I seem to have touched a nerve on the grieff forum

[TJC46]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I think the best quote is

"the griff is a far superior car" .......


The last time i looked they are identical, and both share the same genetics, except for a different overcoat.

[Julesprivate]

I've always like this:

http://www.tvrblog.com/opinions-on-tvr-chimaera-50...

It's well written and IMHO accurate.

Some days I prefer the look of the Griffith, some days I prefer the Chimaera, I like the lower price of the Chimaera but like the "rarity" (perceived or otherwise) of the Griff.

TBH I'm just glad I have a TVR...

[Goaty Bill]

TJC46 said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I think the best quote is

"the griff is a far superior car" .......


The last time i looked they are identical, and both share the same genetics, except for a different overcoat.

There isn't much in it as you point out.
But oddly, from the Chimaeras I drove versus the Griffiths I drove, there was a difference.
More about how big/small the car feels when you are driving it, and how easily you feel that you can throw it around.
The sloping shovel face and short arse of the grief does seem to make it feel more like a go-kart when driving it, as though it is smaller and more manoeuvrable. Of course, according to the specs, any Chimaera and Griffith produced on the same day are theoretically the same, aside from their "overcoat"

Of course, these were test drives with dealers of new and nearly new cars, so little chance to push them too hard, and at the time insufficient experience of them, to really want to.

Up until the Griffith SE, the interior of the Chimaera felt much more luxurious. For some reason TVR insisted on those cheap plastic buttons on the dash and exposed door switches on the outside of the Griff up to that point (production of the SE).

I guess it's a matter of personal taste. I bought a Chimaera because I preferred it, it felt better and looked better.
Proving of course that, as everyone in this forum I am sure will agree, I have impeccable taste.

[Chilliman]

Goaty Bill said:

TJC46 said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

I think the best quote is

"the griff is a far superior car" .......


The last time i looked they are identical, and both share the same genetics, except for a different overcoat.

There isn't much in it as you point out.
But oddly, from the Chimaeras I drove versus the Griffiths I drove, there was a difference.
More about how big/small the car feels when you are driving it, and how easily you feel that you can throw it around.
The sloping shovel face and short arse of the grief does seem to make it feel more like a go-kart when driving it, as though it is smaller and more manoeuvrable. Of course, according to the specs, any Chimaera and Griffith produced on the same day are theoretically the same, aside from their "overcoat"

Of course, these were test drives with dealers of new and nearly new cars, so little chance to push them too hard, and at the time insufficient experience of them, to really want to.

Up until the Griffith SE, the interior of the Chimaera felt much more luxurious. For some reason TVR insisted on those cheap plastic buttons on the dash and exposed door switches on the outside of the Griff up to that point (production of the SE).

I guess it's a matter of personal taste. I bought a Chimaera because I preferred it, it felt better and looked better.
Proving of course that, as everyone in this forum I am sure will agree, I have impeccable taste.

You are the Godfather

Seriously though Goaty, your comment about personal taste is spot on. There are also (probably) those who would like a Griff but don't have the budget to go for it... To them I would say you still (if buying a Chim) have an awesome car, and your driving experience/fun will be little different. I have made my views clear on the Griff forum thread

[CHGRIFF]

Bought my Griff new in 1996 and drove both the Griff and Chimaera variants. At that time the suspension ie springs and shocks were softer on the Chimaera than the Griffith, the Griffith have a firmer ride this being obvious when test driving the cars. The salesman said the Chimaera was intentionally softer with the larger boot to attract customers who would otherwise buy a Jaguar. I believe TVR then rationalised the supension for common fitment.
Cant beat the boot space of the Chim, especially when stowing the roof panel!
IMO the Griff potrays the spirit of TVR due to its shape and proportions and limited numbers built compared to the Chimaera. 2 pointers I remember from the salesman, 1. you dont need a good radio because you wont hear it unless your parked and 2. Griff owners dont fit PAS. Not sure how true that was but I didnt spec PAS and now have some regrets.

[rev-erend]

It's simples.

If you wear a gold medallion then you need a Griff .. if not and you have golf clubs then it's a Chim
and if neither of the above then you need to look at the other TVR models

Simples.

[Goaty Bill]

CHGRIFF said:

...
2 pointers I remember from the salesman, 1. you dont need a good radio because you wont hear it unless your parked and 2. Griff owners dont fit PAS.

We must have had the same sales guy
But it was "500 owners don't fit PAS" in my case.

To be honest, it seemed a waste to pay all that extra for .5L and some extra horses; to have half of the extra horses stolen by the PAS pump.

[CHGRIFF]

Rev-erends right, I keep the Griff for summer days and gold medallion exposure and had to buy a Chim for the golf days. Solved the problem!!!

[rev-erend]

CHGRIFF said:

Rev-erends right, I keep the Griff for summer days and gold medallion exposure and had to buy a Chim for the golf days. Solved the problem!!!

[JamesK]

Julesprivate said:

I've always like this:

http://www.tvrblog.com/opinions-on-tvr-chimaera-50...

It's well written and IMHO accurate.

Some days I prefer the look of the Griffith, some days I prefer the Chimaera, I like the lower price of the Chimaera but like the "rarity" (perceived or otherwise) of the Griff.

TBH I'm just glad I have a TVR...

I must confess to always having preferred the looks of the Griff but the older I get the boot annoys the hell out of me

On the rarity issue, there were over twice as many Chims sold than Griffs so relatively speaking they are more "common". I go several months at a time without seeing either though so I don't tend to think of it in those terms

[Sardonicus]

The Griffith IMO is the better looking car taken from body shape alone ..... but I hate that fat ugly arse and tailpipes hanging in the breeze however I dislike the Chimaera's side view with it's low down swage line and the front is not as pretty as the Grf so swings and roundabouts for me if I at to choose it would be the Griffith though

[domV8]

Think Griffs often look better in photos, but when I actually see one in real life, it always strikes me how plain they are (not "smooth" etc, just plain) and reminds me that the Chim is much more interesting "in the flesh".

IMO,

Dom

[Chilliman]

I love both of 'em. They're the same but different. Both awesome in my opinion. But not different enough to justify owning one of each. Unfortunately... or I would If i'd widened my search when buying I could well be a Griff owner now, but I saw beastie first and jumped straight in Not sure I'd make a good Griff owner anyway....

[rigga]

Chilliman said:

Not sure I'd make a good Griff owner anyway....

Once you got past an initiation ceremony that would put the Masons to shame, I'm sure you would be fine

[penno]

What i cannot understand is the Chimaera is the better looking proof is in the sales volume if it was ugly why did it sell so well. I hear the boby shape of the Chimaera makes it more stable at speed more down force aerodynamic apparantly. The cebera arguebly the ultimate tvr is based on the chim shape. Yet everyone talks up the price of the griff surely the prettest car the chimaera should be the higher value because more people like the shape. So based upon my logic my 98 400 is worth £18K and because i will never get a buyer at this price the missus thinks i should hold onto it for longer

[5.0ltr]

penno said:

What i cannot understand is the Chimaera is the better looking proof is in the sales volume if it was ugly why did it sell so well. I hear the boby shape of the Chimaera makes it more stable at speed more down force aerodynamic apparantly. The cebera arguebly the ultimate tvr is based on the chim shape. Yet everyone talks up the price of the griff surely the prettest car the chimaera should be the higher value because more people like the shape. So based upon my logic my 98 400 is worth £18K and because i will never get a buyer at this price the missus thinks i should hold onto it for longer

Perhaps because the Chim was CHEAPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rigga]

5.0ltr said:

penno said:

What i cannot understand is the Chimaera is the better looking proof is in the sales volume if it was ugly why did it sell so well. I hear the boby shape of the Chimaera makes it more stable at speed more down force aerodynamic apparantly. The cebera arguebly the ultimate tvr is based on the chim shape. Yet everyone talks up the price of the griff surely the prettest car the chimaera should be the higher value because more people like the shape. So based upon my logic my 98 400 is worth £18K and because i will never get a buyer at this price the missus thinks i should hold onto it for longer

Perhaps because the Chim was CHEAPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And more were built as the Griffith went of production for a while .....all been covered as to why more chim's are on the roads.

[Goaty Bill]

5.0ltr said:

penno said:

What i cannot understand is the Chimaera is the better looking proof is in the sales volume if it was ugly why did it sell so well. I hear the boby shape of the Chimaera makes it more stable at speed more down force aerodynamic apparantly. The cebera arguebly the ultimate tvr is based on the chim shape. Yet everyone talks up the price of the griff surely the prettest car the chimaera should be the higher value because more people like the shape. So based upon my logic my 98 400 is worth £18K and because i will never get a buyer at this price the missus thinks i should hold onto it for longer

Perhaps because the Chim was CHEAPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Be fair; the 5.0L Chimaera stood at the same sticker price as a Griffith, and as such they are even rarer.

So yes, that is probably a (the?) major factor.
As I am sure, the relatively large number of 4.0 Litre Chimaeras are what is keeping the price of the average Chimaera 500 well below the price of a similar Griffith 500.

I heard a lot of sales patter when I was looking and researching.
I think this one factor, the price, was largely due to dealers making a similar profit on the 4.0 as the 5.0, and therefore very happy to talk the customer towards the 4.0. After all, that was still 32k-33k and that was a lot of money.
People always talk about 'upselling', but you have to be making the sale first, and selling a car that costs 32k is much easier than selling the 'same' car for 38.5k.

I regularly visited 4-5 dealers most weekends for over 5 months before buying mine. I heard them selling 'down' to the 4.0 as often as possible.
Most buyers of new TVRs in the late '90s were new to TVR, and new to true high performance, and the 4.0L car was more than enough to frighten your average novice sportscar driver.

After all, even today, 5 second 0-60 is considered quick for a car costing less than 90k.