RE: PH Heroes: TVR Cerbera
Discussion
Great write up, Phil. Incidentally you posted that Spa vid on YouTube a couple of days after I had put down the deposit on my Cerbera. I remember using it to help convince me I had done the right thing! There was just something about seeing the windscreen wipers lift up at god knows whatever speed you were doing. And the sound... that's something else.
cyberface said:
Thanks for the last two comments - very helpful!
Boss - one thing - you say the Cerb was produced up until 3 years ago... weren't they all Speed Six engined cars by that stage? When did they stop producing the V8 - because if I was to get a Cerb it'd have to be a V8...
Back end of 2004 was the last of the Cerberas (exceptions below).Boss - one thing - you say the Cerb was produced up until 3 years ago... weren't they all Speed Six engined cars by that stage? When did they stop producing the V8 - because if I was to get a Cerb it'd have to be a V8...
- The 'last' Cerbera was a black 4.5 (V8), end of 2004.
- Two more (older chassis) slipped out after in early 2005, a 4.5 and the Boss Cerbera.
- The last registered was a Spectraflair Silver 4.5 in Northern Ireland, registered after 1 March 2005.
- ...then the LAST Cerbera was a 4.5 made in 2005/06 and sold in 2007.
I guess 2004 = four years ago now.
All engine options were available up to the end (4.0 S6; 4.2 V8 and 4.5 V8). The last couple of years of Cerbera production were lean numbers and the "4.2s" are reputedly 4.5s with 4.2 tops on. bosscerbera said:
cyberface said:
Thanks for the last two comments - very helpful!
Boss - one thing - you say the Cerb was produced up until 3 years ago... weren't they all Speed Six engined cars by that stage? When did they stop producing the V8 - because if I was to get a Cerb it'd have to be a V8...
Back end of 2004 was the last of the Cerberas (exceptions below).Boss - one thing - you say the Cerb was produced up until 3 years ago... weren't they all Speed Six engined cars by that stage? When did they stop producing the V8 - because if I was to get a Cerb it'd have to be a V8...
- The 'last' Cerbera was a black 4.5 (V8), end of 2004.
- Two more (older chassis) slipped out after in early 2005, a 4.5 and the Boss Cerbera.
- The last registered was a Spectraflair Silver 4.5 in Northern Ireland, registered after 1 March 2005.
- ...then the LAST Cerbera was a 4.5 made in 2005/06 and sold in 2007.
I guess 2004 = four years ago now.
All engine options were available up to the end (4.0 S6; 4.2 V8 and 4.5 V8). The last couple of years of Cerbera production were lean numbers and the "4.2s" are reputedly 4.5s with 4.2 tops on. Hmmm... I've got two scratches needing itching now... a 996GT3RS and a fastidiously-looked-after Cerb V8 (4.2 or 4.5, don't care, it will be remapped and optimised, as would the 911)...
Phil, good write up.
I first sat in a Cerb in '98 in the TVR centre in Barnet. It was a 4.2 and I made the mistake of taking my wife, who convinced me that we couldn't get the kids in the back and so I went off a bought an XJR. Finally, in 2006 I bought an S6, as a spare car for use when I'm back in UK.
This week I've been doing the 'school run', 15 minutes to meet the bus and at least an hour back on quite Kent country lanes. This is one of the cheapest cars I've ever bought and the most expensive to maintain. So far, no problems and no breakdowns in two years of ownership.
I have access to much better built cars and cars that have a higher top speed, but the combination of incredible design and raw power, makes the Cerb my favorite car. Perhaps the greatest part of being a Cerb owner is the uncertainty. 'Will it start?', 'how fast can I go round that bend?', 'how quickly will I stop', it's a beast, that has to be treated with respect.
I first sat in a Cerb in '98 in the TVR centre in Barnet. It was a 4.2 and I made the mistake of taking my wife, who convinced me that we couldn't get the kids in the back and so I went off a bought an XJR. Finally, in 2006 I bought an S6, as a spare car for use when I'm back in UK.
This week I've been doing the 'school run', 15 minutes to meet the bus and at least an hour back on quite Kent country lanes. This is one of the cheapest cars I've ever bought and the most expensive to maintain. So far, no problems and no breakdowns in two years of ownership.
I have access to much better built cars and cars that have a higher top speed, but the combination of incredible design and raw power, makes the Cerb my favorite car. Perhaps the greatest part of being a Cerb owner is the uncertainty. 'Will it start?', 'how fast can I go round that bend?', 'how quickly will I stop', it's a beast, that has to be treated with respect.
Edited by Far Eastender on Friday 8th February 10:23
A foggy day in London Town 
"But as I walked through the foggy streets alone
It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known
A foggy day in London Town
Had me low and had me down . . ."
"And through foggy London Town
The sun was shining everywhere."
I hear that 5 litre although I've never hearded it.
"But as I walked through the foggy streets alone
It turned out to be the luckiest day I've known
A foggy day in London Town
Had me low and had me down . . ."
"And through foggy London Town
The sun was shining everywhere."
I hear that 5 litre although I've never hearded it.
AJCERB said:
dean_ratpac said:
on my third one, and i think i'll keep this one...
and if anyone has seen me drive it... i love a hoon!
Hi Dean - yes saw and heard you come through Hampton alongside the Thames about three months ago. I had just finished coaching out on the river and you pootled by - gave you a wave. Also met you at the TVR London drinks do when they had those absolutely gorgeous Finnish girls handing out the drinks and brightening up everyone's evening. Cheers AJand if anyone has seen me drive it... i love a hoon!
Edited by AJCERB on Wednesday 6th February 15:39
Reading this article almost brought a tear to my eyes. In 1996 I bought my first ever Cerbera - an ex demo, Ocean Haze (garish now when I look back) 4.2 which was mental to say the least. From 50mph it out-dragged an R1 - and the rider of that bike, an experienced motorbike racer, commented on how the Cerbera overtook like a motorbike - no delay, it just went. It wasn't without it's troubles mind you, but it went like stink and I loved it to bits. 4 Years later I bought a 2000 4.5 in a dark metallic blue, it looked sexy as f*ck but was never quite as quick as the early 4.2, though it was better built and visited the dealership less frequently.
I fell in love with this car again when a (then) BTCC driver and mate took me for a spin in it around Bedford Autodrome - he made the car dance like I couldn't imagine and although he described it as a bit of a handful, it was an experience I'll never forget; we trounced some far more exotic machinery yet did it in true hollywood style, arse end out, tyres smoking fashion. It was drama all the way!!
In my opinion, TVR got it right, to a degree, with this car. It went like stink, girls loved it, it had a big boot and you could squeeze a couple of midgets in the back. It also sounded like a proper modern day race car. And due to it's high rpm torque it wouldn't throw you into the scenery if you so much as breathed on the throttle whilst negotiating a wet roundabout. The styling of course was without doubt something else - that interior couldn't be matched by anything at the time (compare a '96 911, F355 or anything else for that matter and you'll understand).
Maybe one day I'll buy my third one, but this time it'd have to be white with the 17" 4.5 wheels - anyone know one??
I fell in love with this car again when a (then) BTCC driver and mate took me for a spin in it around Bedford Autodrome - he made the car dance like I couldn't imagine and although he described it as a bit of a handful, it was an experience I'll never forget; we trounced some far more exotic machinery yet did it in true hollywood style, arse end out, tyres smoking fashion. It was drama all the way!!
In my opinion, TVR got it right, to a degree, with this car. It went like stink, girls loved it, it had a big boot and you could squeeze a couple of midgets in the back. It also sounded like a proper modern day race car. And due to it's high rpm torque it wouldn't throw you into the scenery if you so much as breathed on the throttle whilst negotiating a wet roundabout. The styling of course was without doubt something else - that interior couldn't be matched by anything at the time (compare a '96 911, F355 or anything else for that matter and you'll understand).
Maybe one day I'll buy my third one, but this time it'd have to be white with the 17" 4.5 wheels - anyone know one??
eliotc said:
Maybe one day I'll buy my third one, but this time it'd have to be white with the 17" 4.5 wheels - anyone know one??
I remember you from the egroup days... I believe you went for an SL55 after the Cerb? - For the next one, make sure its a mapped/short inductioned 4.5 - it makes the 4.5 what it should have been all along, a 4.2 stepped up a notch. 
The thing is.Even after twelve years the car still looks fresh.It was a unique design that stood out from anything else,and still does today.Say what you will about TVR reliability and poor componants.Thing is the designers seem to have hit the nail on the head all the time.Especially with the Cerbera. I.M.H.O.
Before I bought my Cerb I got the previous owner to take it to a friend of mine to have it checked over for any faults or problems. This friend is the owner of a well known race and supercar prepping company, they race prep many Ferraris, Astons and Jags. I asked the owner of the Cerb to drop the car off to the garage for the day and we'd collect it that night. When I arrived to get the report they said they'd checked it over and thought it was pretty sound but needed a few things sorting.
They had taken it out briefly but not to any great pace. While me and the Cerb's owner were standing by the car a guy came into the yard in an F40 that he had just taken for a test drive, he jumped out and took a look at the Cerb, we chatted briefly and I mentioned that it hadn't had a proper run so he offered to give it a quick test for me. He turned to the Cerb owner and asked if he wanted to jump in with him. The owner got in the passenger side and off they went. While they were gone I asked my friend who this test driver was, to which he said, "Oh, he's a professional racer, he flies around the world all year racing other peoples cars, if he thinks its good then you're ok".
Awhile later the Cerb returns, the test driver jumps out; rather more slowly emerges the car's owner looking quite pale and a little shaken, he comes over to me and says in a very stunned voice, "Feckin hell man, I've been in a few quick cars but that was awesome, I had no idea my car was so quick, the guy was hanging the tail out around corners with double parked cars, that was the most amazing drive I've ever seen, feckin' incredible, amazing, shit, I can't believe it". He continued this for some time after we'd left the garage
The test driver told me before I left that the car was very good, he particularly liked the gearbox and recommended I get it, which of course I did
They had taken it out briefly but not to any great pace. While me and the Cerb's owner were standing by the car a guy came into the yard in an F40 that he had just taken for a test drive, he jumped out and took a look at the Cerb, we chatted briefly and I mentioned that it hadn't had a proper run so he offered to give it a quick test for me. He turned to the Cerb owner and asked if he wanted to jump in with him. The owner got in the passenger side and off they went. While they were gone I asked my friend who this test driver was, to which he said, "Oh, he's a professional racer, he flies around the world all year racing other peoples cars, if he thinks its good then you're ok".
Awhile later the Cerb returns, the test driver jumps out; rather more slowly emerges the car's owner looking quite pale and a little shaken, he comes over to me and says in a very stunned voice, "Feckin hell man, I've been in a few quick cars but that was awesome, I had no idea my car was so quick, the guy was hanging the tail out around corners with double parked cars, that was the most amazing drive I've ever seen, feckin' incredible, amazing, shit, I can't believe it". He continued this for some time after we'd left the garage
The test driver told me before I left that the car was very good, he particularly liked the gearbox and recommended I get it, which of course I did
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