Audi V8 a candidate to replace Speed 6?
Discussion
I know that it would make the cars less british, however after watching Top Gear tonight, I cant help thinking that Audi 4.2 V8 would be a fine engine for a Tuscan, T350 or Tamora. Sounded good and produces similar power (I dont know if its heavier - I expect it is)
>>> Edited by douglasr on Sunday 18th May 23:01
>>> Edited by douglasr on Sunday 18th May 23:01
now i'm not normally the kind of person to put another person's idea down - the open minded kind, you know - but!! an Audi engine (no matter how good - and i admit it is very bloody good) in a TVR!!
it just would defeat everything they've worked for over the past 8-odd yearsand take away the very essence of the car. sorry mate but thats a bit of a no-no.
of course we could talk about added reliability...
it just would defeat everything they've worked for over the past 8-odd yearsand take away the very essence of the car. sorry mate but thats a bit of a no-no.
of course we could talk about added reliability...
I'm sure Peter Wheeler once said "I'm not having anything german in one of my cars" so that's unlikely to happen. Maximum respect for that comment as well and gave me another reason to go out and buy the Griff.
I did see an RS6 driver putting his/her foot down the other day though and it did sound bloody good.
I did see an RS6 driver putting his/her foot down the other day though and it did sound bloody good.
Painey said: I'm sure Peter Wheeler once said "I'm not having anything german in one of my cars" so that's unlikely to happen. Maximum respect for that comment as well and gave me another reason to go out and buy the Griff.
I did see an RS6 driver putting his/her foot down the other day though and it did sound bloody good.
Just have to make do with Audi wing mirrors then.....
AlexH said: I can't see TVR using any outside engines, not while PW is in charge anyway. He seems to have his sights on TVR becoming a major player, and you can't be a major player in the sports car field without your own engines.
Interesting comment. Does he really want to be a major player? I guess with a Le Mans entry he's trying to say something, and yet it's not as if TVR appear to listen to public demand - they produce good cars and people (enthusiasts) buy them - in small numbers.
If PW was intent on taking large numbers of customers away from Porsche, for instance, what would he need to do? The Tuscan/Tuscan S/Tuscan R is a credible rival for the 911, bar it's still maligned Speed 6 (yes, we know the score, but do the general public?). Is it just a percieved quality deficit, or is there more?
The Tamora - what was it 5th Gear said was wrong in their opinion? I missed the show. They voted for the Boxter IIRC - why? Personally I couldn't live with the Tamoras looks. If TVR announced production of a T350 soft-top/facelifted Tamora I'd be straight up to Dream Machines with my chequebook - seriously. We've seen this sentiment echoed on PH recently. Will TVR do it? Would it tempt people away from the Boxter? I don't know.
I would dearly love to see TVR as a much larger company with a higher output - b
ks to those who say it would ruin exclusivity/dilute the marque/attract the wrong customer or whatever elitist tosh might be said. There are practicalities involved with drumming up the extra demand, sure. What obstacles are there, if PW really does want to go major league? Is it merely a case of changing public perception with some decent marketing? I'd love to see a decent debate on this.
Edited to say: sorry to hijack the V8/Speed 6 thread!
>> Edited by julianhj on Monday 19th May 23:34
AlexH said: I can't see TVR using any outside engines, not while PW is in charge anyway. He seems to have his sights on TVR becoming a major player, and you can't be a major player in the sports car field without your own engines.
even if, as far as Joe Major Player Product Buyer is concerned, the engines are substandard? PW should realise that he could double his sales overnight if the perception of his cars as exotic rubbish could be altered to exotic quality.
Whilst i appreciate why people buy TVRs, i also appreciate why they don't and the nicest noise in motoring isn't much use in the garage. PW, swallow your pride and stick a proper motor in!
:awaiting flaming:
The way I look at it, the whole engine debate is inextricably linked to the future of TVR, it is cause of some current woes, was/is seen by many to be a massive gamble, and IMHO may be proven to be what takes TVR into the big time.
Its all conjecture on my part but I don't see why PW would have taken such a step if all he wanted to do was race and produce a steady stream of cars at a low volume. If that was all he wanted to do there are plenty of off the shelf engines and tuners he could have used, and carried on much as before, but always been regarded as a poor relation to the Porsches and Ferraris of this world with their own engines.
Yes, in standard TVR practice the customers seem to be doing some of the testing, but looking at the medium to long term (an attitude which barely seems to exist in British industry today) if or when they achieve complete success with the Speed Six engine they will have one of the most important elements to make TVR a true competitor to Porsche and Ferrari.
As for other things like more electronic driver aids, while PW may not like them personally, they may well come with time, forced either by legislation or the market.
Alternatively, I may be talking out of my bottom!
Its all conjecture on my part but I don't see why PW would have taken such a step if all he wanted to do was race and produce a steady stream of cars at a low volume. If that was all he wanted to do there are plenty of off the shelf engines and tuners he could have used, and carried on much as before, but always been regarded as a poor relation to the Porsches and Ferraris of this world with their own engines.
Yes, in standard TVR practice the customers seem to be doing some of the testing, but looking at the medium to long term (an attitude which barely seems to exist in British industry today) if or when they achieve complete success with the Speed Six engine they will have one of the most important elements to make TVR a true competitor to Porsche and Ferrari.
As for other things like more electronic driver aids, while PW may not like them personally, they may well come with time, forced either by legislation or the market.
Alternatively, I may be talking out of my bottom!
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