What's it like, Mister?
Discussion
Edt has just asked me what life is like with a SP6. We've both been Griffters for some time, and like many the step to a newer TVR is alluring.
It was difficult to comment after such a short time. But the very edited version is "Wow" and the slightly edited version is:
Speed 6 motoring?
Very, very good. Indeed very, very, very good. In fact – my brain hasn’t found the words yet.
I thought that the lack of V8 rumble would be an issue. Well a tweaked Red Rose with sleeved cans means you’re just surrounded by glorious noise.
I wondered if it would be a handful. Well, the drive back from picking it up went something like:
WOW! Isn’t that lovely – thank you Jo.
Er, how do I drive this?
Whoa – that’s a lot of bonnet
Oops the turning circle isn’t great
Ah a bit of open road – whoa… ...Oops better hang on here!
Then about 50 miles later it all clicked into place. It stopped driving me, and I started to understand. Above and beyond the Griff, it is louder, handles well, rides rough surfaces, and when you use the loud pedal it goes a long, long way down before you have to do anything.
The gearbox is different – I know it’s supposed to be the same box, but the angles are different (it might be just this example, but) it doesn’t spring back to the centre. So, distinguishing 1st from 3rd and 3rd from 5th gave me some early trouble. Then, once I managed to take control I started to think that it wasn’t really that fast.
Well that was wrong. The needle points at 100 when it’s straight up! Getting there doesn’t take long, either.
It manages to be more refined and more “raw” all in one package. Power delivery is – well like nothing else. (I’ve had slower motorbikes!)
I can’t wait to get back into it.
And on Sunday I was just taking it back to my garage when another Tuscan, a local who hadn’t seen many others in his three year ownership, met and parked up side by side and we had a chat. Glorious feeling to own one – just like the pride of enjoying the Griff.
But I will admit that it’s continuing reliabilty is worrying away at me like a small dog on a fast blue blur of a sheep. Time will tell.
I’d hesitate in many ways to say it was “better” than the Griff. Although in other ways it's simple, I’m so lucky and it’s wonderful to be in a position to be able to live with one! Well done TVR.
Well you did ask.
It was difficult to comment after such a short time. But the very edited version is "Wow" and the slightly edited version is:
Speed 6 motoring?
Very, very good. Indeed very, very, very good. In fact – my brain hasn’t found the words yet.
I thought that the lack of V8 rumble would be an issue. Well a tweaked Red Rose with sleeved cans means you’re just surrounded by glorious noise.
I wondered if it would be a handful. Well, the drive back from picking it up went something like:
WOW! Isn’t that lovely – thank you Jo.
Er, how do I drive this?
Whoa – that’s a lot of bonnet
Oops the turning circle isn’t great
Ah a bit of open road – whoa… ...Oops better hang on here!
Then about 50 miles later it all clicked into place. It stopped driving me, and I started to understand. Above and beyond the Griff, it is louder, handles well, rides rough surfaces, and when you use the loud pedal it goes a long, long way down before you have to do anything.
The gearbox is different – I know it’s supposed to be the same box, but the angles are different (it might be just this example, but) it doesn’t spring back to the centre. So, distinguishing 1st from 3rd and 3rd from 5th gave me some early trouble. Then, once I managed to take control I started to think that it wasn’t really that fast.
Well that was wrong. The needle points at 100 when it’s straight up! Getting there doesn’t take long, either.
It manages to be more refined and more “raw” all in one package. Power delivery is – well like nothing else. (I’ve had slower motorbikes!)
I can’t wait to get back into it.
And on Sunday I was just taking it back to my garage when another Tuscan, a local who hadn’t seen many others in his three year ownership, met and parked up side by side and we had a chat. Glorious feeling to own one – just like the pride of enjoying the Griff.
But I will admit that it’s continuing reliabilty is worrying away at me like a small dog on a fast blue blur of a sheep. Time will tell.
I’d hesitate in many ways to say it was “better” than the Griff. Although in other ways it's simple, I’m so lucky and it’s wonderful to be in a position to be able to live with one! Well done TVR.
Well you did ask.
Well done Beano. I have a had a similar experience, going from a 450 Chimaera to a Tuscan (same colour as yours BTW). I picked mine up on a day that the heavens opened like hurricane Ivan, and having had one or two wet road moments in the Chimaera I drove like a 80 year old granny on valium.
When I did get a chance to give it some........Whoa! this thing is proper quick, scary quick, license losing quick, but I always felt in control, even more so after I got nitrons fitted (old dampers were leaking and it was as cheap to get nitrons as it was to replace originals).
The sound, well it was louder than the Chim, but the note was not as deep, cue CCC cans. My god these things are aural sex! Loud? Yes, very. Neighbour baiting loud, but more importantly the engine note has dropped a few octaves and most important of all are the pops crackles and bangs on the overrun. I have honestly made small children cry with the noise (not intentionally of course
)
Lastly reliability, what can I say? I never had any trouble at all with the Chim in 18 months of ownership and it was used every day. The Tuscan has required quite a lot of work for stupid things: Handbrake cable ceased, radiator leaking, air con unit leaking, etc.... It has been expensive but I still love it.
Beano, you will love the Tuscan experience I am sure. I know your car well as I have been on many a run with Jo and Adam, it's a good un. I know Jo has always kept it in tip top condition and was very sad to see it go, so much so she is after blagging my car whilst I am away on holiday(
Jo)
When I did get a chance to give it some........Whoa! this thing is proper quick, scary quick, license losing quick, but I always felt in control, even more so after I got nitrons fitted (old dampers were leaking and it was as cheap to get nitrons as it was to replace originals).
The sound, well it was louder than the Chim, but the note was not as deep, cue CCC cans. My god these things are aural sex! Loud? Yes, very. Neighbour baiting loud, but more importantly the engine note has dropped a few octaves and most important of all are the pops crackles and bangs on the overrun. I have honestly made small children cry with the noise (not intentionally of course
) Lastly reliability, what can I say? I never had any trouble at all with the Chim in 18 months of ownership and it was used every day. The Tuscan has required quite a lot of work for stupid things: Handbrake cable ceased, radiator leaking, air con unit leaking, etc.... It has been expensive but I still love it.
Beano, you will love the Tuscan experience I am sure. I know your car well as I have been on many a run with Jo and Adam, it's a good un. I know Jo has always kept it in tip top condition and was very sad to see it go, so much so she is after blagging my car whilst I am away on holiday(
Jo) yup, I feel the same after 4 months of ownership.
I found it initially hard to drive till I realised it drives a lot like my Fireblade.. same sort of power delivery.. and though it sounds weird.. same sort of handling in that the turn in is instant, etc.
Once I started driving it like the bike I 'got it'.
Havn't manage to get my knee down on it yet though :-)
stu
I found it initially hard to drive till I realised it drives a lot like my Fireblade.. same sort of power delivery.. and though it sounds weird.. same sort of handling in that the turn in is instant, etc.
Once I started driving it like the bike I 'got it'.
Havn't manage to get my knee down on it yet though :-)
stu
which is what I did the other month when the Tuscan went for a service. I was really glad to get back in the Tuscan not that there is anything wrong with a Griff 
powerlord said:
Havn't manage to get my knee down on it yet though :-)
Don't worry. You will
I've done 6 thousand miles in mine. It's mind-blowongly fast. I've left 1000cc motorbikes behind in a straight line ! And mine isn't even a red-rose !Nothing on the planet goes this fast. Or at least that's the way it seems.
delamars said:
I've left 1000cc motorbikes behind in a straight line ! And mine isn't even a red-rose!
You've not ridden a bike then? As quick as my Tuscan is, I know that in a straight line my 600cc bike will leave it trailing. A 1000cc bike ridden properly would leave it for dead.
A decent 1000cc sportsbike will do 0-60 in under 3 seconds and 0-100 in about 6 seconds.
Phil.
PhilWattis said:
I've left 1000cc motorbikes behind in a straight line ! And mine isn't even a red-rose!
You've not ridden a bike then? As quick as my Tuscan is, I know that in a straight line my 600cc bike will leave it trailing. A 1000cc bike ridden properly would leave it for dead.
A decent 1000cc sportsbike will do 0-60 in under 3 seconds and 0-100 in about 6 seconds.
Phil.
have to concur. Tuscan 'feels' as quick as I'm 2 feet off the road, but fireblade is much much quicker.
blade will do 0-60 is aboot 2.5 secs.
But up at higher speeds (motorway speed) it WILL keep up with a 600 class (I've raced a few in it).
I find bikers up for it.. they are knowledgeable enuf to know it's one of the few cars that can take a bike on and are up for a bit of fun !
But you take liberties with a car more.. at the end of the day.. when the back goes out on the tuscan.. it's a bit of a laugh.. when it goes on the blade it takes ages to get the brown 'adrenalin' stains out my leathers.
stu
I came from a Lotus Elise to a Tuscan S.
Took a few weeks to learn what it can do ( still learning really) but its a fabulous experience.
What still amazes me is the grip-its awesome in the dry and good in the wet as well. Just love diving into corners and -once clear of the curve- booting it down the lane.
I love the engine noise as well-lumpy grumbly old bugger around town but then when you let it clear its throat it snarls and barks like a mad dog-great going through the underpass at Hanger Lane holding back a bit then blasting mere mortals.
Not challenging bikers- a big bike will beat the S -but honestly chaps-its not that far behind you is it!
Got to go and have a drive...right now!
>> Edited by sideways mostly on Friday 17th September 18:26
>> Edited by sideways mostly on Saturday 18th September 00:35
Took a few weeks to learn what it can do ( still learning really) but its a fabulous experience.
What still amazes me is the grip-its awesome in the dry and good in the wet as well. Just love diving into corners and -once clear of the curve- booting it down the lane.
I love the engine noise as well-lumpy grumbly old bugger around town but then when you let it clear its throat it snarls and barks like a mad dog-great going through the underpass at Hanger Lane holding back a bit then blasting mere mortals.
Not challenging bikers- a big bike will beat the S -but honestly chaps-its not that far behind you is it!
Got to go and have a drive...right now!
>> Edited by sideways mostly on Friday 17th September 18:26
>> Edited by sideways mostly on Saturday 18th September 00:35
I found out the hard way that fast as the Tusc is it doesn't beat bikes.
I went for a play with the Cornish Sports Car Club on the quarter mile at RAF Portreath.
My Tusc was the fastest car of the day at 12.91secs and 129.99mph. (As an aside I beat a 4.5 Cerb Whoooohooo!)
Later in the day they allowed cars v bikes. They all beat me. By a long way. The closest I got was a Hyabusa riden by an older bloke who was obviously consevative in his manner. Off the line, they kill you and still up to about 90mph, then you pull back little by little but there isn't enough distance.
1/2 mile maybe? 1 mile, we'll win.
I went for a play with the Cornish Sports Car Club on the quarter mile at RAF Portreath.
My Tusc was the fastest car of the day at 12.91secs and 129.99mph. (As an aside I beat a 4.5 Cerb Whoooohooo!)
Later in the day they allowed cars v bikes. They all beat me. By a long way. The closest I got was a Hyabusa riden by an older bloke who was obviously consevative in his manner. Off the line, they kill you and still up to about 90mph, then you pull back little by little but there isn't enough distance.
1/2 mile maybe? 1 mile, we'll win.
wow mcspreader that is one fast 1/4 mile!! 129mph wicked!
My best was 13.1 at 112mph at Santapod, but that was before engine re-build and suspension setup, and a cold damp day. I reckon it would easily now do a high 12 but I did not think it would get that high a mile per hour as you!
My best was 13.1 at 112mph at Santapod, but that was before engine re-build and suspension setup, and a cold damp day. I reckon it would easily now do a high 12 but I did not think it would get that high a mile per hour as you!
Gratuitous posting of "Jessica"
Or rather follow think - as the link doesn't paste in from Webshots!
http://community.webshots.com/album/189074766vDpoBg
>> Edited by beano500 on Sunday 19th September 09:53
Or rather follow think - as the link doesn't paste in from Webshots!
http://community.webshots.com/album/189074766vDpoBg
>> Edited by beano500 on Sunday 19th September 09:53
I agree racing bikes in a straight line is a waste of time but find a twisty A road.....
.....Been up against a few sports bikes now in both the Grif and the Tuscan I find that If Im in front they cant get past and I can keep up with the if behind, reckon its the braking and of course the fear factor...good fun though!
Simon
.....Been up against a few sports bikes now in both the Grif and the Tuscan I find that If Im in front they cant get past and I can keep up with the if behind, reckon its the braking and of course the fear factor...good fun though!
Simon
mcspreader said:
I found out the hard way that fast as the Tusc is it doesn't beat bikes.
I went for a play with the Cornish Sports Car Club on the quarter mile at RAF Portreath.
My Tusc was the fastest car of the day at 12.91secs and 129.99mph. (As an aside I beat a 4.5 Cerb Whoooohooo!)
Later in the day they allowed cars v bikes. They all beat me. By a long way. The closest I got was a Hyabusa riden by an older bloke who was obviously consevative in his manner. Off the line, they kill you and still up to about 90mph, then you pull back little by little but there isn't enough distance.
1/2 mile maybe? 1 mile, we'll win.
You'll need more than 1 mile to beat bikes - and even then its going to be pretty close with the proper stuff (Gixxers and such!) That 1/4 mile time is expected for a Cerb-onwards TVR although the speed is incredibly suspicious... to the point where I doubt its accurate at all.
129terminal would mean a ridiculously (think F50) quick car, but with a 12.9 1/4 it would need an immensly (think bike) quick car and a terrible start.
Doesnt quite add up. As for the Cerb 4.5/ Tuscan comparison, Brighton speed trials - 1 average power Cerb v 1 Tuscan. Comparing best times, the Tuscan won by 0.2, however the Cerbera didnt launch properly at all (bogged down, engine pinked - clattery sound, then took off) More interestingly best speeds (baring in mind its a slow 1/4mile so speeds are never great) was 104 for the Tuscan, and 109 for the Cerbera.
Win for the Tuscan in tractability or better driver. Win for the Cerbera in outright acceleration.
Keep trying, the Cerbs still King.
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