New TVR still under wraps! (Vol. 2)

[baconsarney]

[glow worm]

Courgettes & Cucumbers are like Buses ... you wait ages for one then they come in buckets full




Not sure Griffiths will be the same

[bullittmcqueen]

Just read that Daimler (Mercedes) more or less has announced full electrification before the end of this decade with the range of available ICE models already shrinking massivle as early as 2025.

This is massive. VW, Opel, etc. have announced similar plans.

I think TVR should skip their ICE V8 plans as much as i would like to own one. It's done. If they decided to go full electric now, they'd drown in funding (ok, exaggerating a bit, but it would be a LOT easier).

[N7GTX]

Penrhyn said:

Lotus are sending out emails with this information in them . Such a wasted opportunity by Les and co.

This is exactly what TVR did not do and alienated some fans. Amazing really that even now after all the criticism they are still keeping deathly silent given that in January LE said they were taking over the factory in July. Still on course for a Q1 2022 production start???

[bullittmcqueen]

N7GTX said:

Penrhyn said:

Lotus are sending out emails with this information in them . Such a wasted opportunity by Les and co.

This is exactly what TVR did not do and alienated some fans. Amazing really that even now after all the criticism they are still keeping deathly silent given that in January LE said they were taking over the factory in July. Still on course for a Q1 2022 production start???

Didn't they pretty much do exactly this ? They had nothing to follow up with, that was the problem.

[phazed]

glow worm said:

Courgettes & Cucumbers are like Buses ... you wait ages for one then they come in buckets full




Not sure Griffiths will be the same

Went to a tiny smallholding and picked red currents, loganberries, rhubarb and pink gooseberries this afternoon.

The only relation to this thread is that it was a stone throw from Les’s house!

Oh, the guy had a very dusty P5 Coupe 3.5 L in one of his garages that he’s considering selling. Funny, after having a long chat with him, (much to my wife’s dismay) about his car and my P38 which he loved, he said he would tax it, give it a wash and I could borrow it and see what I thought. I only met him today! Could be my next project…….maybe.

[anonymous-user]

bullittmcqueen said:

N7GTX said:

Penrhyn said:

Lotus are sending out emails with this information in them . Such a wasted opportunity by Les and co.

This is exactly what TVR did not do and alienated some fans. Amazing really that even now after all the criticism they are still keeping deathly silent given that in January LE said they were taking over the factory in July. Still on course for a Q1 2022 production start???

Didn't they pretty much do exactly this ? They had nothing to follow up with, that was the problem.

They’ll know the building completion date by now and should be working on planning their fitting out including machinery installation, recruiting, and a myriad of other minutiae ready for when they can get in. Usually there’s a decent overlap on the building works meaning they get in early and start as much fitting out as possible as soon as the building is weathertight.

I have two projects at the moment where exactly this is happening- one opening 1Q 2022 which is muck-and-bullets now to get fitting out orders placed and coordination bang-on, and one opening 1Q 2023 which will be mayhem this time next year, albeit the machinery for that one is already coordinated and the orders placed.

However TVR continue in deafening silence, no updates (nothing new) and no indication of any true commitment. If I was a betting man it would be that they are continuing some sort of zero cost programme with nothing signed up and nothing firmed up or ordered and awaiting funding for just ‘being there’ - but due diligence being what it is nowadays it seems unlikely anyone will fall for it. I would (as always) be over the moon if it all came off but this is no way to carry on!

[N7GTX]

bullittmcqueen said:

N7GTX said:

Penrhyn said:

Lotus are sending out emails with this information in them . Such a wasted opportunity by Les and co.

This is exactly what TVR did not do and alienated some fans. Amazing really that even now after all the criticism they are still keeping deathly silent given that in January LE said they were taking over the factory in July. Still on course for a Q1 2022 production start???

Didn't they pretty much do exactly this ? They had nothing to follow up with, that was the problem.

Well, not quite. If you remember they started off well with updates but then they switched to 'secret updates' which of course were eventually published here. I'm sure the Lotus PR machine will be in full flow from now till production start.

Did you see the TV program about it? Bonded extruded aluminium chassis, quality interior, etc. for £60k. The father of one of the designers/engineers was Donald Campbell's Bluebird chief engineer apparently.

The Emira launch was probably the last thing TVR needed though.

[Podie]

N7GTX said:

The Emira launch was probably the last thing TVR needed though.

Yep. Cheaper, known quantity in terms of drivetrain, looks better in and out (subjective, I grant you) and will actually get built.

Last nail in the coffin for TVR I feel.

[TwinKam]

phazed said:

.....
Oh, the guy had a very dusty P5 Coupe 3.5 L in one of his garages that he’s considering selling. Funny, after having a long chat with him, (much to my wife’s dismay) about his car and my P38 which he loved, he said he would tax it, give it a wash and I could borrow it and see what I thought. I only met him today! Could be my next project…….maybe.

Do it, Peter! The ultimate 'waft' machine!

[bullittmcqueen]

V6 Pushfit said:

They’ll know the building completion date by now and should be working on planning their fitting out including machinery installation, recruiting, and a myriad of other minutiae ready for when they can get in. Usually there’s a decent overlap on the building works meaning they get in early and start as much fitting out as possible as soon as the building is weathertight.

I have two projects at the moment where exactly this is happening- one opening 1Q 2022 which is muck-and-bullets now to get fitting out orders placed and coordination bang-on, and one opening 1Q 2023 which will be mayhem this time next year, albeit the machinery for that one is already coordinated and the orders placed.

However TVR continue in deafening silence, no updates (nothing new) and no indication of any true commitment. If I was a betting man it would be that they are continuing some sort of zero cost programme with nothing signed up and nothing firmed up or ordered and awaiting funding for just ‘being there’ - but due diligence being what it is nowadays it seems unlikely anyone will fall for it. I would (as always) be over the moon if it all came off but this is no way to carry on!

I'd prefer it that way too, but we just don't know whether things are progressing. There is a case to be made that they are not. In terms of PR they simply got burned in communication with all the delays, funding, Covid whatever.

Funding seems to be the major problem, unless that is truly solved, you cannot go for anything else. Whatever communication they put out, they got flamed for it, so they just keep it to an absolute minimum, even at the risk of alienating remaining depositors (of which i'm one).

Following the news i can't help but believe that they should switch to full electric-only now and bury that v8. I'd go electric if they offered and i personally have a bad feeling about that v8 already. Sure i'd love to drive and hear it but seeing what's going on the climate front with ecologic impact, expected regulation and financial penalization, let alone some lunatic eco-warrior setting it on fire, i see big trouble ahead. soon.

I'm sure electrification would help massively on the funding side, give a positive spin and fill an actual gap in the market.

[bullittmcqueen]

N7GTX said:

Well, not quite. If you remember they started off well with updates but then they switched to 'secret updates' which of course were eventually published here. I'm sure the Lotus PR machine will be in full flow from now till production start.

Did you see the TV program about it? Bonded extruded aluminium chassis, quality interior, etc. for £60k. The father of one of the designers/engineers was Donald Campbell's Bluebird chief engineer apparently.

The Emira launch was probably the last thing TVR needed though.

As in my other post, i guess they knew their comm-strategy was a fiasco. They did the secret updates because they simply had to give the depositors something, anything, at least once every few months. But even that has pretty much dried out.

For me the Lotus is no match for the TVR, completely different approach, style etc. Not what i want. If the TVR doesn't materialize, i'll just write the whole cool car thing off and be done with it.

[anonymous-user]

bullittmcqueen said:

Whatever communication they put out, they got flamed for it, so they just keep it to an absolute minimum, even at the risk of alienating remaining depositors (of which i'm one).

I think they got flamed for it more because it was guff in the face of the reality of zilch.

Very well done for continuing your deposit holding, is it more human inertia common sense that it’s still with them?

[bullittmcqueen]

V6 Pushfit said:

bullittmcqueen said:

Whatever communication they put out, they got flamed for it, so they just keep it to an absolute minimum, even at the risk of alienating remaining depositors (of which i'm one).

I think they got flamed for it more because it was guff in the face of the reality of zilch.

Very well done for continuing your deposit holding, is it more human inertia common sense that it’s still with them?

Sorts. I thought about pulling but i always extended all my deadlines by another three months each time. Actually, i'd like to see it to its conclusion and i know the risks involved.

[QBee]

phazed said:

......some stuff about having a tiny smallholding.....

Oh, the guy had a very dusty P5 Coupe 3.5 L in one of his garages that he’s considering selling. Funny, after having a long chat with him, (much to my wife’s dismay) about his car and my P38 which he loved, he said he would tax it, give it a wash and I could borrow it and see what I thought. I only met him today! Could be my next project…….maybe.

Back in the day, my girlfriend's father's neighbour had a P5 coupe as his company car. And very smart it looked too.
Said girlfriend's father upgraded his car pretty smartly from an Austin 1100 (don't ask) to a 2 litre Capri GT, gold with a black vinyl roof. He was, after all, the deputy director of Nottingham Trent University (or Trent Poly as it was back then). The year? 1970

I knew how to use a spanner in those days and serviced his V4 Capri for him - I think I had just passed my test at the time.

Go on Peter, buy it. You know you want to. Tell the wife the road tax is free.....

[N7GTX]

TwinKam said:

phazed said:

.....
Oh, the guy had a very dusty P5 Coupe 3.5 L in one of his garages that he’s considering selling. Funny, after having a long chat with him, (much to my wife’s dismay) about his car and my P38 which he loved, he said he would tax it, give it a wash and I could borrow it and see what I thought. I only met him today! Could be my next project…….maybe.

Do it, Peter! The ultimate 'waft' machine!

Yep, ideal machine for a man of a, ahem, certain age. Once you tell the wife no tax, no MOT and insurance will be 75p she will love it. Might even get 1 more mile to the gallon than the P38.

[phazed]

Maybe………..

[Jon39]

bullittmcqueen said:

Funding seems to be the major problem ......

That was going to be their obvious problem from the outset, four years ago.
Given what has happened to so many underfunded start-up sports car firms, especially where the founders have no direct experience, would you put your own money in to such a venture and hope to obtain a profitable return on your capital ?

What is happening at Lotus just amplifies the ludicrous position (new) TVR have been in. They have given the impression that they have no idea about motor manufacturing and are just playing with one car which was built for them . Millions of Pounds has already been spent by Lotus on the Emira project, before any customer deposits were received. They have experience, a solid backer, are acting professionally and have a product which has excited prospective customers. Their ingredients are in place for success.

[LucyP]

If they are going to convert the Griffith to a BEV, first they need to find a manufacturer to sell them the motor and batteries, and who is going to do that? Tesla? Jaguar? Porsche?

They have built the car around a petrol Mustang from the USA. The Mustang Mach e is totally different, even if Ford would sell them the powertrain from that.

It doesn't matter anyway, because they don't appear to have the funds to develop the rest of the one prototype with a crate ICE, into a saleable car, let alone convert it to a BEV.

They do not appear to be in a position to sign any leases of any property. Why bother with a factory when you have nothing to produce. Their accounts would scare most landlords, and where are the funds to fit out the building?

Edited by LucyP on Friday 23 July 13:45

[baconsarney]

phazed said:

Maybe………..

So this is really simple Peter, if it were me it would go like this....

Scenario A: I don't need another car, project or otherwise, therefore there is no point in driving it, and so it stays with its current owner.

Scenario B: Hmm, I've always liked these, be interesting to see what its like to drive. Then, drive it, smitten by it, must have it, buy it.

I'll put my money on scenario B