Could a TVR cope with a track day?
Discussion
Now, I'm not bored and I'm no troll. It's just I have seen a few examples recently of TVRs having an early bath at track days.
The idea that TVRs are generally unreliable has been done to death on PH and this isn't the point of this post. However, when I was at Vmax last month, 2 TVRs (with straight 6 power) had engine failure. One was a head gasket I think. In fact I was told the hood came off one car at high speed (a Tamora). What on earth was going on there?
Then I was at Croft yesterday for a track day. A luverly T350C was there and by mid morning it had packed up. I have no idea what happened to it, but it was on the low loader and off to the garage. So, one TVR there on the day and one TVR that failed to finish.
The point is, all the non-TVR owners present seemed to be muttering, "why do people buy these cars?"......what sort of an advert is this kind of performance for TVR?
I hate to say it, but all the german kit performed flawlessly seemingly.
What is going on with TVR?
The idea that TVRs are generally unreliable has been done to death on PH and this isn't the point of this post. However, when I was at Vmax last month, 2 TVRs (with straight 6 power) had engine failure. One was a head gasket I think. In fact I was told the hood came off one car at high speed (a Tamora). What on earth was going on there?
Then I was at Croft yesterday for a track day. A luverly T350C was there and by mid morning it had packed up. I have no idea what happened to it, but it was on the low loader and off to the garage. So, one TVR there on the day and one TVR that failed to finish.
The point is, all the non-TVR owners present seemed to be muttering, "why do people buy these cars?"......what sort of an advert is this kind of performance for TVR?
I hate to say it, but all the german kit performed flawlessly seemingly.
What is going on with TVR?
You don't buy a TVR because of it's reliability record.
You do buy a TVR because you enjoy driving. TVR's offer a raw driving experience that the Germans have somehow missed. Great as the GT3s etc are, they don't evoke the same passion in their owners. We buy TVRs because we are passionate about the marque.
They also look stunning and have the right sound effects too.
I make that 3 - 1 to England.
You do buy a TVR because you enjoy driving. TVR's offer a raw driving experience that the Germans have somehow missed. Great as the GT3s etc are, they don't evoke the same passion in their owners. We buy TVRs because we are passionate about the marque.
They also look stunning and have the right sound effects too.
I make that 3 - 1 to England.
johnny senna said:
I hate to say it, but all the german kit performed flawlessly seemingly.
What is going on with TVR?
Having spent yesterday on track with an overheating golf, I'm not so sure about that
I do agree with you you in some respects, I'm not planning to take the Cerb onto the track because it's too fragile and too expensive (for me) to risk it.
Apparently, the guy at VMax was thrashing his car round and round all day, with precious little thought for mechanical sympathy - so maybe there was a certain inevitability in blowing the head gasket. I've done a full day at Bruntingthorpe, with valves that were already a bit loose and noisy, and my car never missed a beat.
It's down to how you treat them, I reckon.
It's down to how you treat them, I reckon.
The last sw run i went on, the only car to break down was the lone porsche, the 20 tvr were fine, yet i didnt feel the need to go on the porsche forum and say porsches cant make it accross devon, british cars dont seem to have a problem ???
was there a bridge to hide underneath on this trackday?
was there a bridge to hide underneath on this trackday?
nubbin said:We made the decision not to put our Griffith on the track - will probably not track the Tuscan either when we get it. Mr Big is lucky enough to get at least one track jolly from his suppliers each year and gets the opportunity to try someone else's car on the track.
It's down to how you treat them, I reckon.
Think Nubbin is correct on this one. My experience is limited but I get the impression that TVRs do not always get warmed up sufficiently - there appears to be a lot of waiting around for your slot. However TVRs are not the only cars to go pop on the track.
The Rover V8 and AJP V8 (i.e. Tuscan racer) engined TVRs seem to last forever on the track. Seems Speed Sixes go pop more often (makes note to be very careful with the revs).
My Chimaera thrived on the track, pity I'm such a crap driver though ... You could trash it all day and drive home like nothing had happened (apart from strangely worn tyres occifer).
My Chimaera thrived on the track, pity I'm such a crap driver though ... You could trash it all day and drive home like nothing had happened (apart from strangely worn tyres occifer).
Could deeen and Quinny have a peak at my profile? I've been around on PH for 3 years. I know about track days. I aint no troll.
I know how important mechanical sympathy is when getting on track. At Vmax, the Porsche drivers were all whizzing 'round the place (same as the TVRs) and none of their engines blew up.
I just think it might be safer to buy a second hand GT3 than a new Cerbie if one has track days planned. I don't think anyone could argue that the Cerbie would be more reliable than the GT3.
I know how important mechanical sympathy is when getting on track. At Vmax, the Porsche drivers were all whizzing 'round the place (same as the TVRs) and none of their engines blew up.
I just think it might be safer to buy a second hand GT3 than a new Cerbie if one has track days planned. I don't think anyone could argue that the Cerbie would be more reliable than the GT3.
Hi,
I've done a few track days in my Cerbera and its been fine. On each occasion I've seen Nobles, Porsches, etc. departing on low-loaders.
I'd say its more luck of the draw with thrashing a car round a track, I think Porsches are probably better built than TVRs, but they still break. Even my friends Honda NSX has had problems with brakes, clutch etc. and that car is amazingly well put together.
I figure its a case of 'when' not 'if' regarding track day failures.
I've done a few track days in my Cerbera and its been fine. On each occasion I've seen Nobles, Porsches, etc. departing on low-loaders.
I'd say its more luck of the draw with thrashing a car round a track, I think Porsches are probably better built than TVRs, but they still break. Even my friends Honda NSX has had problems with brakes, clutch etc. and that car is amazingly well put together.
I figure its a case of 'when' not 'if' regarding track day failures.
Contrariwise, when I did the Prescott Hillclimb Drivers Day a couple of years ago, 2 911s retired hurt...
Performance cars break. It's in the nature of the beast. They're more highly stressed, there's more heat, more 'g', and they're driven more enthusiastically than the average Eurobox (How many Suzuki Lianas have Top Gear broken now?), especially on track days.
Performance cars break. It's in the nature of the beast. They're more highly stressed, there's more heat, more 'g', and they're driven more enthusiastically than the average Eurobox (How many Suzuki Lianas have Top Gear broken now?), especially on track days.
johnny senna said:
Could deeen and Quinny have a peak at my profile? I've been around on PH for 3 years. I know about track days. I aint no troll.
I know how important mechanical sympathy is when getting on track. At Vmax, the Porsche drivers were all whizzing 'round the place (same as the TVRs) and none of their engines blew up.
I just think it might be safer to buy a second hand GT3 than a new Cerbie if one has track days planned. I don't think anyone could argue that the Cerbie would be more reliable than the GT3.
I did PEEK at your profile, thats why I posted. Porsche owner goes on TVR forum to point out how bad TVRs are compared to, er, german stuff. No opinion on Italian, American, Caterham, then? And this thread is supposed to achieve... what? Thought so.
I can't speak for the TVR engined cars yet, but I've done 20 plus track days in my Griff over the past 3 years & never had a more serious prob that a 2 x fuses cracking (my own fault, caused by taking a lot of kerb each time) & the vacuum advance module bolts working loose on the dizzy. Total cost appx 3 quid & ten minutes of my time a go.
During that time I've seen German & Italian exotica retire hurt, Jap rally replicas detonate, British/South African cars refuse to come out & play with undisclosed problems (at an Autocar/manufacturers event) - but no Tivs expire.
Now this might be down to a dearth of SP6 (read newer) TVRs taking part in said events, I dunno, but I sure would have noticed if one had expired.
As I'm changing my tried & trusted Griff for a Tuscan I might soon have a greater understanding of this subject?
During that time I've seen German & Italian exotica retire hurt, Jap rally replicas detonate, British/South African cars refuse to come out & play with undisclosed problems (at an Autocar/manufacturers event) - but no Tivs expire.
Now this might be down to a dearth of SP6 (read newer) TVRs taking part in said events, I dunno, but I sure would have noticed if one had expired.
As I'm changing my tried & trusted Griff for a Tuscan I might soon have a greater understanding of this subject?
Johnny, it was only one TVR that "popped" at Vmax (A Tamora), you had a ride in my Tuscan at over 160mph which it had been doing all day and more, then I drove it 150 miles home without missing a beat as did the other TVRs. I have been on a few track days with my Chimaera and never had a problem. I have seen all sorts of machinery trailered home Porsches, Subarus, Beemers and TVRs, I have never noticed TVRs breaking on the track more than other marques, this is just my experience but it seems to be shared by quite a few others.
Chim450 said:
Johnny, it was only one TVR that "popped" at Vmax (A Tamora), you had a ride in my Tuscan at over 160mph which it had been doing all day and more, then I drove it 150 miles home without missing a beat as did the other TVRs. I have been on a few track days with my Chimaera and never had a problem. I have seen all sorts of machinery trailered home Porsches, Subarus, Beemers and TVRs, I have never noticed TVRs breaking on the track more than other marques, this is just my experience but it seems to be shared by quite a few others.
Hi Neil,
I hope medicine's treating you better than me at the moment.
Your car went like a train, no question.
However, there was that Tamora retired in the morning (with the hood peeled off or some such) and then the T350C with the ?head gasket in the afternoon. Was the Tamora's problem not an engine failure? It may not have been then.
I'll hopefully see you at the next one?
Quinny said:
I did look at your profile, as you say you've been around for three years, but you still asked a question like this.
Like what? I made an observation about TVR engine failures at recent track days I had been to. What better place to discuss the matter than on the TVR forum? Would you rather I asked the same questions on the Porsche forum? Calm down.
Gassing Station | General TVR Stuff & Gossip | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff