Are TVRs of any good crash-wise?
Discussion
These cars are built for driving, people who buy them accept that they are not as good at protecting the occupants as say a Porka or Merc of similar performance. It's a choice and we choose TVR. Make your choice but if crash protection is high on your list then maybe TVR is not for you.
From the side at least I think the wedges are best (designed with the US market in mind). They have steel bars giving some protection. I understand that Chim, Griff, Tuscan (possibly Cerb?) have the fibreglass panels and that's it.
There was discussion a while back and I'm sure someone said that tuscans should have some side protection, but IIRC a picture was posted of a Tuscan door with the door card removed and there was nothing it it.
There was discussion a while back and I'm sure someone said that tuscans should have some side protection, but IIRC a picture was posted of a Tuscan door with the door card removed and there was nothing it it.
From what I understand, front or rear impacts are handled well, side impacts less so. I know someone who ended up taking their Tuscan backwards through a hedge at about 60mph, down a ten foot drop and then rolled, end-over-end, three times before stopping upside down. They walked away with cuts and bruises... But to counter this, there are other stories of people not so lucky, such as the poor chap from Bolton who died recently when he crashed his Tuscan. 
Uriel said:
From the side at least I think the wedges are best (designed with the US market in mind). They have steel bars giving some protection. I understand that Chim, Griff, Tuscan (possibly Cerb?) have the fibreglass panels and that's it.
Cerbs have a full rollcage and side protection bars.
Uriel said:
There was discussion a while back and I'm sure someone said that tuscans should have some side protection, but IIRC a picture was posted of a Tuscan door with the door card removed and there was nothing it it.
Tuscans, t350's tamoras all have steel bars within there doors. and these are part of the structure of the car.
Rich...
N17 TVR said:I'd always assumed you'd have to pay for S&M services like that, but as a perk of the job...
I worked in a crash lab for a while…
Where's the application form I'm changing my career path!
On a serious note, a fellow in our local region has quite a big accident in his Cerbera a few months back, 60MPH+.
The fire service used jaws of life to cut the car to get him out but he was OK all considering. His pelvis was damaged, but otherwise the injuries were relatively minor and he lived to tell the story.
The fire service used jaws of life to cut the car to get him out but he was OK all considering. His pelvis was damaged, but otherwise the injuries were relatively minor and he lived to tell the story.
Just found one story on it on PH
www.pistonheads.com/tvr/index.asp?storyId=8303
some pics of crashed TVRs
www.wreckedexotics.com/tvr/index.shtml
>> Edited by DustyC on Thursday 4th November 12:40
www.pistonheads.com/tvr/index.asp?storyId=8303
some pics of crashed TVRs
www.wreckedexotics.com/tvr/index.shtml
>> Edited by DustyC on Thursday 4th November 12:40
To me TVR's are the next step up from fast bikes, you get the buzz and excitement of the bike but with 4 wheels. But the trade off from normal sports cars is the safety factor.
If you want safe sports cars buy Porsche or Mercedes,
but lose most of the buzz factor.
With a TVR as with a fast bike you need to respect what you're driving and have full concentration at all times.
Can't belive how many threads..(just had couple pints or booted it in wet when spun) would you do this with an R.1.. NO.
If you want safe sports cars buy Porsche or Mercedes,
but lose most of the buzz factor.
With a TVR as with a fast bike you need to respect what you're driving and have full concentration at all times.
Can't belive how many threads..(just had couple pints or booted it in wet when spun) would you do this with an R.1.. NO.
The wedges are built to US crash test standards so are pretty good. No other TVR is.
They are all OK head on because the fibreglass absorbs a lot of energy as it shatters, there is a long crush length and the tuning fork of the chassis helps keep the engine out of the passenger compartment.
Side on the Chimera and the Griff are a disaster and quite a few people have died this way. The door is just a layer of fibreglass. When the Chelsea Chariot's front bumper comes through the door you are trapped against the big central tunnel and become the meat in the sandwich. This is why I sold my gorgeous Griff.
TVR did some research on crash structures with a university (Manchester?) and incorporated the findings in cars from the Cerb onwards. The Cerb has a full roll over cage connected with the chassis and with 2 overlapping beams in the doors. This is the main reason I swapped my Griff for a Cerb. There have been quite a few momentous Cerb crashes where the occupants have got out relatively unscathed. This is useful as it is not unknown for new owners to crash on the way home from collecting their car!
Of course a TVR has primary safety in that it has big brakes and lots of grip. They doen't have traction control, ABS or airbags. They should have. Ferrari and Porsche have them.
They are all OK head on because the fibreglass absorbs a lot of energy as it shatters, there is a long crush length and the tuning fork of the chassis helps keep the engine out of the passenger compartment.
Side on the Chimera and the Griff are a disaster and quite a few people have died this way. The door is just a layer of fibreglass. When the Chelsea Chariot's front bumper comes through the door you are trapped against the big central tunnel and become the meat in the sandwich. This is why I sold my gorgeous Griff.
TVR did some research on crash structures with a university (Manchester?) and incorporated the findings in cars from the Cerb onwards. The Cerb has a full roll over cage connected with the chassis and with 2 overlapping beams in the doors. This is the main reason I swapped my Griff for a Cerb. There have been quite a few momentous Cerb crashes where the occupants have got out relatively unscathed. This is useful as it is not unknown for new owners to crash on the way home from collecting their car!
Of course a TVR has primary safety in that it has big brakes and lots of grip. They doen't have traction control, ABS or airbags. They should have. Ferrari and Porsche have them.
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