Discussion
It is generally a reliable car.
Niggles are sometimes confused with reliability.
The expense can get people down.
BUT they are fantastic cars!!!
Lots of people have the same views on BMW M series.
A very good, less than 3 yr old Cerbera with excellent history and well treated will generally be reliable and reasonable to run.
But dont expect ford running costs and 'reliability'.
Generally this tag comes from ill informed observers, negative tw@ts and the unlucky people whose car has been a lemon.
Niggles are sometimes confused with reliability.
The expense can get people down.
BUT they are fantastic cars!!!
Lots of people have the same views on BMW M series.
A very good, less than 3 yr old Cerbera with excellent history and well treated will generally be reliable and reasonable to run.
But dont expect ford running costs and 'reliability'.
Generally this tag comes from ill informed observers, negative tw@ts and the unlucky people whose car has been a lemon.
gazzab said:
It is generally a reliable car.
Niggles are sometimes confused with reliability.
Exactly. Also, I think it depends on how you look at it. If you consider a £40k TVR, and a £40k Mercedes, the TVR will be more expensive to maintain, and have more things go wrong with it (niggles or faults). However, you're comparing a supercar to a uberwagen then, which isn't fair.
If you compare a £40k TVR to a £140k Ferrari then you're talking about cars in the same league as each other. Is the TVR less reliable or have fewer niggles than a Ferrari/Lambo/Aston? From my (limited) knowledge, no. The only difference is that a £3k bill on a £40k car is a much higher percentage than a £3k bill on a £140k car, making replacement parts & labour costs a much larger and more obvious factor in TCO. If the cost of TVR replacement parts (and labour) were about the same proportion of the cost of a car, then there wouldn't be any complaints - a few hundred quid for a new engine, etc.
Most cars I have heard of will have lots of faults (what people here call niggles).
However, this is perhaps not very representative since people only really post on here with niggles, hoping for some advice so they don't get shafted by dealers (all IMHO of course).
I have sold my cerbie now but FWIW mine didn't have any niggles. The only niggles were caused by the servicing. This was also true for the previous owner.
Having said that I think I was lucky.
If you choose wisely (buy well known car, get it inspected etc.) then I think the most likely outcome is quite a few small faults but nothing that should really mar the ownership experience.
It will be expensive to run though, budget on £3k a year (IMHO).
Rob.
However, this is perhaps not very representative since people only really post on here with niggles, hoping for some advice so they don't get shafted by dealers (all IMHO of course).
I have sold my cerbie now but FWIW mine didn't have any niggles. The only niggles were caused by the servicing. This was also true for the previous owner.
Having said that I think I was lucky.
If you choose wisely (buy well known car, get it inspected etc.) then I think the most likely outcome is quite a few small faults but nothing that should really mar the ownership experience.
It will be expensive to run though, budget on £3k a year (IMHO).
Rob.
bobby boy said:In that case, it is usually considered good form to view past posts before starting another thread on a subject you just know will have been covered before.
i am sorry if i have offended anybody but i am thinking of buying one and before i jump in feet first i am just trying to get some views be them good or bad
We're generally a friendly bunch on here
, but it gets tedious to see the same subjects crop up time after time 
.squirrelz said:
i am sorry if i have offended anybody but i am thinking of buying one and before i jump in feet first i am just trying to get some views be them good or bad
In that case, it is usually considered good form to view past posts before starting another thread on a subject you just know will have been covered before.
We're generally a friendly bunch on here
Come on Squizzer, you know you need a Cerbie now you are a married man!!
I think you'll find a marked difference depending on how the car is used - mine is used as my daily transport and has been almost totally reliable, the only time it has let me down was when the clutch needed updating to the newer version. The great thing about this is that it is now so much easier to operate !
Most cars that have niggles tend to be the ones that are only used infrequently, which is by no means unique to TVRs - any supercar that is left unused will not be as reliable as any other car that gets regular use. If you plan to use it regularly the go for it
Most cars that have niggles tend to be the ones that are only used infrequently, which is by no means unique to TVRs - any supercar that is left unused will not be as reliable as any other car that gets regular use. If you plan to use it regularly the go for it
bobby boy said:
i am sorry if i have offended anybody but i am thinking of buying one and before i jump in feet first i am just trying to get some views be them good or bad
Maybe if that was the original post, I wouldn't have been so harsh.
In all fairness, discussing things like reliability and the speed six engine is done to death and a quick search can usually bring up a load of answers, but..
I appreciate your apprehension to buying one, I too was as nervous as hell but when I did make the purchase, I knew I'd made the right choice.
When I sold it, again, I knew I'd made the wrong choice. I should have kept it
Byff said:
i am sorry if i have offended anybody but i am thinking of buying one and before i jump in feet first i am just trying to get some views be them good or bad
Maybe if that was the original post, I wouldn't have been so harsh.
In all fairness, discussing things like reliability and the speed six engine is done to death and a quick search can usually bring up a load of answers, but..
I appreciate your apprehension to buying one, I too was as nervous as hell but when I did make the purchase, I knew I'd made the right choice.
When I sold it, again, I knew I'd made the wrong choice. I should have kept it
Well done Byff.
Are you sure your not from Insbridge....
ocean1 said:In total agreement.Had a speed6 and it was a bag of bolts(the engine)even after its third rebuild and a third time of very careful running in.Had the usual bits falling of/leaking/electrical faults but couldlive with that,but that speed 6 engine,what a load of tosh!(Should have gone for a 4.5 then maybe i,d still have one)Lovely car ,but go for a 4.2/4.5.And please lets be honest hear....will you get high mileage from a speed6 without constant engine work......Ah.....NOPE!
Im just waiting for someone to say "steer clear of the S6 cars...blah blah blah"
bobby boy said:That depends.
would i be foolish to buy a 4.2 with 88k on the clock 96 plate.
Assuming it is the car that has been for sale for a
while, I would consider these things. ( In no
particular order )
1) Having covered that many miles, it must be or have
been reliable....or had a lot of money spent to keep
it going. The fewer the number of owners on the log
book may answer that.
2) If it is inspected, you will know if the paperwork
matches the apparent reliability.
3) Whether you open yourself up to larger bills than
on a newer car is debatable. If certain work has been
done, it will decrease the chance of you having to pay for it.
4) What condition you intend to keep it in.
5) How many services a year you plan to go through,
bearing in mind the recommended 6k checks.
6) How long you would intend to keep it and
what you would 'expect' as a resale value.
7) If you're wife is ready to kill you before you
part with the cash, you'd better be pretty darn sure
you are getting a good car!
Finally, I'm sure others can provide better arguments
or points, but as I'm feeling a bit rough right now,
I'll leave it there.
Good luck in your decisions!
Go create some weather...
Graham
TCR The Cerbera Register
www.TVR-Cerbera.com
venom500 said:
Im just waiting for someone to say "steer clear of the S6 cars...blah blah blah"
In total agreement.Had a speed6 and it was a bag of bolts(the engine)even after its third rebuild and a third time of very careful running in.Had the usual bits falling of/leaking/electrical faults but couldlive with that,but that speed 6 engine,what a load of tosh!(Should have gone for a 4.5 then maybe i,d still have one)Lovely car ,but go for a 4.2/4.5.And please lets be honest hear....will you get high mileage from a speed6 without constant engine work......Ah.....NOPE!
OK yours was a lemon, does that mean that they all are?
Ah.....NOPE!
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