Is the cerbera really as crap as everyone says?
Discussion
I've been thinking of buying a Cerbera for a while. I have mainly been driving nice enough cars (M5, 928) but really fancy something a bit fast and furious. All my pals claim these cars have the build quality of a '70s Lada and are assembled by rejects from Scrapheap Challenge. Everyone has heard stories of unreliability - but ARE THEY REALLY THAT BAD???
PS budget up to £20k
PS budget up to £20k
have they ever had, or been in, or driven one??? i bet a million squid they havnt! and are talkind pub bollox! Say my opinion is biased if you like, but its not as i have other cars too! But i personally think they are awesome! its a tvr ffs! of course they are gonna have their niggles, theyre hand built! take one for a test drive at your nearest dealer and make your mind up for yourself! there are things to look out for when buying one, but do a search on here when you do get round to it, theres loads of info to help you out! so to answer your question, imo no they are not crap, and are generally reliable for what they are if you ask me. >> Edited by Toady1 on Friday 30th December 20:06
Have a trawl through the threads, take one out for a spin and see what you think.
A TVR Cerbera is not a generic german machine in that it doesn't have the same high level of build quality, it's servicing costs aren't as low and it isn't predictable. It is however a car that is raw, explosive and exciting to drive, everytime you get behind the wheel your heart pounds, it's only predictable in one sense and that is that it is feckin fast...you have to master the handling, you have to learn to control the power delivery and you have to get used to that amazing noise.....Yes you become paranoid about every different noise you hear, yes the servicing costs are quite high as something over and above always need doing, and yes it will breakdown, but that is all part of Cerbera ownership. Learn about the car first, understand what the potential pitfalls are. When you have done this ask yourself if it's the car for you, if it is then go for it, but if it isn't then look elsewhere. With a Cerbera you have to accept all of the baggage that comes with it, only then is the experience worthwhile......
A TVR Cerbera is not a generic german machine in that it doesn't have the same high level of build quality, it's servicing costs aren't as low and it isn't predictable. It is however a car that is raw, explosive and exciting to drive, everytime you get behind the wheel your heart pounds, it's only predictable in one sense and that is that it is feckin fast...you have to master the handling, you have to learn to control the power delivery and you have to get used to that amazing noise.....Yes you become paranoid about every different noise you hear, yes the servicing costs are quite high as something over and above always need doing, and yes it will breakdown, but that is all part of Cerbera ownership. Learn about the car first, understand what the potential pitfalls are. When you have done this ask yourself if it's the car for you, if it is then go for it, but if it isn't then look elsewhere. With a Cerbera you have to accept all of the baggage that comes with it, only then is the experience worthwhile......
sounds like you need to find some new mates,it really irritates me when people have an opinion of somthing they have no experience of, i'm glad you've posted on here because the only opinions that are worth anything are from the past/present owners of these very special cars and the TVR specialists/dealers that maintain them.
they are a bargain supercar but do'nt expect to be able to run them on a shoestring.
regards andy
they are a bargain supercar but do'nt expect to be able to run them on a shoestring.
regards andy
deadslow said:
I've been thinking of buying a Cerbera for a while. I have mainly been driving nice enough cars (M5, 928) but really fancy something a bit fast and furious. All my pals claim these cars have the build quality of a '70s Lada and are assembled by rejects from Scrapheap Challenge. Everyone has heard stories of unreliability - but ARE THEY REALLY THAT BAD???
PS budget up to £20k
Wow, which academy of Diplomacy did you graduate from FFS!
I think posting "Is the Cerberas as Crap as everyone says it is?" on the Cerbera owners forum is probably NOT the most tactful way of getting help and information!
Might not be the ideal car for a knob who knows nothing about whats under the bonnet maybe?
>> Edited by spartacus on Friday 30th December 20:27
deadslow said:
IS THE CERBERA REALLY AS CRAP AS EVERYONE SAYS?
Define everybody? If you mean your circle of friends, then they are clearly misguided. Buy one but don't give them a ride in it, just drive away from them, they'll soon be just a dot in your rear view mirror.
A few problems you might come across if they are engine related can most probably be traced to the new owner revving the nut's off it in front of their friends to show them and let them hear the engine. This is bad, very bad if the engine is still cold. If you let it warm up properly and allow for the oil to get a good circulation then you can rev it's nuts off it, but it's too much of a temptation for some.
So the answer is no.
Thanks for the comments, and sorry if my original post seemed a bit inflammatory - this was not my intention. I just wanted to be reassured by people who have real world experience of these cars. I am scared of buying something which could prove a mega liability, though I fully understand the costs of maintaining high performance cars.
So, thanks again, and sorry for any offence (none taken by the way Spartacus)
So, thanks again, and sorry for any offence (none taken by the way Spartacus)
deadslow said:
I've been thinking of buying a Cerbera for a while.
Keep dreaming.
deadslow said:
I have mainly been driving nice enough cars (M5, 928)
They're regular runabouts with extra poke, no where near TVR land I'm afraid (unless you're talking the new V10 M5
) deadslow said:
but really fancy something a bit fast and furious.
Do I sense a pun in there?
deadslow said:
All my pals claim these cars have the build quality of a '70s Lada
I think if you were genuinly interested in a TVR, you would NOT put a post up like this! TVR's are an engine with a seat and drop dead georgous clothing!
deadslow said:
and are assembled by rejects from Scrapheap Challenge.
Again, you are taking this too far, lets see if your mates can put a car together that even resembles a car let alone a fine piece of british motoring!
deadslow said:
Everyone has heard stories of unreliability - but ARE THEY REALLY THAT BAD???
This should have been your question (without the above nonsense)...
The answer to which is, "Of course not!"
These are high performance cars, they require extra TLC, they might be cheaper than most other supers in initial buying costs, but their upkeep can soon catch up to other exotics... but the beauty of these in used-form is that you can do their upkeep yourself if you dont mind a little bit of elbow grease here and there...
What people forget to realise is that Ferraris can also be unreliable if used daily! and on school runs! and to tesco's! and to the local chippy.. all on a regular basis... and if used daily by commuters... most who buy TVR's tend to buy them as their regular ride, you try doing that in a fezza or a bull and you'll soon see how reliable they are too and probably end up selling your scrotum and your left hand!
TVR's - are the best bang for buck, will casually keep up with the biggest grand-daddy supers, running costs are inevitably going to be higher than a regular german/yank box due to their very nature to be outright performance cars from the standpoint.
deadslow said:
PS budget up to £20k
That can get you a lot, do your research, drive a few, either buy private or pay a little more and go dealer, I'd say if you're a newbie to high-performance cars, you may be better looked after with a dealer warranty etc... but if you're a keen grease-monkey, then buy private, especially from a fellow pistonheader, and before you make the plunge, ask the Cerbera forum about the car, chances are we'll know if the rides been through some rough history....
deadslow said:
Next time I'll start my posts by gently warming up the audience!
Good idea!
Had my car over three & half years now & the current snow & frost is killing me 'cus i cant get out & drive it properly......... it is & has been the most incredible machine i have ever been in, let alone owned.
Having said that, if 'everyone' thinks they are crap, then lets keep it to ourselves eh?
Having said that, if 'everyone' thinks they are crap, then lets keep it to ourselves eh?
i dont own one yet, so cant truly comment,however ive been doing my reaserch into the car and ive now driven one, are they crap? no far from it, i hardly drove it hard but it gave me a smile on par with the one i get from a 1000cc bike, would i buy one? yes i would,sure i would get annoyed with it when it plays up but i would be more than willing to put up with that for what it is,the thing that did concern me about them and i could be way off the mark here was there seemed alot to go wrong electriclly, keyless entry,the boot etc but from what i gather the engine is rather robust, perhaps not as much as the Rover V8 units but definatly more so than the Speed 6, from what ive gathered clutches can sometimes be a weak point, oh and the original post probably inflamed some owners more than walking past stamford bridge on a saturday afternoon wearing a millwall shirt.
Okay, so I was tempted to post a fatuous reply and treat the question with the comtempt it deserves, however I shall only say this:
I traded in my Cerbera against a 2001 BMW M5 in August. 400bhp, teutonic reliability (cough cough) and five seats, 155mph etc etc.
I'm now selling the BMW because I'm bored.
I'm buying another TVR.
Once bitten, twice shy, and after two, I want more.
'Nuff said.
I traded in my Cerbera against a 2001 BMW M5 in August. 400bhp, teutonic reliability (cough cough) and five seats, 155mph etc etc.
I'm now selling the BMW because I'm bored.
I'm buying another TVR.
Once bitten, twice shy, and after two, I want more.
'Nuff said.
The alternative way of saying most of the above is that yes, they are as bad as everyone makes out, you just have to set your expectations accordingly. People saying "they are fine british engineering, yes they'll break down and cost a fortune to run but they are worth it" is an insight in to the mind set you'll need. Test drive one, you'll know if the performance is worth the hassle in running it, simple as that.
In performance terms, the Cerbera is a Supercar. Check out the back pages of Evo in the fastf leet section, where they are running a Lambo Murky Lager and one of those dancing donkey things to see the costs of running them! IIRC the lambo, bought new, set the owner back something over 23K in year 1! For similar performance, the Cerbera is the performance bargain of the Century. Treat it as a hobby... fettle it, improve it and look after it and they are awesome. Rev the nuts off it from cold to impress all your "expert" mates and treat it like an everyday tin top and it will probably turn around and bite you on the ar$e big style.
Jon H
Jon H
jon h said:
....set the owner back something over 23K in year 1!....Jon H
PLUS depreciation I suspect!!!
A 98/99 4.5 cerb if bought private should lose about £1K pa plus £3k servicing/repairs = £4k pa.
A similiar priced ford mondeo will cost £100 in servicing and repairs but will cost £4K in depreciation.
APMAUTO said:
sounds like you need to find some new mates,it really irritates me when people have an opinion of somthing they have no experience of, i'm glad you've posted on here because the only opinions that are worth anything are from the past/present owners of these very special cars and the TVR specialists/dealers that maintain them.
they are a bargain supercar but do'nt expect to be able to run them on a shoestring.
regards andy
I get fed up of this kind of post aswell Andy .. you said excatly what I think every time i see stuff like this.
Joo. (Cerb techie for a decade and still lvoe them to bits! 'nuff said
) Cyclone1 said:
A TVR Cerbera is not a generic german machine in that it doesn't have the same high level of build quality, it's servicing costs aren't as low and it isn't predictable.
To be honest, when I read that, something sprung to mind...That's the whole point of these cars! They're not predictable and safe, liken them to women and see what I mean! Who wants a boring predictable girl when you can have an exciting, lively girl?
Combover
If you're happy with an M5 then:
If you're serioUs - and I don't think that anyone who starts
with "I'm considering ..." is,
then :
20K will buy you a car that will require considerable work - be it in the
short or longterm. Buy a 2000 plus. Spend a minimum of 25K.
Expect to pay 2200 - 2500 quid p.a. maintenance (not including wheels/tyres) only if. as people have said, you're a KEEN greasemonkey
then :
You will have a wonderful time in a vehicle that will rekindle the basest
hormonal instincts that man/machine relationships can evoke within you.
else :
else :
FORGET IT !
>> Edited by DeathRace2005 on Saturday 31st December 10:57
If you're serioUs - and I don't think that anyone who starts
with "I'm considering ..." is,
then :
20K will buy you a car that will require considerable work - be it in the
short or longterm. Buy a 2000 plus. Spend a minimum of 25K.
Expect to pay 2200 - 2500 quid p.a. maintenance (not including wheels/tyres) only if. as people have said, you're a KEEN greasemonkey
then :
You will have a wonderful time in a vehicle that will rekindle the basest
hormonal instincts that man/machine relationships can evoke within you.
else :
else :
FORGET IT !
>> Edited by DeathRace2005 on Saturday 31st December 10:57
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