safety features

[southendpier]

Tis the season to be brown of underpant.

had a couple of exciting moments in he cerb over the last couple of weeks both at low speed and easily caught but have a real respect for the car and also thank the addition of the long accelerator pedal.
however, it got me wondering, now the cerb comes with sweet fa in terms of modern safety devices. I presume this is because tvr was too cheap to design or install them or more likely were concerned about failure of fitted devices and the resulting pr and legal disaster that would ensue.

so what do people think should have been added?
I reckon in this order:

1 traction
2 ABS
3 airbags

even for more cost or the problems with weight. Maybe we'd see more cerbs on the road...

for me the car would still retain it's appeal.

[caduceus]

Traction? Good god. Whats wrong with you man
Would kill the very essence that makes a Cerbera what it is.

I think any driver aids in a TVR would go against the grain for what TVR stands for. Its a REAL drivers car, and demands respect.

But, I do understand where you are coming from and its a valid point. Just not one I agree with.
Maybe I'm too old school.

C

[davidn]

Just got in from a bit of an Xmas Eve blast myself. The roads are greasy but not too bad but enough to keep me below 4000rpm and in places the rear wheels spinning up at about 3,500rpm if squeezing on the throttle a little too quick.
The lack of any traction control in this case reminds me that if there's not enough grip to go then there probably ain't enough to slow so it's a kind of subliminal traction control to me.
Don't get me wrong I see the point of driver aids and on the odd occassion it can mean the difference between living to fight another day or not. But in the most part these cars do give you a good idea of the general levels of grip available although there are some horror stories of the things just snapping side ways without warning. Although apart from the airbag I doubt any of the safety aids mentioned would get you out of that kind of trouble.
Any way only a few short months before the temp pics up along with the grip.
Merry Xmas
David

[medieval]

They do come with safety devices dont they;

brakes
seatbelts
..................oh, I see what you mean..

[markh]

caduceus said:

Traction? Good god. Whats wrong with you man
Would kill the very essence that makes a Cerbera what it is.

I think any driver aids in a TVR would go against the grain for what TVR stands for. Its a REAL drivers car, and demands respect.

But, I do understand where you are coming from and its a valid point. Just not one I agree with.
Maybe I'm too old school.

C

Switchable traction control would be useful some time I recon, was out in a mates cerbie yesterday (in the frozen north)we slithered around for an hour and then gave up and went to the pub!

[robscim]

Its a car that rewards good driving, but soon reminds you when you drive a bit below par. Driving aids would detract from that (and add weight). Cerb drivers get some form of respect from other drivers who have owned one in the past.

Someone posted on here a while ago that when driving a cerb at this time of the year, its always devcon 4 behind the wheel!

Having said that, trying to leave an Audi TT the other day did show I wasn't concentrating enough!

Cheers

Rob

[c3ber]

Had a look into TC for the cerb but in the end it just was not worth it. It can be fitted and I for one would say go for it and see what its like.

[HarryW]

markh said:

caduceus said:

Traction? Good god. Whats wrong with you man
Would kill the very essence that makes a Cerbera what it is.

I think any driver aids in a TVR would go against the grain for what TVR stands for. Its a REAL drivers car, and demands respect.

But, I do understand where you are coming from and its a valid point. Just not one I agree with.
Maybe I'm too old school.

C

Switchable traction control would be useful some time I recon, was out in a mates cerbie yesterday (in the frozen north)we slithered around for an hour and then gave up and went to the pub!

Agree, its one of the things I'm looking at longer term for the Cerb if only so I can get the power down in the damp , but as you say it must be switchable.
I know Paul at Austec is in the process of fitting a system to a Chimaera at present. I'll see how that goes first, hopefully it'll have a dial as oppose to switch, so you can select the % slip and not just on or off.

[Scrooloose]

I think the Cerb is perfectly fine as it is. You just need a sensible head on when driving in cold or damp conditions.

It's no different from riding a powerful motorbike in that respect. Although I feel about 100 times safer in my Cerb in the wet than I do on my current bike.

[Byff]

When the hampster had his crash at 280mph, what safety devices did he have? A roll cage, helmet and a seatbelt.

I think that's two of the three boxes ticked.

[ridds]

TC would be handy at times. General chugging to and from work for those that use their cars as dailys.

Airbags, imho a waste of space and would ruin the wheel.

ABS, would just prove troublesome.

Try driving a DB9 hard without TC.

[snorky]

most superbikes can go as fast as most Tivs yet you don't even get a seat belt....

no-one complains about that.......(except Europe)

[southendpier]

interesting replies, seems switchable traction is preferred. Is that because we cerb drivers worry more about the go than the slow. ;-P

[GarethGTT]

Wouldnt a TVR slowly start looking like a very poorley put together BMW with driver Aids.
front engined, rear wheel drive, all you would need then is the arrogant driver.

[eldudereno]

You could always fit an aftermarket tc system to your car if you feel your laundry bills for your underpants are getting a little out of control. My brother fitted one to his Supra TT and it does have a rather nice ad on facility called launch control.

[ireland]

A guy over here is having TC fitted to a Tuscan.

If he's at the next TVRCC meet I'll ask him about it and post it on here.

[HarryW]

Actually met the owner of the said Chim with TC that Austec are doing today, small world .
Its not finished yet, the rear is up and running but the system is idle at present apparently just sourcing some sensors for the front hubs. I'll keep an eye out on its progress and will get first hand word on how it preforms before I commit to it for the Cerb. As already said the launch control aspect could be handy.

[TT Tim]

TC is not difficult to retro fit, plenty of 'ricers' do, myself included on my Zed, however TVRs don't have ABS so you need to add wheel speed sensors, have a look here:

www.racelogic.co.uk/?show=Traction_Control

Steve Heath has had TC in his 'Purple Shed' for a while, and I believe it is briefly touched on in the 'Bible'.

Personally, I can't see the point of it on the Cerb'. As for the comment about slipping around on ice - all I can say is that you can't beat the laws of physics, TC would not have helped you in that situation!

Tim

[HarryW]

I've seen the Purple Shed sprint with it, not sure its always been working tbh, seem to recall Steve saying it was worth a bit more than just a few 10ths. I also seem to remember it adding to the flame spitting capabilities of the car when it cut in .
I know the purists would never condone such a system on a Cerbera, or any TVR, but if it works as it should, I see no problem with it, not all of us can drive a car at 10/10ths in perfect control .

[southendpier]

HarryW said:

not all of us can drive a car at 10/10ths in perfect control .

that's the nice thing about these forums -that normal, mere mortals like us can converse with the large gonad sporting British Driving Legends. Guys open of shirt that think nothing of leaving tesco car park in a perfectly controlled four wheel drift leaving only a cloud of smoke and petrol fumes aka Sir James of Hunt. One hand on the wheel the other stroking the firm thigh of some nubile young filly...