Choice of 3!!!
Author
Discussion

fozzy79

Original Poster:

11 posts

230 months

Thursday 9th August 2007
quotequote all
I am looking at purchasing a new car and have narrowed it down to 3, Tuscan mk1, Cerbera (sp 6, 4.2, 4.5) or a BMW ZM Coupe. I would really appreciate it if you could share your views with me to help me decide what to buy. The car I choose will be used occasionally for commuting but more as a leisure vehicle. My budget is around 15k.
I hope with all your vehicle knowledge you can help me come to some kind of decision.

Paul (fozzy79)

RayVonn

1,352 posts

246 months

Thursday 9th August 2007
quotequote all
Depends on your budget for running costs - the BM will be a lot cheaper to run than either TVR.

fozzy79

Original Poster:

11 posts

230 months

Thursday 9th August 2007
quotequote all
Thanks for your comment. Running costs aside which is supposedly the better all round car.

Paul

FlipFlopGriff

7,144 posts

277 months

Friday 10th August 2007
quotequote all
Cerb - more thrills, high running costs, some parts hard to come by. Not much will be quicker other than mega bucks supercars. Fab exhaust note. Not really a daily driver.
Tusc - can take top/rear screen off/out, good looking, early ones - ensure the engine has been rebuilt to 2004 min spec. by someone who knows what they're doing, ie TVR Power, Castle Race Engines, I found the power delivery bland (lack of thrill) but thats just my opinion. Again early ones induction noise gets a bit annoying. Could use daily.
FFG

Edited by FlipFlopGriff on Friday 10th August 12:59

V8 GRF

7,299 posts

240 months

Friday 10th August 2007
quotequote all
fozzy79 said:
I am looking at purchasing a new car and have narrowed it down to 3, Tuscan mk1, Cerbera (sp 6, 4.2, 4.5) or a BMW ZM Coupe. I would really appreciate it if you could share your views with me to help me decide what to buy. The car I choose will be used occasionally for commuting but more as a leisure vehicle. My budget is around 15k.
I hope with all your vehicle knowledge you can help me come to some kind of decision.

Paul (fozzy79)
Have you driven the cars? I would suggest that you do that and that will help you decide if the more involving TVR is what you want or a more leisurely easy driving BMW. I've not driven a Cerbera but I have driven both of the others and I'd have the Tuscan over the BMW anytime, but that's my opinion. My feeling is the BMW, although well built, lacks the involvement and would soon just become just another car whereas you always look back at your TVR biggrin

WazzaL

960 posts

239 months

Friday 10th August 2007
quotequote all
What FFG said..

But would go for cerb if it was my money. cloud9

No other reason than I really like the looks and sound.

fozzy79

Original Poster:

11 posts

230 months

Sunday 12th August 2007
quotequote all
Thanks for the replys ive had. I'm now pretty sure that i'm going to go for a Tuscan.
Should i go for one with a few miles on the clock and an engine re-build already done or for one with as low mileage as possible?

Gazzab

21,663 posts

312 months

Sunday 12th August 2007
quotequote all
So far everyone has erred towards the cerb and you say you want a tuscan?
Do some research re the Speed 6 engine before you buy. You need to go in eyes open.
A cerb will tend to cost more in servicing but if you go for a V8 (4.2/4.5) then you will be less likely to need to rebuild the engine than any S6 engined TVR.
Allow £3K pa for servicing and repairs (plus tyres, fuel, tax and ins) for a cerb.
Cerb handles better than a Tuscan. Is faster than a tuscan. For £15K you could get a great 99/00 4.2 or 4.5 cerb.
The best advice I Can give you whatever TVR you buy is to buy a known car from someone on here. A cherished car that has been looked after for sometime.
G.

fozzy79

Original Poster:

11 posts

230 months

Sunday 12th August 2007
quotequote all
Cheers for the response, looks like i'm back at square one. I think the best thing to do is to take both out to see which feels best.

David Godfrey

3,857 posts

254 months

Sunday 12th August 2007
quotequote all
I would choose the budget then find models to test drive. You may find you don't like certain aspects of each under testing. Certainly reading the forums will help you with things to look out for and things to just walk away from. Would hope that quite a few cars on the PH Sales, were cars loved and cherished by there owners...

tuscandom

311 posts

233 months

Monday 13th August 2007
quotequote all
pretty much what everyone else said,get a test drive and go from there.
dont be affraid of the s6 engine,newly rebuilt ones are very good..just remember to warm them up

V8Cerbera

1,220 posts

239 months

Monday 13th August 2007
quotequote all
WazzaL said:
What FFG said..

But would go for cerb if it was my money. cloud9

No other reason than I really like the looks and sound.
And your missus liked the Cerb better than the others wink

I say Cerb anyday, I've driven Cerb and Tuscan S - I use the Cerb as a daily driver and don't find any real practicality isues with doing so and back to a comment made earlier about the Tuscan being a bit bland - Sorry to the tuscy owners but I have to agree. It just didn't invoke the same level of excitement or grin factor as a stab on the loud pedal does in a Cerb.

the-gofer

651 posts

270 months

Monday 13th August 2007
quotequote all
V8Cerbera said:
WazzaL said:
What FFG said..

But would go for cerb if it was my money. cloud9

No other reason than I really like the looks and sound.
And your missus liked the Cerb better than the others wink

I say Cerb anyday, I've driven Cerb and Tuscan S - I use the Cerb as a daily driver and don't find any real practicality isues with doing so and back to a comment made earlier about the Tuscan being a bit bland - Sorry to the tuscy owners but I have to agree. It just didn't invoke the same level of excitement or grin factor as a stab on the loud pedal does in a Cerb.
Depends when you stab it. It's a different driving experience - you just need to keep the revs up. I wouldn't suggest "stabbing" the accelerator above 3500 rpm, unless you particularly enjoy smoking the rear tyres whilst already moving rapidly.

Spinning the wheels into 3rd can come as a bit of a brown pants moment if you are'nt expecting it.

I notice everyone is thinking that the BMW wouldn't be an engaging experience, but let's be honest the ZM Coupe is not for wusses. No TC, no ABS, lightweight, serious amounts of power to the rear wheels - everything a TVR professes (and succeeds smile) to be. I think you should also test drive the BM.

fozzy79

Original Poster:

11 posts

230 months

Monday 13th August 2007
quotequote all
Really sorry to throw this in the mix but I have seen a couple of T350's for around 17k which could be an option.

My knowledge of the T350 is even less than the other two TVR's, all I know is that they look fantastic.

Any information or opinions that you can share with me would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks Fozzy

Chrissy G

193 posts

295 months

Tuesday 14th August 2007
quotequote all
HI Fozzy

Think the best advice is to get out there and try a few decent examples. They each have their own merits. Having owned a cerbera it is a phenomenonal car but unforgiving. I did use mine everyday for a while but in the wet was a handful it had some build issues (it was an early one) and didn't handle very well but straight line was unbelievably quick. I got rid because at the time I couldn't afford the costs and was using it less and less as a consequence more unreliability. On reflection if I'd bought a later example I would have saved myself a lot of hassles and in my fantasy garage I'd own a 2nd TVR a nice Lw 4.2/4.5 and use it at weekends. I bought an s2000 which was bulletproff but for me lacked the excitement. I came back to TVR ownerhship last year with T350. I use mine daily and in 10 months am coming up to needing its second service (11k miles by me) and has been off the road for 2 days (radiator). T350 still plenty quick, handles well, more linear power delivery, built better, watertight and looks the business. Have a read on the sp6 so you go in with your eyes open. I've never driven a Tusc. I do rate z4m its got a cracking engine and running costs will be better but it depends on whether it has the X factor. I'd bank on 3k a year to run a TVR and as someone on here said contingency, contingency, contingency.


Good luck

Chris

G20RG B

2,749 posts

261 months

Tuesday 14th August 2007
quotequote all
I chose a tuscan over the cerbera. The reason was I couldn't find a Cerbera in my budget that ticked all the boxes at the time and to be honest everyone I drove while sounding great just didn't feel right. I drove a couple of Tuscans and really liked the SP6 engine and it felt very smooth whare as the Cerbs i drove felt kinda lumpy!!
I guess it comes down to finding the right car at the time.

I would still get a Cerbera i think they are great , there is very little to choose between the two.