Tuscan 3.6 v 4.0
Discussion
Today I went on my first serious search for a Tuscan.........I went to a well known TVR Specialist and went out for a drive in an 02 3.6.........to my surprise I found it to be not as fast (Acceleration) as I expected. Is the 4.0 noticably faster, or should I be looking at a cerby to get the performance I'm looking for.
At present I drive a BMW E39 M5, and previous to that I 420bhp Cosworth......I must admit that I was expecting similar performance to the Cosworth, as the power to weight ratio would have been similar. (Cosworth was 1275kg with 420bhp, and believe 3.6 Tuscan to be 1100kg and 350 - 360bhp).
At present I drive a BMW E39 M5, and previous to that I 420bhp Cosworth......I must admit that I was expecting similar performance to the Cosworth, as the power to weight ratio would have been similar. (Cosworth was 1275kg with 420bhp, and believe 3.6 Tuscan to be 1100kg and 350 - 360bhp).
Edited by Jim Green on Wednesday 6th August 23:22
I think you need to try a Close Ratio gearbox 4 litre "S", I think you are looking for the ultimate in performance, may be with different ratio diff aswell. A lot of people say a Speed Six only comes into its own at 6-7k revs, I must say I never get anywhere near those revs, but I drive a E36 328i aswell not an M5.But it is Avus Blue.
Edited by glow worm on Wednesday 6th August 23:59
The Tuscan isn't really the sort of car you can just jump into and drive quickly. I found that over time you start to explore its full potential and it's only after a while that you get the best from them.
I had a Tuscan 1 Red Rose 4.0 followed by a Tuscan 2 3.6, and there was not a huge amount in it if I am perfectly honest. Of course, the thing about handbuilt cars is that each one will be slightly different and some will be quicker than others.
I had a Tuscan 1 Red Rose 4.0 followed by a Tuscan 2 3.6, and there was not a huge amount in it if I am perfectly honest. Of course, the thing about handbuilt cars is that each one will be slightly different and some will be quicker than others.
stillgrinning said:
supergrass said:
Have you considered a NOBLE M400.If you want a real driving car,handling & performance, but no the roof does not come off.
and you can just about squeeze your washbag behind the seat !He was looking for speed thats why isaid M400 as the tuscan cannot keep up(might do in a straight line)and over 160 mph the noble is solid on the road . The ford engine. Look on the noble forum to see how many have had rebuilds,try and find one.Most noble owners do track their cars,as for tuscans not that many as proved in the adds section is all you see is no track days,allways warmed up,FSH i think they just buy them to polish and pose.At croft tvr track day 2008 a handfull of tuscans,PH track days spot the tuscan on the track.The interior of the tuscan is a work of art with the correct colours,i have seen the odd one that was worse than a porsche.
Get back to the Noble forum, supergrass - Jim asked about Tuscans, not "what car should I buy". Far too many PH threads descend to infantile boasting about "my car's better than yours" these days 
On the 3.6 vs 4.0 subject, they're all a bit different, depending on the degree of care and love they've had from build onwards. My 3.6 felt faster than some 4.0s I tested, equally some others felt quicker (more torque). It's a trade off about condition and spec in the end, although I do agree the close ratio box is a worthwhile extra - over 60 in first and 100 in second!
The main reason the 3.6 probably didn't feel that quick was that it's a very peaky engine, more so than you'd think from a normally brawny straight 6. Mine has shown a clean pair of heals to an E60 M5 (admittedly only up to legalish speeds) and an E46 M3 CSL, so it's not exactly slow. You just need to get the oil good and warm then keep the revs up; peak power is normally well over 7000 rpm, higher than most owners, me included, set the red shift light!
Pete
On the 3.6 vs 4.0 subject, they're all a bit different, depending on the degree of care and love they've had from build onwards. My 3.6 felt faster than some 4.0s I tested, equally some others felt quicker (more torque). It's a trade off about condition and spec in the end, although I do agree the close ratio box is a worthwhile extra - over 60 in first and 100 in second!
The main reason the 3.6 probably didn't feel that quick was that it's a very peaky engine, more so than you'd think from a normally brawny straight 6. Mine has shown a clean pair of heals to an E60 M5 (admittedly only up to legalish speeds) and an E46 M3 CSL, so it's not exactly slow. You just need to get the oil good and warm then keep the revs up; peak power is normally well over 7000 rpm, higher than most owners, me included, set the red shift light!
Pete
Nobles..........Nice and appreciate the engineering, but just not my thing. The TVR for all it's reliablity issues, is still a very special car in the traditional front engine, rear wheel drive tradition, and the shape is probably one of the most stunning cars to look at that there is, and within the average working petrol heads budget. I'm mechanically minded, and not frightened of rebuilding engines, and have progresses through the traditional performance cars over the years, but after having a very well known 430bhp Cosworth, I'm finding it hard to find an enthusiasts car that offers that absolute extreme performance. The TVR (Tuscan) is a car I've always admired for what it is....and believe it can be improved on, and reliability issues can be sorted by the right owner.
Still looking, and appreciate the comments.
Still looking, and appreciate the comments.
Thank you.I think ppete missed the points,also after a test drive you said about a cerb so i thought you were after power not the look or the open top of a tuscan.Pete as for your comment my car better than yours if you had taken the time to look at( my cars) you would hav seen that i also own a 4l tuscan which i have had from new, now 4 years old so i can pass on some usefull info to other PH members when posts like jims come about.
Hi - I have a 3.6 2005. This may be stating the obvious but as a TVR newbie, when I first got my car I did find that I was only using a portion of the full accelerator travel/rev range.
it was only when the pod started working again (after a careful tap on it ! lol) that I realised that I wasn't using anywhere near the full rev range
That last portion of the accelerator travel really makes a difference.
My mate reckons that my 3.6 is easily as fast as his Carrera 'S' (355bhp) in a straight line for what its' worth.
Apparently the 3.6 is a bit smoother than the 'S' and holds its' tune a bit longer, according to my local dealer. I've never had a 4.0/4.0s so can't comment personally, but thats what I've heard from a couple of folks.
Just my tuppence
it was only when the pod started working again (after a careful tap on it ! lol) that I realised that I wasn't using anywhere near the full rev range
That last portion of the accelerator travel really makes a difference.
My mate reckons that my 3.6 is easily as fast as his Carrera 'S' (355bhp) in a straight line for what its' worth.
Apparently the 3.6 is a bit smoother than the 'S' and holds its' tune a bit longer, according to my local dealer. I've never had a 4.0/4.0s so can't comment personally, but thats what I've heard from a couple of folks.
Just my tuppence
MarkoTVR said:
You may have just experienced a dodgy 3.6, as on paper there's only a few BHP and a few lb/ft between them. The S will get the 380-400ish BHP (depending on age) and the CR 'box.
Also, as mentioned, the loud pedal goes a lot futher than you may think at first.
One of the thing's I and all my mates have noticed with mine. Also, as mentioned, the loud pedal goes a lot futher than you may think at first.
Oh, this isn't going as quick as I thought..... oh no wait, I have twice the accelarator travel of every other car.....
.......now i'm scared, lol!
The Tuscan does have an awful lot of accelerator travel and it takes a lot of getting used to.
I tracked mine the other week at Snetterton TVRCC and the huge amount of throttle movement was a real problem. In the end my right calf muscle was really sore. Later that night I had the worst cramp of my life.
Because of this and the gearing, it does take a long while for a Tuscan to accelerate, I was only getting an indicated 130mph at the end of revett straight mostly in 4th, but it was my first ever time on track and so my corner speed was not as high as it could have been and it took a while to get used to depending on the brakes. Mostly I was in third.
I could keep up with most things and it seemed to be the faster of the Tuscans though it is not an 'S'. It does have hydratrak and bigger brakes, which helped alot. It felt really dependable and I never felt I was going to lose it. I didn't rev it much past 6,500.
I went through a complete set of brake pads and fluid, which cost about £400!
I tracked mine the other week at Snetterton TVRCC and the huge amount of throttle movement was a real problem. In the end my right calf muscle was really sore. Later that night I had the worst cramp of my life.
Because of this and the gearing, it does take a long while for a Tuscan to accelerate, I was only getting an indicated 130mph at the end of revett straight mostly in 4th, but it was my first ever time on track and so my corner speed was not as high as it could have been and it took a while to get used to depending on the brakes. Mostly I was in third.
I could keep up with most things and it seemed to be the faster of the Tuscans though it is not an 'S'. It does have hydratrak and bigger brakes, which helped alot. It felt really dependable and I never felt I was going to lose it. I didn't rev it much past 6,500.
I went through a complete set of brake pads and fluid, which cost about £400!
Stevie Mojo said:
tuscan s said:
supergrass said:
Have you considered a NOBLE M400.If you want a real driving car,handling & performance, but no the roof does not come off.
Why would he want a piece of s
t like that, he said he was looking for speed not a ford kit car......Forums | Tuscan | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff