RE: The Brave Pill: TVR Chimaera
Discussion
completely agree with turbobanana.
black or grey is for tasteless german car.
porsche, bmw, mercedes, audi : grey black or black black what a funeral car scheme....it is a challenge to find a good color combination in those brands.
TVR customers are sometime bold in their color choice, but even in the bolder choice it suit the car (or owner) character pretty well.
black or grey is for tasteless german car.
porsche, bmw, mercedes, audi : grey black or black black what a funeral car scheme....it is a challenge to find a good color combination in those brands.
TVR customers are sometime bold in their color choice, but even in the bolder choice it suit the car (or owner) character pretty well.
Can tell this place isn’t what it once was, a few years ago there would have been a whole lot more vociferous folks on this thread 
So close to greatness it hurts.
Sutcliffe’s original line for the Griff remains the single best line of automotive journalism ever written.
Frankly could be written for TVR as a whole.
As a Blackpool boy growing up in the 80s and 90s - it meant the world.
A BV will be back in ownership once I’ve got the garage built.
So close to greatness it hurts.
Sutcliffe’s original line for the Griff remains the single best line of automotive journalism ever written.
Frankly could be written for TVR as a whole.
As a Blackpool boy growing up in the 80s and 90s - it meant the world.
A BV will be back in ownership once I’ve got the garage built.
Brave pill not really needed TBH.
I have owned mine for 15 years or so and in that time have taken it to France, Belgium, Spain, Andora, Sweden, Germany and even driven a Chimaera to Africa and back, they really make a fantastic road trip car.
OK so they might not have Lotus handling but they are far from rubbish, for me they have the classic looks with modern performance, I have been lucky and have had a few performance cars over the years and the Chimaera is the one I have kept the longest and probably will keep for a long while yet.
TVR Chimaera 500 by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
TVR Chimaera 500 by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
TVR Chimaera Interior by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
TVR Gear knob by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
TVR Chimaera by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
Africa 2010 by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
Spain Aug 2010 061 by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
I have owned mine for 15 years or so and in that time have taken it to France, Belgium, Spain, Andora, Sweden, Germany and even driven a Chimaera to Africa and back, they really make a fantastic road trip car.
OK so they might not have Lotus handling but they are far from rubbish, for me they have the classic looks with modern performance, I have been lucky and have had a few performance cars over the years and the Chimaera is the one I have kept the longest and probably will keep for a long while yet.
TVR Chimaera 500 by The Rain Maker, on FlickrTVR Chimaera 500 by The Rain Maker, on FlickrTVR Chimaera Interior by The Rain Maker, on FlickrTVR Gear knob by The Rain Maker, on FlickrTVR Chimaera by The Rain Maker, on FlickrAfrica 2010 by The Rain Maker, on FlickrSpain Aug 2010 061 by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
|https://thumbsnap.com/JdeuIXD4[/url]TheRainMaker said:
Brave pill not really needed TBH.
I have owned mine for 15 years or so and in that time have taken it to France, Belgium, Spain, Andora, Sweden, Germany and even driven a Chimaera to Africa and back, they really make a fantastic road trip car.
That is absolutely gorgeous! Well done sir. Reminds me I really must give mine a good clean I have owned mine for 15 years or so and in that time have taken it to France, Belgium, Spain, Andora, Sweden, Germany and even driven a Chimaera to Africa and back, they really make a fantastic road trip car.
TheRainMaker said:
Brave pill not really needed TBH.
I have owned mine for 15 years or so and in that time have taken it to France, Belgium, Spain, Andora, Sweden, Germany and even driven a Chimaera to Africa and back, they really make a fantastic road trip car.
OK so they might not have Lotus handling but they are far from rubbish, for me they have the classic looks with modern performance, I have been lucky and have had a few performance cars over the years and the Chimaera is the one I have kept the longest and probably will keep for a long while yet.
TVR Chimaera 500 by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
TVR Chimaera 500 by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
TVR Chimaera Interior by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
TVR Gear knob by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
TVR Chimaera by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
Africa 2010 by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
Spain Aug 2010 061 by The Rain Maker, on Flickr
Lovely.I have owned mine for 15 years or so and in that time have taken it to France, Belgium, Spain, Andora, Sweden, Germany and even driven a Chimaera to Africa and back, they really make a fantastic road trip car.
OK so they might not have Lotus handling but they are far from rubbish, for me they have the classic looks with modern performance, I have been lucky and have had a few performance cars over the years and the Chimaera is the one I have kept the longest and probably will keep for a long while yet.
TVR Chimaera 500 by The Rain Maker, on FlickrTVR Chimaera 500 by The Rain Maker, on FlickrTVR Chimaera Interior by The Rain Maker, on FlickrTVR Gear knob by The Rain Maker, on FlickrTVR Chimaera by The Rain Maker, on FlickrAfrica 2010 by The Rain Maker, on FlickrSpain Aug 2010 061 by The Rain Maker, on Flickrlotuslover69 said:
story is in this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqTbdmbL7mU
The Chassis are like rubber, it is a 60 year old design
Wow. I did not know. I always liked them but that has put me off in a big way.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqTbdmbL7mU
The Chassis are like rubber, it is a 60 year old design
Edited by lotuslover69 on Sunday 24th March 18:49
I had one of these in 2001 which I ran for around 15 months...colleagues told me that I was mad as they only ever saw them at a petrol station or on the back of a low loader. It was a '98 example in Rosso Pearl metallic, full history and a delight, not easy or comfortable to drive though, but really good fun.
I picked it up on Saturday in late June and the next Friday I was already heading to Italy for a 10 day and 2300 mile round trip...it was faultless. In 15 months of ownership it had no faults and just required a routine service (carried out in Belgium at less than half the cost of independents in the UK).
On a run I'd see 24 mpg but when having fun this dipped alarmingly. I touched 150 mph (speedo reading) on the way back to Calais and it was all over the place but it felt pretty stable at around 100 mph.
For approx 18K it was a lot of bang for your buck, a fantastic sound and on the continent it drew a lot of looks, questions and curiosity.
I picked it up on Saturday in late June and the next Friday I was already heading to Italy for a 10 day and 2300 mile round trip...it was faultless. In 15 months of ownership it had no faults and just required a routine service (carried out in Belgium at less than half the cost of independents in the UK).
On a run I'd see 24 mpg but when having fun this dipped alarmingly. I touched 150 mph (speedo reading) on the way back to Calais and it was all over the place but it felt pretty stable at around 100 mph.
For approx 18K it was a lot of bang for your buck, a fantastic sound and on the continent it drew a lot of looks, questions and curiosity.
mwstewart said:
lotuslover69 said:
story is in this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqTbdmbL7mU
The Chassis are like rubber, it is a 60 year old design
Wow. I did not know. I always liked them but that has put me off in a big way.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqTbdmbL7mU
The Chassis are like rubber, it is a 60 year old design
Edited by lotuslover69 on Sunday 24th March 18:49
Also, as pointed out above, if you look at an Elan chassis you'll notice some similarities (a car noted for being able to out handle just about anything). I've shared track time with an Elan in my Chim and been distinctly not left behind through the corners.
Jeez, people feel really threatened by TVRs for some reason!
Must be because of the way that they look, feel, sound, accelerate, burn rubber, and put a grin on yer chops... Like nothing else
('speshully not a lardy Porker...)
And if we're actually going to take the chassis rigidity theories seriously for a second, my Chim scuttle shakes less than my mk1 MX5. I like Harry Metcalfe but I'm fairly confident I've spent more time on track than he has, most of it in my TVR... If there's any shortcoming to the Chim/Griff chassis as 'Gordon Murray famously found' then it must be right at the point of race car diminishing returns- and it will never ever in a million years be noticeable at road or track car usage.
Let's not forget that it's the same basic design as the 900kg/450bhp Tuscan challenge cars....
So can we all stop talking b
ks for five minutes 
On the handling, I’ve driven (and taught people to drive) several Chimaeras, and as long as you apply certain techniques in a considered way, avoid sudden inputs and you’re careful with the weigh transfer, they can be hussled along at a very impressive pace.
Yes, you can spend a couple of thousand pounds to improve the handling, but if you’re prepared to swallow your pride for a day, some driver coaching can help you get the best out of them for a much smaller investment.
Yes, you can spend a couple of thousand pounds to improve the handling, but if you’re prepared to swallow your pride for a day, some driver coaching can help you get the best out of them for a much smaller investment.
CanoeSniffer said:
Also, as pointed out above, if you look at an Elan chassis you'll notice some similarities (a car noted for being able to out handle just about anything). I've shared track time with an Elan in my Chim and been distinctly not left behind through the corners.
You'll notice some very significant differences, too: the Elan chassis was designed by someone who understood structures, hence is a closed box section spine, not the (effectively) open inverted U shape of the Grimeara backbone. It also has competently designed (and very much more supple) suspension.For reference:
- the torsional stiffness of a Grimaera chassis is about 2,650lb.ft/degree.
- the torsional stiffness of a bare Elan backbone chassis is about 4,500lb.ft/degree, despite being a lot lighter (it only weighs 45kg) and being fitted to a much lighter overall, lower powered, and more softly sprung car.
I think I'd be embarrassed to admit that my 1990's sports car on 205/225 section tyres could only 'distinctly not be left behind' by a 1960's sports car on tall profile, 155 section tyres, on a smooth track...
The Elan's handling balance is fabulous, but its outright levels of grip are really very modest, by modern standards. Any even halfway competent modern sportscar ought to be able to leave it for dead on a racetrack - it's on bumpy backroads where the superior (and surprisingly soft) suspension means it can still hold its own, even these days.
Equus said:
TheRainMaker said:
Muppet 
Clearly the evidence is such that the only response you can make to it is puerile name calling?All you seem to do is harp on about the chassis, I hate to break it to you, nobody apart from YOU cares.
A Chimaera is not a Maclaren or Lotus, get over it.
TheRainMaker said:
So far I've seen no evidence where you get to call a Chimaera a Grimaera.
I know you're a TVR owner, and therefore probably have knuckles that drag the ground and difficulty with words of more than two syllables, but in case you can't work it out, it's a composite word to avoid having to type 'Griffth and Chimaera' all the time - their chassis and dynamics are essentially identical.TheRainMaker said:
All you seem to do is harp on about the chassis, I hate to break it to you, nobody apart from YOU cares.
Well...Since it wasn't me who said:
I always liked them but that has put me off in a big way.
... I hate to break it to you, but you're obviously wrong. Equus said:
TheRainMaker said:
All you seem to do is harp on about the chassis, I hate to break it to you, nobody apart from YOU cares.
Well...Since it wasn't me who said:
I always liked them but that has put me off in a big way.
... I hate to break it to you, but you're obviously wrong. I'd forgotten most of that Harry Metcalfe video. The dash in that Griffith is beautiful.
Many cars are flawed. Such traits have been labelled 'character'.
Many of us lust after, and have spent our own money on, cars knowing that they're not the best of their type or perfect. Which cars are perfect? How many TVR owners were fortunate enough to have travelled in cars like E-Types, TR6s and Austin-Healeys in their childhoods?
TVR wouldn't be the only, or the largest, manufacturer of cars that may have relied upon their customers further developing their cars. Given that TVRs would be cars bought and cherished by enthusiasts and their extensive use in motor sport have no TVRs had the torsional rigidity of their chassis modified by owners to create a more stable platform for the suspension?
The comparisons with the Elan backbone structure suggests that with a bit of strategic bracing the TVR chassis could be improved?
Many cars are flawed. Such traits have been labelled 'character'.
Many of us lust after, and have spent our own money on, cars knowing that they're not the best of their type or perfect. Which cars are perfect? How many TVR owners were fortunate enough to have travelled in cars like E-Types, TR6s and Austin-Healeys in their childhoods?
TVR wouldn't be the only, or the largest, manufacturer of cars that may have relied upon their customers further developing their cars. Given that TVRs would be cars bought and cherished by enthusiasts and their extensive use in motor sport have no TVRs had the torsional rigidity of their chassis modified by owners to create a more stable platform for the suspension?
The comparisons with the Elan backbone structure suggests that with a bit of strategic bracing the TVR chassis could be improved?
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