on a nice day, and the smile that a half decent sports car brings to your face.
But if you expect me to test my original spec TVR against your highly modified Japanese sewing machine, you are wasting your time. Because I don't care
On the other hand, should I see you while driving my modified MG Midget, don't be surprised if I do my best to stick to you like glue, just so I can tell people I did it
You see, as pblake said above; it's really all about who sets the bar.
Finally, and a note of thanks to the Ferrari driver some weeks before Christmas who didn't manage to pull away from me though I believe he was really trying; I appreciate you taking the time to play.
It's very reassuring to find that the engine rebuild has restored the old girl to her previous levels of performance.
Lovely car you have there, and we did make beautiful music together at full throttle through the underpass
When you can start with a 7.5 litre V8 and your father has pretty much a fully equipped machine shop and garage, it doesn't take much to be producing 550+hp and enough torque to affect the earth's rotation.
When I bought my Chimaera 500 near new, it confirmed one thing; it is almost cheaper, and certainly a lot easier to buy a fast production car, than to build something that will keep up to a fast production car. Amazingly (well, some would say amazingly), the TVR was more reliable too. More reliable than the most expensive solution produced by any of my friends/colleagues in speed. Not just mechanical reliability, but driving in a straight line when required and not turning on it's roof type reliability.
Quite simply; I was no longer breaking something every other time I hammered the loud pedal, and it wasn't like driving a rocket without steering.
Within a week of acquiring the TVR, I learned something else (this was 1999 btw); it was a Fezza killer!
I could easily keep up with or even over take any Ferrari or Porsche I could find.
With child like enthusiasm I would spend my weekends in the summer months 'hunting' fezza and pork, just for the sport of it all.
The thing I very quickly worked out was (though it did not curb my enthusiastic hunting
); even when I gave Mr Fezza a slightly red face for not being able to 'leave me for dead'; in the end he was driving a Ferrari costing £150k, and I was not.He always had that to fall back on.
Not every Ferrari driver would 'have a go'. A lot of them treated me with the contempt I deserved.
Good for them.
No disrespect to the MX5/S2000/MR2 owners, for most of us (meaning the soft top sports car collective) it's more about the wind in your hair on a nice day, and the smile that a half decent sports car brings to your face.
But if you expect me to test my original spec TVR against your highly modified Japanese sewing machine, you are wasting your time. Because I don't care
On the other hand, should I see you while driving my modified MG Midget, don't be surprised if I do my best to stick to you like glue, just so I can tell people I did it
You see, as pblake said above; it's really all about who sets the bar.
Finally, and a note of thanks to the Ferrari driver some weeks before Christmas who didn't manage to pull away from me though I believe he was really trying; I appreciate you taking the time to play.
It's very reassuring to find that the engine rebuild has restored the old girl to her previous levels of performance.
Lovely car you have there, and we did make beautiful music together at full throttle through the underpass
The modded vs standard car thread always makes me chuckle 
Pointless! Topped out with max boost some of these higher spec MX-5's are hitting 285bhp… about the same as a standard 500. Good power, but look at some of the dyno curves on the Chim forum for modded engines and it's in a different league. All things being equal, a MX-5 is still a MX-5, looks like a MX-5, sounds like a MX-5 and has a glovebox for your curling tongues and hairdryer…
As it happens, my dad had just sold his 1.8 MX-5. Quite a nice car TBH, but a little gutless. I had load of ribbing from him about TVR reliability and then his immobiliser ECU packed in and it cost him £600 at the main stealer. I did try and convince him to turbo charge and keep it, but he'd lost confidence by then.
Regardless of what car, driving on the track is one thing, but it takes a huge difference in power and handling when driving on A and B roads to make any real difference between cars. That doesn't even take into account the skill and experience of the driver and a little respect for other road users.
Pointless! Topped out with max boost some of these higher spec MX-5's are hitting 285bhp… about the same as a standard 500. Good power, but look at some of the dyno curves on the Chim forum for modded engines and it's in a different league. All things being equal, a MX-5 is still a MX-5, looks like a MX-5, sounds like a MX-5 and has a glovebox for your curling tongues and hairdryer… As it happens, my dad had just sold his 1.8 MX-5. Quite a nice car TBH, but a little gutless. I had load of ribbing from him about TVR reliability and then his immobiliser ECU packed in and it cost him £600 at the main stealer. I did try and convince him to turbo charge and keep it, but he'd lost confidence by then.
Regardless of what car, driving on the track is one thing, but it takes a huge difference in power and handling when driving on A and B roads to make any real difference between cars. That doesn't even take into account the skill and experience of the driver and a little respect for other road users.
After coffee will look for my EVO mag for the times of the standard MX5 on the Bedford West Track. However, I wish the Griff/Chim had a suspension, said as compliant as the MX5 in particular for twisty, bumpy B roads and a lighter clutch action. Also spend as much as two turbos on MX5 and spend it on a Griff and you have an extra 100bhp plus.
TVRs have spectator presence and that sporty noise. The turbo MX5 will loose 2/3 it's value in 3 years plus the extra cash spent on the upgrade. Good Griff/Chimms are holding and appreciating in value. MX5 are ok but one is labelled a wimpy hairdresse when driven. "TVRs are not for wimps" Quote: Tiff Nedele. MX5 will never get the Autocar accolade "The Griffith is so nearly a World beater, that it hurts".
See Autocar test of BBRs MX5 turbo. £30,000. In 3 years it will be trade worth, £10,000.
Yes Jamies a worthless comparison. Mr. Toothrot would like to see these posts, perhaps not!
Wiley waving.
TVRs have spectator presence and that sporty noise. The turbo MX5 will loose 2/3 it's value in 3 years plus the extra cash spent on the upgrade. Good Griff/Chimms are holding and appreciating in value. MX5 are ok but one is labelled a wimpy hairdresse when driven. "TVRs are not for wimps" Quote: Tiff Nedele. MX5 will never get the Autocar accolade "The Griffith is so nearly a World beater, that it hurts".
See Autocar test of BBRs MX5 turbo. £30,000. In 3 years it will be trade worth, £10,000.
Yes Jamies a worthless comparison. Mr. Toothrot would like to see these posts, perhaps not!
Wiley waving.
Edited by EGB on Sunday 16th February 12:46
As was said earlier this is a pointless comparison, If it was just speed and BHP figures we would have all bought Subaru's and "tuned" them within an inch of their lives, but we chose to buy cars from a understated factory in Blackpool. We all know that most of our cars don't make the bhp figures originally quoted, and most of us don't care. We all bought a TVR knowing that a highly tuned hatchback would be a worthy opponent in a tear up, but who really cares, for £3k you can have you Chim or Griff fitted with a supercharger or turbo and then its proper supercar performance. Its all relative, and out of the box, any TVR will whoop an MX5 or MR2.
The fasted street legal car is a Vauxhall Victor that makes over 3000BHP and does the 1/4 mile in 6.4 seconds and terminal speed of 229, its not all about figures its about the experience,
And our little Chim gives us all the theatre and pleasure we could ever ask for.
The fasted street legal car is a Vauxhall Victor that makes over 3000BHP and does the 1/4 mile in 6.4 seconds and terminal speed of 229, its not all about figures its about the experience,
And our little Chim gives us all the theatre and pleasure we could ever ask for.
Quinny said:
Cats said:
Just willy waving
Don't have to prove anything!
Don't have to prove anything!
Cats said:
Just willy waving
Don't have to prove anything!
Don't have to prove anything!
Cats said:
Just willy waving
Don't have to prove anything!
That's a lot of willy waving going on thereDon't have to prove anything!
For the record, I suspect original quote is correct that the RV8s didn't make factory claimed figures as standard; my old 500 gave 267hp the first time it was the rollers (@ 65000 miles).
deeen said:
3? Is that enough to plait them?
For the record, I suspect original quote is correct that the RV8s didn't make factory claimed figures as standard; my old 500 gave 267hp the first time it was the rollers (@ 65000 miles).
That they didn't make factory quoted figures seems to be the accepted 'wisdom', but I stand by my fezza/porker killing spree in the summers of 1999-2001.For the record, I suspect original quote is correct that the RV8s didn't make factory claimed figures as standard; my old 500 gave 267hp the first time it was the rollers (@ 65000 miles).
By 65k miles you probably had 5 flat cam lobes and were way down on power.
I know mine did and was.
There were a lot of the little beggars out today (MX5s). But hardly any with the roof down.
Not another TVR in sight in my area though
Goaty Bill said:
That they didn't make factory quoted figures seems to be the accepted 'wisdom', but I stand by my fezza/porker killing spree in the summers of 1999-2001.
By 65k miles you probably had 5 flat cam lobes and were way down on power.
I know mine did and was.
There were a lot of the little beggars out today (MX5s). But hardly any with the roof down.
Not another TVR in sight in my area though
I was out in my little beastie today and as I popped and banged down the gears on approaching an island two cars, one S2000 other a boxster,By 65k miles you probably had 5 flat cam lobes and were way down on power.
I know mine did and was.
There were a lot of the little beggars out today (MX5s). But hardly any with the roof down.
Not another TVR in sight in my area though
came up along side waving and thumbs up plus passenger had video cam on too lol!
Back to topic MX 5 is a great little inexpensive car and you can have a lot of fun in em. BUT I would rather by cruising in my TVR thanks lol!
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