Chims in the Real World
Discussion
Hi Guys,
I know this is probably a topic that has been covered many time before , buy hey,
now bar track days would one really appreciate the difference between the 4.5 and the 5.0 litre models for everyday driving, you know contry lanes the odd A road the occasional motorway jaunt..obviously the 5.0 is going to be faster , but can you really utilise the extra power if you are not on a track?? and then there is the price differnce to consider, I would say , having looked into it a bit that thee is probably a £2.5k difference for an similar year ans spec model...is it reallt worth the extra, and the extra petrol and insurance, granted that these will be relativlt small differences...and then the resale, a good few years later I hope, but still have to consider this....
has anyone had a similar dilema...will be buying after christmas so hopefully prices will be a little lower mid winter....
cant wait for next sumer.......hope to see you all around them...
S.
I know this is probably a topic that has been covered many time before , buy hey,
now bar track days would one really appreciate the difference between the 4.5 and the 5.0 litre models for everyday driving, you know contry lanes the odd A road the occasional motorway jaunt..obviously the 5.0 is going to be faster , but can you really utilise the extra power if you are not on a track?? and then there is the price differnce to consider, I would say , having looked into it a bit that thee is probably a £2.5k difference for an similar year ans spec model...is it reallt worth the extra, and the extra petrol and insurance, granted that these will be relativlt small differences...and then the resale, a good few years later I hope, but still have to consider this....
has anyone had a similar dilema...will be buying after christmas so hopefully prices will be a little lower mid winter....
cant wait for next sumer.......hope to see you all around them...
S.
I currently run a Chimaera 4.0,which i enjoy driving immensely.As I believe a sports car should be a full convertable when I come to change my TVR I am faced with the choice of a Tamora or a "newer" secondhand Chimaera At the moment I am not sure about the Tamora styling or a six cylinder engine so I am leaning very much towards a Chimaera 5.0.After reading your remarks it has set me thinking about the necessity for 5.0.Yes it is top of the Chimaera range which always atracts owners of the smaller versions but is the difference that noticeable.Having owned a Cerbera 4.2 and a Tuscan I must admit the difference between their performance and my Chimaera has never been an issue.
I think the main reason that I would consider the 5.0 is the knowlwdge that if I went for the 4.5 there would always be the 5.0 that I could have bought, but really do I need the extra ....appart from the engine and wheels surely they are exactly the same car???interior/suspension/bodywork.....
There are many threads on this site about people wanting more power from their 400s and it seems to be considered that the most cost effective power upgrade is to trade the 400 in for a 500.
The 500 also have better suspension and brakes - effectively the same running gear as the Griff 500.
I test drove 400HCs 450s and 500 and have always been glad I went for the big one. I often use the car's maximum potential, not just on the track and often still wish for more power!!! You get used to it, and realize that you can never have enough BHP. At least by buying the big one you never have the niggling doubts saying 'what it?'.
IMHO £2.5k is money well spent for the extras that you get. 500s are a little rare as the Chim was considered more the softer option and those wanting the top performance would often go for the Griff.
Insurance should be exactly the same and the difference in mpg is negligible. Service costs are also the same. Tyres are bigger, but that's a difference of perhaps a tenner each! So effectively your only extra cost is the initial outlay.
Also don't think that the 500 is too powerful for everyday use. My wife happily drives it and finds it very easy and exciting to drive. (Power steering helps).
The 500 also have better suspension and brakes - effectively the same running gear as the Griff 500.
I test drove 400HCs 450s and 500 and have always been glad I went for the big one. I often use the car's maximum potential, not just on the track and often still wish for more power!!! You get used to it, and realize that you can never have enough BHP. At least by buying the big one you never have the niggling doubts saying 'what it?'.
IMHO £2.5k is money well spent for the extras that you get. 500s are a little rare as the Chim was considered more the softer option and those wanting the top performance would often go for the Griff.
Insurance should be exactly the same and the difference in mpg is negligible. Service costs are also the same. Tyres are bigger, but that's a difference of perhaps a tenner each! So effectively your only extra cost is the initial outlay.
Also don't think that the 500 is too powerful for everyday use. My wife happily drives it and finds it very easy and exciting to drive. (Power steering helps).
I never drove a Chimaera 500, but I drove a Griff - I assume they are similar cars. Result? I ended up buying a 450. Why? Because I feel this is the right car for me. It is not so much about performance but about 'driveability'. I felt the 450 was a fair bit more docile (if it can be ever said of a TVR 
).
So, my suggestion is go out and try both of them and then make up you mind. One other point, which isn't substantiated by anything else than personal observation, the additional 500cc put the engine block under a significant amount of strain. I would say that if 500s are not more fragile, they do need more attention.
In any case, I doubt you'll regret it either way. GO FOR IT!!
Cheers
Roms
PS: I have covered 13,000 miles in 9 months with my car with no major problem. The only mechanical issue was a £177 fix.
>> Edited by rthierry on Tuesday 20th August 12:32
). So, my suggestion is go out and try both of them and then make up you mind. One other point, which isn't substantiated by anything else than personal observation, the additional 500cc put the engine block under a significant amount of strain. I would say that if 500s are not more fragile, they do need more attention.
In any case, I doubt you'll regret it either way. GO FOR IT!!
Cheers
Roms
PS: I have covered 13,000 miles in 9 months with my car with no major problem. The only mechanical issue was a £177 fix.
>> Edited by rthierry on Tuesday 20th August 12:32
just to add my £2coin's worth. i've owned a 4HC for just under a year - performance is fantastic in comparasion to 99% of other cars on the road. recently i test drove a 5L griff (on a T plate thanks to TVR ditton) and was amazed at the noticable difference. Needless to say, am now hooked and will look to 'upgrade' at some stage in the future.
I wanted a 450, or 500, and shopped around for the best car. I bought a 450 because it was the right price, color, miles, interior, and had been garaged for it's whole life. Had I found a 500 that gave me what I wanted, I would have bought it.
I love my car. I am glad I bought the one I got..... and it goes damn fast.
If it's only Horsepower you want.. and looks / color are not as important, save youself money and get an older 500 that looks to be in good shape.
I love my car. I am glad I bought the one I got..... and it goes damn fast.
If it's only Horsepower you want.. and looks / color are not as important, save youself money and get an older 500 that looks to be in good shape.
well i'll have around £21k to spend, I am looking for a range of colours, they just all happen to be in the dark blue range , so not exactly rare for a TVR!! with a , yes you guessed it , magnolia or variant interior. I do however want one with the later body styling ( post 1998, not post 2001,)...hopefully wont be too difficult to find somethiong with around 25k on the clock...but you never know and if the right 4.5 comes along....we shall see closer to the time...I am a bit concerned that there seems to be a bit of a drought of TVRs for sale around mid winter...so if you see any let me know....
S.
S.
With £21k you should be able to get your hands on a good 500. I have had mine (1996 with 30,000 miles, Full TVR SH and in really shape generally) since March and only paid £14,750, so wait for the winter if you can hold out! I must admit that since owning my first car at 18 I promised myself that I would always upgrade in either horsepower, 0-60 or top speed. So I am not sure where I would have to go next but I have no intention of changing. Oh and the reason I chose the 500 over the others was because my mate has a 4.3 Griff and I just had to have one better (sad I know, but that's the truth!).
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