RE: TVR sold to British buyer?
Discussion
CDP said:
Surely they could use the original ECUs? If not the US tuning industry is massive so expertise in making these things run shouldn't be too hard to come by.
Personally I can't see a stigma with the idea of an LS engine. The Rover engine never hurt the Chimera, in fact a power unit with a known reliable heritage might be just be the reassurance a lot of previous owners might need.
The LS ecu's are reworkable as they are, provided you use a manual box version, they can easily be remapped for a cam swop etc.Personally I can't see a stigma with the idea of an LS engine. The Rover engine never hurt the Chimera, in fact a power unit with a known reliable heritage might be just be the reassurance a lot of previous owners might need.
Blown2CV said:
Lightningman said:
First this:
fair play, but that was my closing statement on the matter! Blown2CV said:
Put your bitterness towards the Russian to bed
...and then thisBlown2CV said:
shows that the Russian didn't care about it in the end if he sold it to a buyer without checking what their plans were
Irony? 
"Smolenski isn't an idiot?
Peter Wheeler was taking £9m a year home from in the years before he left (in a company producing ~12 cars a week!).,
He could no longer justify paying the massive rent that Wheeler demanded for the lease of the TVR property,
Sounds like he was an idiot and Wheeler was smarter than we all thought.
Imagine a Sagaris with a Jag V8, decent quality, perhaps even with "gasp" metal panels.
This sounds like the first decent news about TVR since before Peter Wheeler sold it. Whoever has bought it clearly knows what they are letting themselves in for. The reputation, loyalty, issues with type approval and build quality.
Great (hopefully) that it is not a Chinese badge raper just wanting the name.
It would make Wheeler smile if they started producing lary TVR's using British tech. It is not as if there are not the skills dotted about: Lotus, Jag, Ariel, Noble, any F1 outfit, McLaren, Gordon F1 Murray, Cosworth, Fraser, Morgan, etc.
Peter Wheeler was taking £9m a year home from in the years before he left (in a company producing ~12 cars a week!).,
He could no longer justify paying the massive rent that Wheeler demanded for the lease of the TVR property,
Sounds like he was an idiot and Wheeler was smarter than we all thought.
Imagine a Sagaris with a Jag V8, decent quality, perhaps even with "gasp" metal panels.
This sounds like the first decent news about TVR since before Peter Wheeler sold it. Whoever has bought it clearly knows what they are letting themselves in for. The reputation, loyalty, issues with type approval and build quality.
Great (hopefully) that it is not a Chinese badge raper just wanting the name.
It would make Wheeler smile if they started producing lary TVR's using British tech. It is not as if there are not the skills dotted about: Lotus, Jag, Ariel, Noble, any F1 outfit, McLaren, Gordon F1 Murray, Cosworth, Fraser, Morgan, etc.
http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/64277/tvr-co...
It has emerged that Mr Les Edgar, a businessman based in Dorking, Surrey, recently bought the rights to the TVR name, as well as to manufacturer parts for existing cars, from the former owner, Nikolai Smolensky. Edgar wouldn’t reveal the price he paid for the deal, but did confirm that he will be “following up with more information, extremely soon.”
Edgar said he was under a strict non-disclosure agreement so couldn’t reveal the timeframe, only that it will be “as long as it takes to get this right.” He added: “There’s a lot of planning and forethought that’s gone into this. Watch this space.”
Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/64277/tvr-co...
It has emerged that Mr Les Edgar, a businessman based in Dorking, Surrey, recently bought the rights to the TVR name, as well as to manufacturer parts for existing cars, from the former owner, Nikolai Smolensky. Edgar wouldn’t reveal the price he paid for the deal, but did confirm that he will be “following up with more information, extremely soon.”
Edgar said he was under a strict non-disclosure agreement so couldn’t reveal the timeframe, only that it will be “as long as it takes to get this right.” He added: “There’s a lot of planning and forethought that’s gone into this. Watch this space.”
Read more: http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/car-news/64277/tvr-co...
CDP said:
Surely they could use the original ECUs? If not the US tuning industry is massive so expertise in making these things run shouldn't be too hard to come by.
Indeed. There are plenty of aftermarket ECUs around. Syvecs, for example. CDP said:
Personally I can't see a stigma with the idea of an LS engine. The Rover engine never hurt the Chimera, in fact a power unit with a known reliable heritage might be just be the reassurance a lot of previous owners might need.
I wouldn't say there is a stigma, as such, but with the LS going into almost everything these days (admittedly, much like the Rover did) there needs to be something to set it apart. Besides, the TVR Rover V8 (particularly in 500 form) had very little in common with the standard Rover engine. It would certainly be a cheap and reliable way to big HP though, I agree. But something a little more special would be nice. As others have mentioned, a Jaguar V8 would be very much in keeping with a TVR.
Garlick said:
Would you buy a TVR 'Elise' if it was priced similarly to the Lotus? I mean actually buy one if the two dealers were side by side.
I have no idea if they will produce a car like this, I'm just curious.
I think the original TVR formula of steel chassis based plastic shouty thing with a long bonnet is probably still favourite. It's likely to be the easiest to engineer too.I have no idea if they will produce a car like this, I'm just curious.
Keep it simple, light and as sensible a price as possible. Sebring seem to be a good example of how to do it.
Interesting times, not sure at the moment whether it's good or bad.
Be intersted to see if someone like LNT pick it up given the good job they have done with Ginetta. Also possibles could be GD or DJ who could use their chassis with a V8 and a TVR style body to good effect.
If I won the euromillions (probably still not enough !) the line up would be -
Dax cobra based chassis with the fancy suspension plus T350 coupe/Tamora body (keep it small, nimble, light) with models -
Base - 350Z/370Z engine/geartbox 300 HP - £35k
Mid - LS3 430 HP / T56 - £45k
High - LS7 550 HP / T56 - £55k
Plus future expansion with GD T70 chassis for mid engine top of the range with LS7 engine twin turbo or Vortex supercharger/G50 gearbox with 700HP for around the £100k mark - modern styled body. Alternative would be to license the Torndo carbon GT40 tub as a starter with the LS7 and modern body. Biggest problem with this is that is would have to rival the Ultima for cost/perfromance which will always be difficult.
So, basically, go back to the kit car type roots - steel space frame chassis, v6/v8 crate engines, well styled fibreglass bodies and a half decent interior. No frills, hairy a*sed cars that look good and go well and most of all put a huge smile on your face from the time you turn the key.
Whoever it is, good luck to them.
Be intersted to see if someone like LNT pick it up given the good job they have done with Ginetta. Also possibles could be GD or DJ who could use their chassis with a V8 and a TVR style body to good effect.
If I won the euromillions (probably still not enough !) the line up would be -
Dax cobra based chassis with the fancy suspension plus T350 coupe/Tamora body (keep it small, nimble, light) with models -
Base - 350Z/370Z engine/geartbox 300 HP - £35k
Mid - LS3 430 HP / T56 - £45k
High - LS7 550 HP / T56 - £55k
Plus future expansion with GD T70 chassis for mid engine top of the range with LS7 engine twin turbo or Vortex supercharger/G50 gearbox with 700HP for around the £100k mark - modern styled body. Alternative would be to license the Torndo carbon GT40 tub as a starter with the LS7 and modern body. Biggest problem with this is that is would have to rival the Ultima for cost/perfromance which will always be difficult.
So, basically, go back to the kit car type roots - steel space frame chassis, v6/v8 crate engines, well styled fibreglass bodies and a half decent interior. No frills, hairy a*sed cars that look good and go well and most of all put a huge smile on your face from the time you turn the key.
Whoever it is, good luck to them.
Nice to see Autocar extending journalistic excellence 
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/tvr-thr...
Seriously?
So well known that they opted to use another car in the pic.
...and again
FFS, really!!
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/industry/tvr-thr...
Seriously?
So well known that they opted to use another car in the pic.
...and again
FFS, really!!
The events that happened to TVR were a dreadful shame in so many ways.
I would be absolutely delighted to see this work out, and I'm genuinely excited about the prospect of a new TVR. But I can't help feeling at the back of my mind that an old TVR-style company isn't sustainable in the modern automotive world.
Best of luck to them, and I genuinely hope they get this going. Can't wait to see pictures!
I would be absolutely delighted to see this work out, and I'm genuinely excited about the prospect of a new TVR. But I can't help feeling at the back of my mind that an old TVR-style company isn't sustainable in the modern automotive world.
Best of luck to them, and I genuinely hope they get this going. Can't wait to see pictures!
JonRB said:
It would certainly be a cheap and reliable way to big HP though, I agree. But something a little more special would be nice. As others have mentioned, a Jaguar V8 would be very much in keeping with a TVR.
But the LS range is special in it's own way and there are suitable manual transmissions that bolt straight to it. I'm not sure Jaguar would want a much lighter new gen TVR stealing the F-Type's thunder on performance figures either.Also US power trains are astonishingly cheap, even in one-off crate form.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff