TVR Cerbera or BMW M3?
Discussion
Hi all,
Just a quick post to find out, out of these 2 cars, what would you have? I love the cerb's but part of me keeps saying the M3 will be loads more reliable and cheaper to run. Is it worth gaining that bit of extra speed for the extra costs and risk that it will break.
The car will be used as my daily drive and weekend toy.
Just wondered which you would chose?
Cheers,
Dan
Just a quick post to find out, out of these 2 cars, what would you have? I love the cerb's but part of me keeps saying the M3 will be loads more reliable and cheaper to run. Is it worth gaining that bit of extra speed for the extra costs and risk that it will break.
The car will be used as my daily drive and weekend toy.Just wondered which you would chose?
Cheers,
Dan
The Cerb will be a handful to drive 100% of the time. The M3 does the commute really easily.
The Cerb may be completely reliable, or it may only work 20% of the time. The M3 is pretty much bulletproof.
If the Cerb isn't reliable, your wallet will leave home, take the kids and spit in your face.
Both at full chat are fun, but in a different way. The M3 always has the safety net of TC and ABS. With the TVR you're on your own.
As a daily proposition my cash would go on the M3. For a weekend plaything, the TVR every time.
Assume you mean E46 M3?
The Cerb may be completely reliable, or it may only work 20% of the time. The M3 is pretty much bulletproof.
If the Cerb isn't reliable, your wallet will leave home, take the kids and spit in your face.
Both at full chat are fun, but in a different way. The M3 always has the safety net of TC and ABS. With the TVR you're on your own.
As a daily proposition my cash would go on the M3. For a weekend plaything, the TVR every time.
Assume you mean E46 M3?
dan101smith said:
The Cerb will be a handful to drive 100% of the time.
Have you ever driven a Cerb? Not meant in an agreesive way at all.I thought exactly the same and was quite nervous the first time I drove mine off the previous owners drive. Needless to say they are as much of a handful as you make them, unless it's wet, in which case driving becomes slightly more concentrated than your normal eurobox!
I've driven Cerb and E46, owned a Tuscan and currently have an E36.
Were it me, I'd get the E46 over the Cerb every time. Not the same outright pace, but nowhere near the same running costs either. The M3 is just a better car all round, more useable, cheaper to run, much quicker point to point. The Cerb will have slightly more grin factor I grant, but you'll very quickly forget about that when you put it into a hedge (which is a fair chance in the wet) or when you get your first major service bill where something goes wrong. Plus the Cerb is quick but honestly feels like its going to shake itself to pieces half the time.
If you could have 2 cars, get an E36 and your Cerb. One car, get the E46. Fit an exhaust and you'll love it.
Honestly.
ETA: As the Cerb boys are also telling you, I see.
Were it me, I'd get the E46 over the Cerb every time. Not the same outright pace, but nowhere near the same running costs either. The M3 is just a better car all round, more useable, cheaper to run, much quicker point to point. The Cerb will have slightly more grin factor I grant, but you'll very quickly forget about that when you put it into a hedge (which is a fair chance in the wet) or when you get your first major service bill where something goes wrong. Plus the Cerb is quick but honestly feels like its going to shake itself to pieces half the time.
If you could have 2 cars, get an E36 and your Cerb. One car, get the E46. Fit an exhaust and you'll love it.
Honestly.
ETA: As the Cerb boys are also telling you, I see.
Edited by Cactussed on Thursday 23 July 17:57
Everyone apart from 2 people have said E46 M3. Very strange as I posted on both forums expecting, cerb, cerb, cerb against M3, M3, M3 and some reasons why. But all I have really is M3. lol. The only thing stopping me getting the M3 really is rarity, I see about 5 everyday, and I only live about 3 miles from work. I would like something that stands out a little and people notice, not in a tarty way, honest. Want to find out if the way the car drives/feels and the lower costs, outweight the wow factor of the TVR.
Dan
Dan
Dan225 said:
Everyone apart from 2 people have said E46 M3. Very strange as I posted on both forums expecting, cerb, cerb, cerb against M3, M3, M3 and some reasons why. But all I have really is M3. lol. The only thing stopping me getting the M3 really is rarity, I see about 5 everyday, and I only live about 3 miles from work. I would like something that stands out a little and people notice, not in a tarty way, honest. Want to find out if the way the car drives/feels and the lower costs, outweight the wow factor of the TVR.
Dan
If you don't need 4 seats have you considered the Z4M Coupe. All the performance and reliability of the E46 M3 plus good looks. I love mine Dan
Hi mate Dan225 said:
Would like one but do like the idea of 4 seats (hence tvr cerbera) and cant justfiy the extra cash im afraid. If I did tho it would be a hard top in white 
Um, Cerb? 4 seats?Fine if all your mates have Thalidomyde issues??? (sorry for rubbish spelling).
Have you actually seen the rear seats???
Dan225.I admire your courage. The Cerbera is an awesome (& noisy) "Kit Car". It's aesthetics are peculiar (looks like an elongated & squashed Chimersa IMO). If I could afford one as a PURELY second/third car I would go for it. But whatever floats your boat - we are all different... Since 1985 I have owned three TVR's - thankfully as second cars, & since TVR stopped trading several years ago I would not touch one ever again. You are extremely limited as to where you can buy parts - & the parts stock is severely diminishing year by year. Never mind the recurring engine problems costing upwards of £6,000 for a rebuild. Can you put up with a failed digital instrument display at over £1000? Or crazed fibreglass bodywork requiring major rectification & a complete body re-paint for SEVERAL thousand pounds?
Since 1997 I have (amongst many other cars) had a LHD BMW Z3 1.9 (avoid!!), a Z3 2.8 for 5 years from new (Great car), An AC Schnitzer Z4 3.0SE for 18 months, & now a Z4M Roadster for the last 6 months. Not a single thing went wrong or failed on those BMW's since 1997. Not even a light bulb! Having driven several Cerberas (lethal cars on a damp or wet road) I can honestly say that a Z4MR/Coupe is vastly cheaper to run (24-27MPG as opposed to 17MPG & MUCH cheaper insurance - put that down to the little Russian boy using Daddy's Mafia money to buy out TVR then bankrupt it....)
Bear in mind that over 1000 BMW Z4MR/Coupes were sold in the UK from 2006-2008 yet how many sad owners regularly post on this forum? About 12 sad men who obviously need to come home from work & get no joy from their 20 stone wive's. Work it out.
Since 1997 I have (amongst many other cars) had a LHD BMW Z3 1.9 (avoid!!), a Z3 2.8 for 5 years from new (Great car), An AC Schnitzer Z4 3.0SE for 18 months, & now a Z4M Roadster for the last 6 months. Not a single thing went wrong or failed on those BMW's since 1997. Not even a light bulb! Having driven several Cerberas (lethal cars on a damp or wet road) I can honestly say that a Z4MR/Coupe is vastly cheaper to run (24-27MPG as opposed to 17MPG & MUCH cheaper insurance - put that down to the little Russian boy using Daddy's Mafia money to buy out TVR then bankrupt it....)
Bear in mind that over 1000 BMW Z4MR/Coupes were sold in the UK from 2006-2008 yet how many sad owners regularly post on this forum? About 12 sad men who obviously need to come home from work & get no joy from their 20 stone wive's. Work it out.
1. Haven't really ever heard of known engine issues with the Cerb, the AJP is quite bullet proof as a mechanical engine. Clutch problems after about 40-50k miles is probably the biggest issue, and a SMALL number of failures with early 4.2 cranks.
2. Cerberas don't have a digital display?
3. From my own experience, and talking to others, cruising on a motorway can get you over 25mpg easily. Some with remaps have acheived 30mpg and just over.
2. Cerberas don't have a digital display?
3. From my own experience, and talking to others, cruising on a motorway can get you over 25mpg easily. Some with remaps have acheived 30mpg and just over.
SittingBull said:
Since 1985 I have owned three TVR's - thankfully as second cars, & since TVR stopped trading several years ago I would not touch one ever again. You are extremely limited as to where you can buy parts - & the parts stock is severely diminishing year by year.
Sorry, but that's as untrue as an untrue thing in a place called Inconvenient Untruth. In fact, thanks to the Unipart deal and the combined efforts of the independant aftermarket the parts situation is better now than back when TVR was still making cars - name me a TVR part for any Wheeler-era model and I am 99% sure I can return within 24 hrs with a reasonable quote & turnaround time. Gassing Station | M Power | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff