Chim 500 v 4.2 cerb?

[cerbielee]

Hi all,thinking of buying one of these two cars! firstly has anyone raced a cerbera in their chim and how did it fair? how do they compare handling wise? been on the cerb forums but of course get a slightly biast reply!
Thanks for any info Lee

[shpub]

A cerb will out brake/accelerate/handle a standard Chim500 or Griff 500. However running costs for a Cerb are about 3 times that of a Chim/Griff.

You pays your money... you make your choice.

[Big Al.]

I don't think the Cerbi forum is biased, IMHO the Cerb is a superior package.

BUT you can't take the roof off! I would have one if it wasn't for that.

[Waynester]

Performance is not 'everything' (did i say that..) for me the Rover V8 sounds perfect, whereas the Cerb flat plane crank 8 just doesn't. All IMHO..

Edited by Waynester on Friday 9th March 13:09

[poorpeet]

I agree with Al.
A Cerb convertable would be the dogs!

[seasider]

shpub said:

A cerb will out brake/accelerate/handle a standard Chim500 or Griff 500.

Not saying top speed but the acceleration bit can be fun in a slightly modded 500

Edited by seasider on Friday 9th March 13:58

[JonRB]

Steve_T is your man to talk to. He had a standard Chimaera 500 which became a modded one and then traded up to a Cerbera (although admittedly a 4.5 which he then spent a small fortune on at Austec).

Edit: I had a passenger ride out with him in the Cerbera and then we immediately went out over the same roads with me driving in my Chimaera 500 and him as passenger. I can categorically say that the Cerbera was an order of magntude more accelerative than my Chimaera and he had been taking it a lot more easy than I had been as he'd not long had the car and was still getting used to it.

Edited by JonRB on Friday 9th March 14:06

[shpub]

seasider said:

shpub said:

A cerb will out brake/accelerate/handle a standard Chim500 or Griff 500.

Not saying top speed but the acceleration bit can be fun in a slightly modded 500

Edited by seasider on Friday 9th March 13:58

It's even more fun in a supercharged 5.2 that's detuned to only 500 bhp...

But that wasn't the original question though....

[cerbielee]

Thanks for the replies,not too bothered about after the 100mph mark but on paper the chim500 is as quick to 60! the big factor in my choice has got to be running costs! but i do love the shape of the cerbera so tough choice? prefere the noise of the Rover V8 thou.
Still not sure wich way to go????
Thanks Lee

[JonRB]

cerbielee said:

on paper the chim500 is as quick to 60

Well, that's fine if you're driving on paper.

In the real world though, a Cerbera 4.2 would murder a Chimaera 500 and I say that as a Chimaera 500 owner.

But the flipside is that my Chimaera costs peanuts to run in comparison and doesn't need to be treated with kid gloves quite as much.

Edited by JonRB on Friday 9th March 14:46

[funkyol]

The RV8 is by far the nicer sounding engine. I could listen to one on tickover all day long and not get bored!

[Steve_T]

JonRB said:

Steve_T is your man to talk to. He had a standard Chimaera 500 which became a modded one and then traded up to a Cerbera (although admittedly a 4.5 which he then spent a small fortune on at Austec).

Edit: I had a passenger ride out with him in the Cerbera and then we immediately went out over the same roads with me driving in my Chimaera 500 and him as passenger. I can categorically say that the Cerbera was an order of magntude more accelerative than my Chimaera and he had been taking it a lot more easy than I had been as he'd not long had the car and was still getting used to it.

Edited by JonRB on Friday 9th March 14:06

John,

The power delivery is quite different in that the AJP likes to rev and doesn't really run out of steam at the top end in the same way the Rover does. There is a power difference although the 4.2 and a well developed RV8 are close on power (360 plays 330+ for top end 5L RV8s, although a 4.5 AJP has far more poke) and the Cerb is the heavier car. The braking system is a long way ahead on the Cerb and the component costs reflect this come replacement time. The Cerb feels more composed than the Chim did to me at speed.

As for the costs to sort things out, yes they can be higher on the AJP, they definitely are in general, but I'd just say never buy a car from the dealer I did. Quite the worst service ever including problems on the car that were MOT fails and downright dangerous, despite the car having recently passed an MOT. In addition a number of other issues were quite simply to bloody awful spanner work and poor maintenance. That digression aside I'd say a Cerb is much more likely to see attention between services than a Chim, ours was a marvellous car and I don't regret owning her for one minute. She's still going strong and currently owned by Ian Greaney.

Steve.

[seasider]

shpub said:

seasider said:

shpub said:

A cerb will out brake/accelerate/handle a standard Chim500 or Griff 500.

Not saying top speed but the acceleration bit can be fun in a slightly modded 500

Edited by seasider on Friday 9th March 13:58

It's even more fun in a supercharged 5.2 that's detuned to only 500 bhp...

But that wasn't the original question though....

I just couldn't resist Steve

[im]

Dom at TVR Power told me that his SC400 could not be overtaken by a 4.5 Cerb up to 120 on their Swiss trip.

That (sort of) sealed the deal for me and now I (kinda) believe it.

Might be an idea to buy a cheap but sound 4L Chim and then SC it, if its out-and-out grunt you want together with top-down living.

[Big Ashy]

Gazboy said:

JonRB said:

Edit: I had a passenger ride out with him in the Cerbera and then we immediately went out over the same roads with me driving in my Chimaera 500 and him as passenger. I can categorically say that the Cerbera was an order of magntude more accelerative than my Chimaera and he had been taking it a lot more easy than I had been as he'd not long had the car and was still getting used to it.

I managed to tag on with a Cerbie & a late plate Griff (which I assumed was a 5.0) over some fast A roads a while ago. From my vantage point the Cerb was significantly faster than the Griff along the straights but along the shorter straights the Griff looked like it may have had the edge (eg a 50-70mph pull in a gear of your respective choices) I assume this was down to the Griff having more torque at lower engine speeds??? Does that tally with 5.0 and AJP owners experiances?

I know some of you wont necessarily agree with this, but on a track day at Oulton Park a couple of years ago, within my group was a couple of 4.2 Cerbs. Theroughout the day we always had 9 or 10 really hot laps and there really was nothing in them IMHO. 5.0 Griff seamed quicker in and out of the slower corners, Cerb pulled away slightly on the longer straights, 100 mph plus, but was able to make the gap up on the next bend.

[_deejay_]

I think the answer probably is 'it doesn't matter'.

They're all damned fast, and if you're not intending to track it then a 500 rv8 will be more than quick enough.

I've had Cerb, Griff 500, Chimaera 400 and a t350c. I probably drove the t350 quickest on your average B road because of the handling and progressive power, the 400 next (with Nitrons as the power is far less scarey so I'm braver) then then Cerb (with Nitrons again), then the Griff (1st TVR and I was a wuss).

For me, the magazine figures are just for pub talk. As a first TVR I can't recommend a Chim/Griff enough - I Cerb could put you off for life.

I keep getting tempted back into a Cerb because I love the styling but then I remember the costly niggles, awful tickover sound etc etc and discount it. Apart from that cheap 4.5rr in the classifieds... DOH!

[victormeldrew]

Big Ashy said:

Gazboy said:

JonRB said:

Edit: I had a passenger ride out with him in the Cerbera and then we immediately went out over the same roads with me driving in my Chimaera 500 and him as passenger. I can categorically say that the Cerbera was an order of magntude more accelerative than my Chimaera and he had been taking it a lot more easy than I had been as he'd not long had the car and was still getting used to it.

I managed to tag on with a Cerbie & a late plate Griff (which I assumed was a 5.0) over some fast A roads a while ago. From my vantage point the Cerb was significantly faster than the Griff along the straights but along the shorter straights the Griff looked like it may have had the edge (eg a 50-70mph pull in a gear of your respective choices) I assume this was down to the Griff having more torque at lower engine speeds??? Does that tally with 5.0 and AJP owners experiances?

I know some of you wont necessarily agree with this, but on a track day at Oulton Park a couple of years ago, within my group was a couple of 4.2 Cerbs. Theroughout the day we always had 9 or 10 really hot laps and there really was nothing in them IMHO. 5.0 Griff seamed quicker in and out of the slower corners, Cerb pulled away slightly on the longer straights, 100 mph plus, but was able to make the gap up on the next bend.

I beleive it. I was at a track day at Donington when the Cerb was being demoed back in 95, and I tagged onto the demo Cerb in my 500 Chim. It was pulling away, but getting murdered? No, definately not, and the Cerb was being driven by pro drivers.

At a later track day at Silverstone it was a whole different ballgame, and the advantage of Cerb at 100mph+ would tell.

Jon - are you sure you were not just perceiving the Cerb to be significantly faster because your were not at the helm? In my experience a fast drive as a passenger will feel a lot faster than the same drive at the wheel. More time to think I guess!

[cerbielee]

Thanks chaps! this post is making some very good reading! keep em coming!
I am thinking of a trackday but not many,mostly a weekend toy for the summer so that roof on the Chim is a bonus! its about 51/49% to the cerb at the mo but thats only because of the tiny back seats for my two little ones! but the runing costs & sound of a 500 chim are pulling me the other way. is it true most 500's only make about 225bhp on the rollers? if so then why? when quoted power is over 300.
Thanks for the info Lee

[im]

cerbielee said:

...is it true most 500's only make about 225bhp on the rollers? if so then why? when quoted power is over 300.

See here: www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=364858&f=13&h=0

[so8]

cerbielee said:

Is it true most 500's only make about 225bhp on the rollers? if so then why? when quoted power is over 300.
Thanks for the info Lee

A good standard '500' makes around 220-225 bhp at the wheels - about 265-275 bhp at the flywheel. Quoted power is 320 or 340 bhp at the flywheel for a 500 Chim or Griff depending on year - but very few if any cars make their manufacturers figures .... especially V8 TVR's