New TVR still under wraps!

[AUTODESIGN]

Joking aside , where is the much promised significant announcement !..?

[N7GTX]

AUTODESIGN said:

going to call it Griffith if its a boy

At least you know he won't be premature and will be full term.

[rev-erend]

AUTODESIGN said:

Joking aside , where is the much promised significant announcement !..?

[magpies]

rev-erend said:

Classic Car Show this weekend?

[GTRene]

there is some announcement on the 'German' TVR, a Englisch style car, but made in Germany, Wiesmann.
yes, that one, which also went under and then bought up by some other people.

I wonder who will deliver their first customer cars to their new owners, TVR or Wiesmann, if its true what they hope for, then Wiesmann will be bringing new cars in 2019,
ofcourse they are a bit up front because their factory is still their and they don't make that many at a time.

That is also why they are so rare and prices so high second hand, only about 1.600 made till 2013 in about 20 years.

https://medium.com/@drivetribe/wiesmann-announces-...

[LordOfTheManor]

I’m sure it’s Les’s biggest scam .....I live 8 miles from the proposed factory and there’s not even a wheelbarrow on site ...I had my deposit back 6 months ago

[rigga]

LordOfTheManor said:

I’m sure it’s Les’s biggest scam .....I live 8 miles from the proposed factory and there’s not even a wheelbarrow on site ...I had my deposit back 6 months ago

But thats insinuating he's scammed before, and links or stories of such?

[N7GTX]

rigga said:

LordOfTheManor said:

I’m sure it’s Les’s biggest scam .....I live 8 miles from the proposed factory and there’s not even a wheelbarrow on site ...I had my deposit back 6 months ago

But thats insinuating he's scammed before, and links or stories of such?

The last email update (Oct) says this:

"We have had confirmation from the Welsh Government that the refurbishment contract (following the recent completion of the 7-month tender process required by the EU) is expected to be awarded to the successful candidate in the coming weeks in readiness for a January 2019 start on site."

So expect the first wheelbarrow in January?

[TVR_Steve]

New Griff spotted testing again

[Targarama]

Has Schmee’s video been discussed yet? I’m worried about the glacial gearchange. 500+ HP or not it won’t see which way my McLaren went at that rate. Hope it’s a bit slicker in the production version, I felt Les was taking it very gently on the demo drive.

[bullittmcqueen]

Targarama said:

Has Schmee’s video been discussed yet? I’m worried about the glacial gearchange. 500+ HP or not it won’t see which way my McLaren went at that rate. Hope it’s a bit slicker in the production version, I felt Les was taking it very gently on the demo drive.

Understandably so. Shmee was filming left and right and the few times he did hit the gas, he could't hear a word. There's also little use in hitting a tree just half an hour before the show at Topcats !?

[essexstu]

Targarama said:

Has Schmee’s video been discussed yet? I’m worried about the glacial gearchange. 500+ HP or not it won’t see which way my McLaren went at that rate. Hope it’s a bit slicker in the production version, I felt Les was taking it very gently on the demo drive.

I have the 6 speed Tremec in my Camaro and it's a lovely slick light gear change.

[dvs_dave]

essexstu said:

Targarama said:

Has Schmee’s video been discussed yet? I’m worried about the glacial gearchange. 500+ HP or not it won’t see which way my McLaren went at that rate. Hope it’s a bit slicker in the production version, I felt Les was taking it very gently on the demo drive.

I have the 6 speed Tremec in my Camaro and it's a lovely slick light gear change.

Yea, Les was rowing it along in a very leisurely fashion. The up changes, he was taking so long that he was having to blip the throttle midway through to bring the engine back up to speed before letting the clutch back out. No idea why he was doing that rather than doing normal upshifts and letting the revs decay naturally to match the next gear. Maybe they’re still developing flywheel mass and gear ratios, necessitating this rather odd overwrought gear change procedure with the current setup.

[Classic Chim]

You all ignored my comments when the car was being driven around Silverstone and the test driver struggled more than once to engage a gear. I watched a few times before concluding something was a miss which doesn’t make much sense considering the team who built the car.
Flywheel mass can’t be the hardest mathematical conundrum surely.....

[wanacoop]

Targarama said:

Has Schmee’s video been discussed yet? I’m worried about the glacial gearchange. 500+ HP or not it won’t see which way my McLaren went at that rate. Hope it’s a bit slicker in the production version, I felt Les was taking it very gently on the demo drive.

The manual gearbox will never match the speed of all of super duper auto boxes of its rivals though, no matter how slick it is, surely?

But, that's only an issue when you're actually racing, which I imagine for the majority of owners, will be very rare.
It's either top trumps you're after, in which buy a 911 turbo, V10 R8 etc, or you you want the whole analogue experience, which also has awesome performance, in which case hold out for the Griff.

[tertius]

N7GTX said:

rigga said:

LordOfTheManor said:

I’m sure it’s Les’s biggest scam .....I live 8 miles from the proposed factory and there’s not even a wheelbarrow on site ...I had my deposit back 6 months ago

But thats insinuating he's scammed before, and links or stories of such?

The last email update (Oct) says this:

"We have had confirmation from the Welsh Government that the refurbishment contract (following the recent completion of the 7-month tender process required by the EU) is expected to be awarded to the successful candidate in the coming weeks in readiness for a January 2019 start on site."

So expect the first wheelbarrow in January?

I am pretty sure that this is the tender notice: https://www.tendersdirect.co.uk/Search/Tenders/Exp...

It doesn't give the tender submission date (that would be in the formal invitation) but as they expected to issue ITTs on 23 July, let's assume they allowed 4 weeks for a response (20-25 Aug or thereabouts), tenders need to be valid for 4 months suggesting they expect to select and award no later than December. Which I would think is quite tight for a January start date, but then I know little to nothing about construction.

The notice also expects the work to take no more than 8 months, so if all those suppositions are accurate that would mean factory handover some time around August/Sept 2019.

Interestingly the notice also says it is not reliant on EU funds.

[bullittmcqueen]

tertius said:

N7GTX said:

rigga said:

LordOfTheManor said:

I’m sure it’s Les’s biggest scam .....I live 8 miles from the proposed factory and there’s not even a wheelbarrow on site ...I had my deposit back 6 months ago

But thats insinuating he's scammed before, and links or stories of such?

The last email update (Oct) says this:

"We have had confirmation from the Welsh Government that the refurbishment contract (following the recent completion of the 7-month tender process required by the EU) is expected to be awarded to the successful candidate in the coming weeks in readiness for a January 2019 start on site."

So expect the first wheelbarrow in January?

I am pretty sure that this is the tender notice: https://www.tendersdirect.co.uk/Search/Tenders/Exp...

It doesn't give the tender submission date (that would be in the formal invitation) but as they expected to issue ITTs on 23 July, let's assume they allowed 4 weeks for a response (20-25 Aug or thereabouts), tenders need to be valid for 4 months suggesting they expect to select and award no later than December. Which I would think is quite tight for a January start date, but then I know little to nothing about construction.

The notice also expects the work to take no more than 8 months, so if all those suppositions are accurate that would mean factory handover some time around August/Sept 2019.

Interestingly the notice also says it is not reliant on EU funds.

Also interesting: Estimated Value at 4.5 Mio GBP excl. VAT

[dvs_dave]

Welsh Government Tender said:

Date Published: 19 June 2018
Deadline Date: 16 July 2018
{presumed} Works Commencement: January 2019

Main site or place of performance:
Ebbw Vale.

II.2.4) Description of the procurement
The Welsh Government is seeking to appoint a contractor to design and construct the refurbishment works to an existing factory unit Rassau industrial estate in Ebbw Vale. Works comprise demolition of some existing structures and concrete plinths; repairs to foul and surface water drainage; weatherproofing and refurbishment of the building fabric; soft strip and reinstatement of new office and sanitary facilities, fire separation works and repairs to existing concrete floors.

II.2.5) Award criteria
Price is not the only award criterion and all criteria are stated only in the procurement document

II.2.6) Estimated value
Value excluding VAT: 4 500 000.00 GBP

II.2.7) Duration of the contract, framework agreement or dynamic purchasing system
Duration in months: 8
This contract is subject to renewal: No

So this is essentially to demo/clear out some old stuff, make the place weather tight and habitable, including a light refurb of the existing site offices.

Note, this is to deliver the space empty ready for the factory equipment to be installed, and people to occupy the offices. It will not be fully fitted out ready to build cars. The factory fit-out will take a 3-4 additional months to complete and commission.

The tender is to deliver something that looks like this in Aug/Sep 2019. This is presumably what the Welsh Government will be handing over to TVR.

[RichB]

dvs_dave said:

...The tender is to deliver something that looks like this in Aug/Sep 2019. This is presumably what the Welsh Government will be handing over to TVR.

So manufacturing to start in spring of 2020.

[dvs_dave]

RichB said:

So manufacturing to start in spring of 2020.

In the main factory, yes, that’s a solid bet. However the 8 month contract duration is very pessimistic for the scope involved. I don’t know the current state of the place but I’d estimate 4-5 months tops to do the refurb works.

Although TVR have been talking about an interim facility, so perhaps manufacturing can commence sooner. Maybe they’re going to sub it out to someone to get it all going and the process refined in the short term before they build their own factory, and that’s the “big news”.

Edited by dvs_dave on Sunday 11th November 20:14