Child-friendly TVR?
Discussion
Can I ask for some advice?
I have a Chimaera, which is great, and which I have owned for 10 years.
Over the next year I am going to have to drop my 2 year old off at Nursery whilst the wife looks after the new arrival (due in a month).
It does not take a rocket-scientist to realise that the Chimaera is not going to get driven regularly for this year, and that I am going to end up driving the RX-8 almost every day.
The question, my friends, is this: Is it realistic to swap the RX-8 for a Cerbera in order to be able to drop off kiddo at nuresery and still find myself driving a decent sports car.
I am aware of lesser vehicles such as Porsche 911 having 4 seats, but then every bugger has one of those and I want something different.
I could buy a classic Ferrari for £25k but not my style - bit ostentatious and I would prefer to keep the costs down if I could.
So, is the Cerbera really a decent candidate?
Also, I would also be interested in getting a Speed 6 version - just because I already have a V8. Is this the best engine?
Many thanks for the advice,
Rich
I have a Chimaera, which is great, and which I have owned for 10 years.
Over the next year I am going to have to drop my 2 year old off at Nursery whilst the wife looks after the new arrival (due in a month).
It does not take a rocket-scientist to realise that the Chimaera is not going to get driven regularly for this year, and that I am going to end up driving the RX-8 almost every day.
The question, my friends, is this: Is it realistic to swap the RX-8 for a Cerbera in order to be able to drop off kiddo at nuresery and still find myself driving a decent sports car.
I am aware of lesser vehicles such as Porsche 911 having 4 seats, but then every bugger has one of those and I want something different.
I could buy a classic Ferrari for £25k but not my style - bit ostentatious and I would prefer to keep the costs down if I could.
So, is the Cerbera really a decent candidate?
Also, I would also be interested in getting a Speed 6 version - just because I already have a V8. Is this the best engine?
Many thanks for the advice,
Rich
Yeah the Cerb is spot on for the Job, i am driving mine more or less as my daily driver now (do less than 5k a year no commuting) Mine being a 4.2 V8 i find it a bit better around town than my old Chimaera, clutch is lighter and better manners than my chim with a lumpy cam.
Yeah do it the sound of the V8 cerb is nothing like a Chim i prefer the noise of the RV8 but the Cerb is awesome on over run and at full chat. Not Sure on SP6 cars never owned one sorry.
Yeah do it the sound of the V8 cerb is nothing like a Chim i prefer the noise of the RV8 but the Cerb is awesome on over run and at full chat. Not Sure on SP6 cars never owned one sorry.
Edited by scotty_d on Wednesday 10th August 09:10
I have a Speed six 2003 Cerbera and I use it regularly to drop the kids of at different places. My kids are twins aged 7 and they love it in the TVR and they prefer sitting in the back rather than the front,but I'm sure that will change as they get older. So no issues with using it with the kids as long as they fit in the back. Of course you can also put one in the front passengers seat with it pushed forward which will give the kid in the back more leg room.
I have found the speed six to be an excellent engine,smooth,powerful and if de-catted will sound as good if not better than a V8 the pops and bangs are something else!!!
One other benefit of a SP6 Cerb is that you will get a far newer model for your money, over a V8 and the build quality is definatley better on the newer models 2002 onwards.
I have found the speed six to be an excellent engine,smooth,powerful and if de-catted will sound as good if not better than a V8 the pops and bangs are something else!!!
One other benefit of a SP6 Cerb is that you will get a far newer model for your money, over a V8 and the build quality is definatley better on the newer models 2002 onwards.
My only concern would be the distance between home and the nursery? They don't like being started, driven <10 miles and parked up again. If it's a decent enough run to get the car warmed through then it's perfect (and you get lots of car park points from mum's and dad's alike, hopefully with different agendas!) 
The car will get warmed up OK - its a 15-20 min drive each morning and the Chimaera seems to like it OK.
I have a RX-8 which I bought because I wanted a sensible alternative for the occasional use, including my once-weekly 100 mile day. It has the car seat in the back and moving it between the two cars will be a 5* PITA. However I did not envisage having to drive said Jap car most of the time; perhaps not best thought out.
I also need to use the car through the winter and we've had some very snowy ones recently. SWMBO does not want me doing the commute in the snow with a TVR. Luckily she won't understand the difference between 250bhp and 420 or so!
I don't envisage this car lasting more than about 5 years so not too fussed about a showroom car, more a working vehicle that I can put 5-6k on each year. I am happy to get things fixed although obviously big bills would be a shame, but occasionally necessary.
Rich
I have a RX-8 which I bought because I wanted a sensible alternative for the occasional use, including my once-weekly 100 mile day. It has the car seat in the back and moving it between the two cars will be a 5* PITA. However I did not envisage having to drive said Jap car most of the time; perhaps not best thought out.
I also need to use the car through the winter and we've had some very snowy ones recently. SWMBO does not want me doing the commute in the snow with a TVR. Luckily she won't understand the difference between 250bhp and 420 or so!
I don't envisage this car lasting more than about 5 years so not too fussed about a showroom car, more a working vehicle that I can put 5-6k on each year. I am happy to get things fixed although obviously big bills would be a shame, but occasionally necessary.
Rich
I have 2 boys - a 4 year old and a 2 year old and they LOVE my Cerb (late model 4.2 with the proper number of cylinders Davey Dee ). They jump at the chance to go out in it. They love the noise and insist on finding tunnels and having the windows open! The same was true of my Mk1 Tuscan. Both boys loved it and had their maiden voyages before they turned 1.
The Cerb makes a lot more sense than the Tuscan as I can get both in at the same time so in that respect it's as child friendly as a TVR could be. But relatively speaking a Cerb is not child friendly and if that's top of the list you should stick to a eurocrate with, ISOFIX, ABS, airbags, side impact protection etc
As a daily driver, not for me. I much prefer the excitement and the anticipation of taking it out precisely because it's not my daily driver. Why not buy some old knacker as a run around for the 100 mile days and for bad weather days and run the Cerb through the spring/summer and clear autumn/winter days?
). They jump at the chance to go out in it. They love the noise and insist on finding tunnels and having the windows open! The same was true of my Mk1 Tuscan. Both boys loved it and had their maiden voyages before they turned 1. The Cerb makes a lot more sense than the Tuscan as I can get both in at the same time so in that respect it's as child friendly as a TVR could be. But relatively speaking a Cerb is not child friendly and if that's top of the list you should stick to a eurocrate with, ISOFIX, ABS, airbags, side impact protection etc
As a daily driver, not for me. I much prefer the excitement and the anticipation of taking it out precisely because it's not my daily driver. Why not buy some old knacker as a run around for the 100 mile days and for bad weather days and run the Cerb through the spring/summer and clear autumn/winter days?
WhyTwo said:
I have 2 boys - a 4 year old and a 2 year old and they LOVE my Cerb (late model 4.2 with the proper number of cylinders Davey Dee ). They jump at the chance to go out in it. They love the noise and insist on finding tunnels and having the windows open! The same was true of my Mk1 Tuscan. Both boys loved it and had their maiden voyages before they turned 1.
The Cerb makes a lot more sense than the Tuscan as I can get both in at the same time so in that respect it's as child friendly as a TVR could be. But relatively speaking a Cerb is not child friendly and if that's top of the list you should stick to a eurocrate with, ISOFIX, ABS, airbags, side impact protection etc
As a daily driver, not for me. I much prefer the excitement and the anticipation of taking it out precisely because it's not my daily driver. Why not buy some old knacker as a run around for the 100 mile days and for bad weather days and run the Cerb through the spring/summer and clear autumn/winter days?
+ 1 from me.Except the cylinder bit. :-) ). They jump at the chance to go out in it. They love the noise and insist on finding tunnels and having the windows open! The same was true of my Mk1 Tuscan. Both boys loved it and had their maiden voyages before they turned 1. The Cerb makes a lot more sense than the Tuscan as I can get both in at the same time so in that respect it's as child friendly as a TVR could be. But relatively speaking a Cerb is not child friendly and if that's top of the list you should stick to a eurocrate with, ISOFIX, ABS, airbags, side impact protection etc
As a daily driver, not for me. I much prefer the excitement and the anticipation of taking it out precisely because it's not my daily driver. Why not buy some old knacker as a run around for the 100 mile days and for bad weather days and run the Cerb through the spring/summer and clear autumn/winter days?
WhyTwo said:
I have 2 boys - a 4 year old and a 2 year old and they LOVE my Cerb (late model 4.2 with the proper number of cylinders Davey Dee ). They jump at the chance to go out in it. They love the noise and insist on finding tunnels and having the windows open! The same was true of my Mk1 Tuscan. Both boys loved it and had their maiden voyages before they turned 1.
The Cerb makes a lot more sense than the Tuscan as I can get both in at the same time so in that respect it's as child friendly as a TVR could be. But relatively speaking a Cerb is not child friendly and if that's top of the list you should stick to a eurocrate with, ISOFIX, ABS, airbags, side impact protection etc
As a daily driver, not for me. I much prefer the excitement and the anticipation of taking it out precisely because it's not my daily driver. Why not buy some old knacker as a run around for the 100 mile days and for bad weather days and run the Cerb through the spring/summer and clear autumn/winter days?
I have two kids, and they have travelled in the Cerbera since the youngest was about 18months - always used Recaro Start seats. However if you are tall you won't get the Start seat behind the driver seat, the passenger seat on the Cerb's can be pushed a long way forwards and as there is no battery in the passenger footwell like the Chim then you get decent leg room. Think of the Cerb as a 3+1 if you like - the seat behind the driver is only for small children. ). They jump at the chance to go out in it. They love the noise and insist on finding tunnels and having the windows open! The same was true of my Mk1 Tuscan. Both boys loved it and had their maiden voyages before they turned 1. The Cerb makes a lot more sense than the Tuscan as I can get both in at the same time so in that respect it's as child friendly as a TVR could be. But relatively speaking a Cerb is not child friendly and if that's top of the list you should stick to a eurocrate with, ISOFIX, ABS, airbags, side impact protection etc
As a daily driver, not for me. I much prefer the excitement and the anticipation of taking it out precisely because it's not my daily driver. Why not buy some old knacker as a run around for the 100 mile days and for bad weather days and run the Cerb through the spring/summer and clear autumn/winter days?
However - if you are only dropping one 2 year old off - do as the other posters suggest and put the Start seat in the front seat. No airbags to worry about....
However - note that the front setbelt mounting points are right at head height in the rear if NOT using Start seat - just something to be aware of to add to your own personal risk register. You take your own choice. Recommend searching on this Cerb forum as child seats / children in Cerb is discussed quite a bit.
Also, I asume you know that the AJP V8 is very different to the "rover" V8...... the rover / TVR engine has the offset crank firing pattern and gives it that distinctive NASCAR / American muscle car burble. The AJP V8 is a flat plane crank, like a Ferrari V8, which is more like two 4 cyl superbike engines spliced together. It sounds nothing like the rover V8 and has a very different driving characteristic. I personally like both. The Cerb doesn't sound as "muscle-y" as tickover or low revs (but it is distinctive and very different from all other traffic....) but it really likes to REV!!! Power is OK from tickover, but really starts to kick in about 3.5 or 4K, where is screams round to the limiter (beeping sound) at jsut over 7K..... addictive, and the snap crackle and pop on the overrun is great fun!! Never tire of rolling on and off the throttle from 3 - 4 K and back down again.... heh heh heh
Your choice - but you WOULD be able to use the Cerb as family car particularly at the weekends for trips out - we regularly use our 4 up. Kids tend to go to sleep in it pretty easily too..... AND they love the fact that you have something quite special!
Good luck, buy on condition not age. And by the way - IMO I think that a Cerb would be a bit more expensive to run than a Chim.... Servicing costs will be a bit higher, and I think you shoudl look out for condition of the clutch, plus all the other usual TVR foibles like fuel lines, chassis corrosion etc.
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