Lightweight V8 coupes?
Discussion
The weight obsession is a tough one to deal with, yes lighter is generally good but not when it comes at the expense of a well engineered chassis.
Personally I'd rather a decent chassis and almost any engine rather than a v8 in a chassis made of rotting scaffold bars with some fibreglass over it. That sentence makes it sound like I hate//don't appreciate TVRs an odd kit cars, I do like them just not for the sort of money they go for these days.
Personally I'd rather a decent chassis and almost any engine rather than a v8 in a chassis made of rotting scaffold bars with some fibreglass over it. That sentence makes it sound like I hate//don't appreciate TVRs an odd kit cars, I do like them just not for the sort of money they go for these days.
aka_kerrly said:
The weight obsession is a tough one to deal with, yes lighter is generally good but not when it comes at the expense of a well engineered chassis.
Personally I'd rather a decent chassis and almost any engine rather than a v8 in a chassis made of rotting scaffold bars with some fibreglass over it. That sentence makes it sound like I hate//don't appreciate TVRs an odd kit cars, I do like them just not for the sort of money they go for these days.
I'm fairness I do understand this and I can relate to it when I compare the Cerbera 4.5 I had(1180kg) and the E92 V8 M3 I had(1650kg). I always moaned about the weight of the M3...but the high speed composure and the chassis were on a different planet to the TVR for sure. Personally I'd rather a decent chassis and almost any engine rather than a v8 in a chassis made of rotting scaffold bars with some fibreglass over it. That sentence makes it sound like I hate//don't appreciate TVRs an odd kit cars, I do like them just not for the sort of money they go for these days.
aka_kerrly said:
The weight obsession is a tough one to deal with, yes lighter is generally good but not when it comes at the expense of a well engineered chassis.
Personally I'd rather a decent chassis and almost any engine rather than a v8 in a chassis made of rotting scaffold bars with some fibreglass over it. That sentence makes it sound like I hate//don't appreciate TVRs an odd kit cars, I do like them just not for the sort of money they go for these days.
But I don't think it needs to be a bad chassis to be light. Carbon is second to none in materials basically. But a carbon chassis or tube will be very light. I don't think lightweight is related to bad quality.Personally I'd rather a decent chassis and almost any engine rather than a v8 in a chassis made of rotting scaffold bars with some fibreglass over it. That sentence makes it sound like I hate//don't appreciate TVRs an odd kit cars, I do like them just not for the sort of money they go for these days.
The new Griffith is a proof of that. Chassis is carbon as is the body if I remember correctly. Result is a V8 car with a weight of less than 2800lbs
cerb4.5lee said:
I'm fairness I do understand this and I can relate to it when I compare the Cerbera 4.5 I had(1180kg) and the E92 V8 M3 I had(1650kg). I always moaned about the weight of the M3...but the high speed composure and the chassis were on a different planet to the TVR for sure.
I think this is a matter of what the car is intended for. A motorway cruiser will benefit from some weight. As you say it will be more stable. But a lightweight coupe is for a different type of driving. Different strokes. 
Then it's also not only the weight but the size itself. It should probably be a small car. So more Sagaris or T350c than Cerbera or Morgan Aero. Even the new Griffith is also edging on the larger size.
I realize this is niche we are dealing with. I also feel that this will need to be something shoehorned. Like a small car probably not made for a big engine which a manufacturer decides to stick a big V8 in. Maybe even by a tuner.
With all that in mind, a couple of options just came to mind. Even though not a coupe, something like SLK55 would fit. Except of course that car despite being the right size and having a V8 is not light at all at 3400lbs.
So maybe the Brabus SLK 6.5 V8.
That thing is probably intoxicating to drive. I remember Clarkson threw high praise at it when it came out. Again not a coupe of course. But at least it's a hardtop convertible. Would be even lighter if it was a coupe though. But I would love to drive one. A V8, 450hp, RWD in a lightweight car. This is really the spirit. But not a chance of finding one. I think they made like 5 or something and the price was like 175K. And again we are going older.
But yes, niche and shoehorned is probably the only alternative. Nothing will be affordable I'm afraid. And a modern car probably doesn't exist anyway.
What maybe me start searching for this was that I got to drive a TR8 the other day. Despite the car getting a lot of bad press it handles really well and the V8 makes it a very fun drive. The engine wasn't stock at all and made decent power. The car weighs nothing and is small. Very fun. So I started thinking about a modern version of it. Something with some modern amenities, a V8, small, lightweight, fun. Doesn't seem to exist.
Margaret...
Margaret...
Yes?
There's a man up here, says have we got a lightweight V8 Coupe that weighs between 2800 and 2900lbs
Oh....We've got a TVR Cerbera.
She says we've got a TVR Cerbera.
That's too old.
He says That's too old.
Oh...What about a Morgan Aero 8 Coupe? We've got one of them.
She says we've got a Morgan Aero 8 Coupe, what about that?
I don't like the look of those.
He says he doesn't like the look of those.
Oh.....
Margaret...
Yes?
There's a man up here, says have we got a lightweight V8 Coupe that weighs between 2800 and 2900lbs
Oh....We've got a TVR Cerbera.
She says we've got a TVR Cerbera.
That's too old.
He says That's too old.
Oh...What about a Morgan Aero 8 Coupe? We've got one of them.
She says we've got a Morgan Aero 8 Coupe, what about that?
I don't like the look of those.
He says he doesn't like the look of those.
Oh.....
ZackM said:
I think this is a matter of what the car is intended for. A motorway cruiser will benefit from some weight. As you say it will be more stable. But a lightweight coupe is for a different type of driving. Different strokes.
Then it's also not only the weight but the size itself. It should probably be a small car. So more Sagaris or T350c than Cerbera or Morgan Aero. Even the new Griffith is also edging on the larger size.
I realize this is niche we are dealing with. I also feel that this will need to be something shoehorned. Like a small car probably not made for a big engine which a manufacturer decides to stick a big V8 in. Maybe even by a tuner.
With all that in mind, a couple of options just came to mind. Even though not a coupe, something like SLK55 would fit. Except of course that car despite being the right size and having a V8 is not light at all at 3400lbs.
So maybe the Brabus SLK 6.5 V8.
That thing is probably intoxicating to drive. I remember Clarkson threw high praise at it when it came out. Again not a coupe of course. But at least it's a hardtop convertible. Would be even lighter if it was a coupe though. But I would love to drive one. A V8, 450hp, RWD in a lightweight car. This is really the spirit. But not a chance of finding one. I think they made like 5 or something and the price was like 175K. And again we are going older.
But yes, niche and shoehorned is probably the only alternative. Nothing will be affordable I'm afraid. And a modern car probably doesn't exist anyway.
What maybe me start searching for this was that I got to drive a TR8 the other day. Despite the car getting a lot of bad press it handles really well and the V8 makes it a very fun drive. The engine wasn't stock at all and made decent power. The car weighs nothing and is small. Very fun. So I started thinking about a modern version of it. Something with some modern amenities, a V8, small, lightweight, fun. Doesn't seem to exist.
or even a normal R171 SLK55 (though I suspect that they're a little porky for the OP)? Then it's also not only the weight but the size itself. It should probably be a small car. So more Sagaris or T350c than Cerbera or Morgan Aero. Even the new Griffith is also edging on the larger size.
I realize this is niche we are dealing with. I also feel that this will need to be something shoehorned. Like a small car probably not made for a big engine which a manufacturer decides to stick a big V8 in. Maybe even by a tuner.
With all that in mind, a couple of options just came to mind. Even though not a coupe, something like SLK55 would fit. Except of course that car despite being the right size and having a V8 is not light at all at 3400lbs.
So maybe the Brabus SLK 6.5 V8.
That thing is probably intoxicating to drive. I remember Clarkson threw high praise at it when it came out. Again not a coupe of course. But at least it's a hardtop convertible. Would be even lighter if it was a coupe though. But I would love to drive one. A V8, 450hp, RWD in a lightweight car. This is really the spirit. But not a chance of finding one. I think they made like 5 or something and the price was like 175K. And again we are going older.
But yes, niche and shoehorned is probably the only alternative. Nothing will be affordable I'm afraid. And a modern car probably doesn't exist anyway.
What maybe me start searching for this was that I got to drive a TR8 the other day. Despite the car getting a lot of bad press it handles really well and the V8 makes it a very fun drive. The engine wasn't stock at all and made decent power. The car weighs nothing and is small. Very fun. So I started thinking about a modern version of it. Something with some modern amenities, a V8, small, lightweight, fun. Doesn't seem to exist.
irocfan said:
or even a normal R171 SLK55 (though I suspect that they're a little porky for the OP)?
It's not even that. At that weight we are basically very close to the weight of a V8 Vantage or even M3 coupe with the V8. It is just not the same type of feeling I'm looking for.I think it's just too heavy for the size of the R171 too.
If going for that much weight then there is quite a few.
But that was not the idea at all. It will never be the same feeling.
The R170 is lighter than the R171 at least.
sparkythecat said:
Margaret...
Margaret...
Yes?
There's a man up here, says have we got a lightweight V8 Coupe that weighs between 2800 and 2900lbs
Oh....We've got a TVR Cerbera.
She says we've got a TVR Cerbera.
That's too old.
He says That's too old.
Oh...What about a Morgan Aero 8 Coupe? We've got one of them.
She says we've got a Morgan Aero 8 Coupe, what about that?
I don't like the look of those.
He says he doesn't like the look of those.
Oh.....
lolz...Margaret...
Yes?
There's a man up here, says have we got a lightweight V8 Coupe that weighs between 2800 and 2900lbs
Oh....We've got a TVR Cerbera.
She says we've got a TVR Cerbera.
That's too old.
He says That's too old.
Oh...What about a Morgan Aero 8 Coupe? We've got one of them.
She says we've got a Morgan Aero 8 Coupe, what about that?
I don't like the look of those.
He says he doesn't like the look of those.
Oh.....
Wiesmann. German Morgans. None of those for sale on pistonheads though. Although there is a different model. For 120K!
C6 ZO6 is a good shout. Still not the car I'm talking about though. It's physically larger. Different behavior. But not a bad shout.
R8? Which one of them is bellow 2900lbs? They are all heavy.
C6 ZO6 is a good shout. Still not the car I'm talking about though. It's physically larger. Different behavior. But not a bad shout.
R8? Which one of them is bellow 2900lbs? They are all heavy.
Olas said:
E46 GTR is a lightweight V8 coupe - considerably less common than the TVR and Marcos previously referenced in this thread.
But the E46 is a large car in comparison. If you go back to my first post I mention 2 seats. The idea is a small car. With a smaller footprint.
I think many might not understand what I'm looking for if you have never driven this type of car. Basically a ridiculously light car with a ridiculously big engine of sorts. Because of the light weight, any bleep on the pedal throws you against the seat. The small footprint makes it change directions very easy. It's just heck of a fun toy.
I guess the Atom probably gets you that. But it's not a coupe type. It's almost a formula car of sorts.
Think a modern Shelby Cobra of sorts, but coupe. I guess the Shelby Daytona was the coupe of that. But that kind of package. Probably doesn't exist outside of something which is 25-30 years old minimum.
Edited by ZackM on Tuesday 10th March 14:49
Without building something yourself you are going to struggle with your requirements I reckon.
I loved the Cerbera because its power to weight ratio was 350bhp/tonne plus...so it didn't feel slow to me. The noise the V8 made was nice and angry too.
The AJP8 V8 would sound pretty awesome in a 2 seater convertible(rather than a 2+2 Coupe) though...that is for sure.
I loved the Cerbera because its power to weight ratio was 350bhp/tonne plus...so it didn't feel slow to me. The noise the V8 made was nice and angry too.
The AJP8 V8 would sound pretty awesome in a 2 seater convertible(rather than a 2+2 Coupe) though...that is for sure.
ZackM said:
But the E46 is a large car in comparison.
If you go back to my first post I mention 2 seats. The idea is a small car. With a smaller footprint.
I think many might not understand what I'm looking for if you have never driven this type of car. Basically a ridiculously light car with a ridiculously big engine of sorts. Because of the light weight, any bleep on the pedal throws you against the seat. The small footprint makes it change directions very easy. It's just heck of a fun toy.
I guess the Atom probably gets you that. But it's not a coupe type. It's almost a formula car of sorts.
Think a modern Shelby Cobra of sorts, but coupe. I guess the Shelby Daytona was the coupe of that. But that kind of package. Probably doesn't exist outside of something which is 25-30 years old minimum.
I think your main problem is that you require a V8 and a more modern car. Small and fast is easy. There are many that will do as you require speed-wise but apart from the 'older' Cerbera, there isn't really anything that ticks all boxes. You have dismissed most offerings (politely, I might add) but I am beginning to think that your ideal car doesn't really exist. How about dropping the number of cylinders to 6?If you go back to my first post I mention 2 seats. The idea is a small car. With a smaller footprint.
I think many might not understand what I'm looking for if you have never driven this type of car. Basically a ridiculously light car with a ridiculously big engine of sorts. Because of the light weight, any bleep on the pedal throws you against the seat. The small footprint makes it change directions very easy. It's just heck of a fun toy.
I guess the Atom probably gets you that. But it's not a coupe type. It's almost a formula car of sorts.
Think a modern Shelby Cobra of sorts, but coupe. I guess the Shelby Daytona was the coupe of that. But that kind of package. Probably doesn't exist outside of something which is 25-30 years old minimum.
Edited by ZackM on Tuesday 10th March 14:49
JM
ZackM said:
True. And I was indeed talking about more modern cars. This is the reason I brought up the Vantage and F-type. That's about the age range.So yes 20 years and younger we could say. I know older cars will be lighter. They had nothing in them compared to more modern cars.
What I would class as lightweight? Something at least under 2800-2900lbs or so.
Suspect that is wishful thinking unless you are looking at kit cars and/or bespoke custom builds. Are you in the USA?What I would class as lightweight? Something at least under 2800-2900lbs or so.
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