RE: TVR Cerbera | PH Used Buying Guide
Discussion
Having spent my life around fast cars and racing I still always come back to my Cerbera. There is just something about it that nothing else seems to replicate.
Maybe it’s the noise? The raw speed? The lack of driver aids? Whatever it is every journey has sense of occasion!
In pure performance terms they are of course now old..... but even just 10 years ago the newest GT race machinery could not compete with our Cerbera race car in the corners or under braking winning multiple races in various championships.
Maybe it’s the noise? The raw speed? The lack of driver aids? Whatever it is every journey has sense of occasion!
In pure performance terms they are of course now old..... but even just 10 years ago the newest GT race machinery could not compete with our Cerbera race car in the corners or under braking winning multiple races in various championships.
robsco said:
To those who are risk adverse, avoid at all costs. The running costs are extravagant, to put it politely. To those who want a Cerbera and nothing else will do, go out and buy one. You’ll hate it at times, but you’ll always forgive it, I always did mine.
Very good advice. Mine turned me into a stressful mess to be fair. I used to constantly look at the guages and worry(temp/oil pressure/MIL etc). Plus the lottery of it actually starting for me(they eat through starter motors). On the right day and at the right time though...not much matches them for sure.
I still always forgave mine regardless as you mention, however I've not been brave enough(yet) to buy another TVR. That isn't to say that I don't really want another though.
I had a 97 4.2 picked up from new from the factory.
Broke down 6 times in the first year in which I still managed 10,000 miles. I estimated it would have cost £8k for all the work done, thankfully covered by the warranty. Funnily enough, none of it was engine work.
Sold it when the warranty expired.
I'm sure many of the problems would now have been sorted and it was a car which evokes far stronger memories in me, both good and bad, even now, then anything I've owned since.
Every journey was an event, mainly because you were never sure if you would arrive at your destination...
Would now make a lovely second or third sunny weekend car doing a thousand miles a year but would be very brave to expect more from one. I'm sure some owners have but it's like playing Russian Roulette...
Broke down 6 times in the first year in which I still managed 10,000 miles. I estimated it would have cost £8k for all the work done, thankfully covered by the warranty. Funnily enough, none of it was engine work.
Sold it when the warranty expired.
I'm sure many of the problems would now have been sorted and it was a car which evokes far stronger memories in me, both good and bad, even now, then anything I've owned since.
Every journey was an event, mainly because you were never sure if you would arrive at your destination...
Would now make a lovely second or third sunny weekend car doing a thousand miles a year but would be very brave to expect more from one. I'm sure some owners have but it's like playing Russian Roulette...
After having 3 x Chimaeras over the years, I decided to try a Cerbera. I had a 4.5 for a year, and would be unlikely to have another.
The clutch is very hard to sort out and some parts are not obtainable. Frazzled electric control boxes / ECUs for so much of the equipment. A bowden cable (!) for the water temperature. And it leaked rain into the footwells. Then of course, there's the chassis so many TVRs of this era......
The Griffs / Chimaeras were parts bin cars, and all the easier for it (I'd go back to one of them possibly). Rover / Land Rover engines and electrics, Ford brakes etc. Almost everything is bespoke on the Cerbera although I discovered a locking wheel set from a Chrysler Jeep fitted (ETA: I didn't see it in the write up the first time doh...). Aftermarket dampers are very common and make the car better for it.
Mine had a short induction pipe and aftermarket chip and it had 350 bhp on a dyno, nowhere near that claimed. There are many threads here on PH about owners having to carry out extraordinary modifications to get near to 420 bhp.
All that said it was stunning car to drive and jaws do drop when you pass, just be aware you'll need deep pockets. 18" spider wheels from the Tuscan are a good look but you need 4 x fronts, the rears have the wrong offset and you'll foul the wheel arches. Many owners reckon the spiders are made of chocolate but I hit some hard potholes and didn't have an issue. Oh and you'll need the air con working (mine did thankfully), it gets very, very hot inside otherwise, the cats are right under the car near the transmission tunnel.
The one Clarkson thrashed the other cars with apparently had a non standard engine (rumoured to be a Tuscan race engine), road cars had much less power.
The clutch is very hard to sort out and some parts are not obtainable. Frazzled electric control boxes / ECUs for so much of the equipment. A bowden cable (!) for the water temperature. And it leaked rain into the footwells. Then of course, there's the chassis so many TVRs of this era......
The Griffs / Chimaeras were parts bin cars, and all the easier for it (I'd go back to one of them possibly). Rover / Land Rover engines and electrics, Ford brakes etc. Almost everything is bespoke on the Cerbera although I discovered a locking wheel set from a Chrysler Jeep fitted (ETA: I didn't see it in the write up the first time doh...). Aftermarket dampers are very common and make the car better for it.
Mine had a short induction pipe and aftermarket chip and it had 350 bhp on a dyno, nowhere near that claimed. There are many threads here on PH about owners having to carry out extraordinary modifications to get near to 420 bhp.
All that said it was stunning car to drive and jaws do drop when you pass, just be aware you'll need deep pockets. 18" spider wheels from the Tuscan are a good look but you need 4 x fronts, the rears have the wrong offset and you'll foul the wheel arches. Many owners reckon the spiders are made of chocolate but I hit some hard potholes and didn't have an issue. Oh and you'll need the air con working (mine did thankfully), it gets very, very hot inside otherwise, the cats are right under the car near the transmission tunnel.
The one Clarkson thrashed the other cars with apparently had a non standard engine (rumoured to be a Tuscan race engine), road cars had much less power.
Edited by sixor8 on Sunday 31st January 10:33
sixor8 said:
After having 3 x Chimaeras over the years, I decided to try a Cerbera. I had a 4.5 for a year, and would be unlikely to have another.
The clutch is very hard to sort out and some parts are not obtainable. Frazzled electric control boxes / ECUs for so much of the equipment. A bowden cable (!) for the water temperature. And it leaked rain into the footwells. Then of course, there's the chassis so many TVRs of this era......
The Griffs / Chimaeras were parts bin cars, and all the easier for it (I'd go back to one of them possibly). Rover / Land Rover engines and electrics, Ford brakes etc. Almost everything is bespoke on the Cerbera although I discovered a locking wheel set from a Chrysler Jeep fitted (ETA: I didn't see it in the write up the first time doh...). Aftermarket dampers are very common and make the car better for it.
Mine had a short induction pipe and aftermarket chip and it had 350 bhp on a dyno, nowhere near that claimed. There are many threads here on PH about owners having to carry out extraordinary modifications to get near to 420 bhp.
All that said it was stunning car to drive and jaws do drop when you pass, just be aware you'll need deep pockets. 18" spider wheels from the Tuscan are a good look but you need 4 x fronts, the rears have the wrong offset and you'll foul the wheel arches. Many owners reckon the spiders are made of chocolate but I hit some hard potholes and didn't have an issue. Oh and you'll need the air con working (mine did thankfully), it gets very, very hot inside otherwise, the cats are right under the car near the transmission tunnel.
The one Clarkson thrashed the other cars with apparently had a non standard engine (rumoured to be a Tuscan race engine), road cars had much less power.
+1 on importance of working a/c ( which often doesn't ). It gets really hot in there otherwise. I was told the pipes often leak and that that's a difficult fix.The clutch is very hard to sort out and some parts are not obtainable. Frazzled electric control boxes / ECUs for so much of the equipment. A bowden cable (!) for the water temperature. And it leaked rain into the footwells. Then of course, there's the chassis so many TVRs of this era......
The Griffs / Chimaeras were parts bin cars, and all the easier for it (I'd go back to one of them possibly). Rover / Land Rover engines and electrics, Ford brakes etc. Almost everything is bespoke on the Cerbera although I discovered a locking wheel set from a Chrysler Jeep fitted (ETA: I didn't see it in the write up the first time doh...). Aftermarket dampers are very common and make the car better for it.
Mine had a short induction pipe and aftermarket chip and it had 350 bhp on a dyno, nowhere near that claimed. There are many threads here on PH about owners having to carry out extraordinary modifications to get near to 420 bhp.
All that said it was stunning car to drive and jaws do drop when you pass, just be aware you'll need deep pockets. 18" spider wheels from the Tuscan are a good look but you need 4 x fronts, the rears have the wrong offset and you'll foul the wheel arches. Many owners reckon the spiders are made of chocolate but I hit some hard potholes and didn't have an issue. Oh and you'll need the air con working (mine did thankfully), it gets very, very hot inside otherwise, the cats are right under the car near the transmission tunnel.
The one Clarkson thrashed the other cars with apparently had a non standard engine (rumoured to be a Tuscan race engine), road cars had much less power.
Edited by sixor8 on Sunday 31st January 10:33
And mine also never felt anywhere near as fast as performance figures suggested.
I was seriously looking into getting a Cerbera a year ago. I had a chat with Jason Clegg, who came across as incredibly competent and trustworthy, and was determined to buy one of his.
Then I did the numbers. I am based in Switzerland, and making the car road-legal emissions-wise would have set me back GBP 5k or so. Then there's the challenge of driving a RHD car, or rather a RHD Cerbera, in a LHD environment.
And so, I chickened out and bought something safe instead. Even so, the Cerbera is the one British sports car I want to own one day.
Then I did the numbers. I am based in Switzerland, and making the car road-legal emissions-wise would have set me back GBP 5k or so. Then there's the challenge of driving a RHD car, or rather a RHD Cerbera, in a LHD environment.
And so, I chickened out and bought something safe instead. Even so, the Cerbera is the one British sports car I want to own one day.
My dad briefly had one, loaned by a friend of his, around the year 2000. Picked me up from school the day he got it, all I remember seeing was a bullet-silhouette in silver with a raucous engine note, swarmed by other kids by the gate. Felt like a bit of a champ when I got in and we left - somewhat cloudy!
To this day my old man says its the biggest 'handful' of a car he's driven. He actually didn't get on with it for that reason; too low, too sketchy.. but it certainly left an impression and the interiors were (and to my eyes, still are) a bit majestic in a wonky sort of way
To this day my old man says its the biggest 'handful' of a car he's driven. He actually didn't get on with it for that reason; too low, too sketchy.. but it certainly left an impression and the interiors were (and to my eyes, still are) a bit majestic in a wonky sort of way
Fink-Nottle said:
I was seriously looking into getting a Cerbera a year ago. I had a chat with Jason Clegg, who came across as incredibly competent and trustworthy, and was determined to buy one of his.
Then I did the numbers. I am based in Switzerland, and making the car road-legal emissions-wise would have set me back GBP 5k or so. Then there's the challenge of driving a RHD car, or rather a RHD Cerbera, in a LHD environment.
And so, I chickened out and bought something safe instead. Even so, the Cerbera is the one British sports car I want to own one day.
LHD conversions do come up in Switzerland from time to time and there is a TVR owners club here too. Maybe worth having a word with TME in Embrach, who were the official importers. I remember them having a banana yellow one for sale a few years ago. I was very tempted, but my girlfriend talked me out of it on the basis that I’m not hands on enough and Swiss labour rates are ruinous. Then I did the numbers. I am based in Switzerland, and making the car road-legal emissions-wise would have set me back GBP 5k or so. Then there's the challenge of driving a RHD car, or rather a RHD Cerbera, in a LHD environment.
And so, I chickened out and bought something safe instead. Even so, the Cerbera is the one British sports car I want to own one day.
Fink-Nottle said:
I was seriously looking into getting a Cerbera a year ago. I had a chat with Jason Clegg, who came across as incredibly competent and trustworthy, and was determined to buy one of his.
Jason is a top chap I reckon. He and his team did the engine rebuild on mine. He has great attention to detail and he works hard to make sure that your car is spot on. I was really happy with the work that he did on mine. All this talk and seeing the photos makes me want another Cerbera big time.
chunder said:
HM-2 said:
"Today, TVR is one of only two marques to get their own heading in the Forums drop-down menu on the PH homepage."
I make four- TVR, Ultima, BMW and Mini.
Not sure where you're looking but just TVR and Porsche on the Forums drop down menu.I make four- TVR, Ultima, BMW and Mini.
just found the drop down on mobile having literally never seen it before.
Loved my Cerbera, other than a duff Alternator it was totally reliable in the 4 years I owned it. Gorgeous looking car in Grigio Titanio and actually for sale in Pistonheads at the moment from a dealer in Wales
Seen here in 2015 with my Sagaris. Totally different to drive, the Sag inspires confidence - the Cerb felt like it wanted to kill you at every opportunity (and nearly succeeded once) - I loved it!
Seen here in 2015 with my Sagaris. Totally different to drive, the Sag inspires confidence - the Cerb felt like it wanted to kill you at every opportunity (and nearly succeeded once) - I loved it!
Edited by PuffsBack on Sunday 31st January 11:46
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