RE: Viper v Cerbera: Time For Tea?
Tuesday 27th May 2014
Seeing Dodge's V10 muscle car and TVR's most famous coupe in a C&SC vid seems a little misleading at first; surely they can't be regarded as classics already? Then of course you realise the Viper GTS and Cerbera made their debuts in the middle of the 1990s and so are rapidly closing in on their 20th anniversaries. Indeed, a prototype Cerbera was seen at the 1994 British motor show.
This is the TVR, in case you were wonderingIf it doesn't seem that long ago that these cars were brand new, the technical specs of each will date them. Between two cars there are 18 cylinders and 12.5 litres of swept capacity. Combined power is in the region of 850hp and there's not a turbo in sight. Excluding some real exotica and, erm, the current Viper SRT, big N/A engines just aren't that common any more.
Viper v Cerbera: Time For Tea?
Classic & Sportscar test two modern classics and produce a nice little vid in the process
This is the TVR, in case you were wondering
With that being the case, what more excuse is required to celebrate a pair of wild 90s icons? The video is fronted by Steve Sutcliffe, who quite correctly points out the fantastic value in both these cars at around 30K. In fact the Viper is the very car from our Spotted the other week. Great minds and all that.
Discussion
TVRs really were/are special cars and for such a small operation their interior details were superb.
You just get the sense that if someone could build the things again with a bit more reliability they would have to change the shape very little.
The Tuscan today is still way ahead of the curve in terms of exterior appeal.
You just get the sense that if someone could build the things again with a bit more reliability they would have to change the shape very little.
The Tuscan today is still way ahead of the curve in terms of exterior appeal.
soad said:
Can I have both? 
Only if I can too! I have not been lucky enough to drive either of these cars, but going on what I have read and watched it would be a tough call to make for me - I'd probably have the TVR, but then I'd try the Viper and want that, and round and round in circles I would go, argh!
Cannot believe it's twenty years since I put down a deposit at the 1994 Motorshow,falling in love with the thing. At the time I had a 1992 pre-cat Griff, with a 500 on order for Jan 1995 delivery so effectively had 3 TVR's in my life at that point. Late in 1995 we were invited to Pinewood studios so we could at least drive a couple of pre-production ones ( which were bloody dogs!)as many were getting fed-up with the delay.
For me still the best car they made, and the only one of the 4 TVR's I owned that I miss, simply because it was utterly bonkers inside, outside and engine wise.However, having last year driven a well sorted one again, the game has simply moved on. I've no doubt though, that if they launched the car today, it's looks alone would still leave people open mouthed.
For me still the best car they made, and the only one of the 4 TVR's I owned that I miss, simply because it was utterly bonkers inside, outside and engine wise.However, having last year driven a well sorted one again, the game has simply moved on. I've no doubt though, that if they launched the car today, it's looks alone would still leave people open mouthed.
I had a 96 4.2 Cerbera from new. Picked it up from the factory to drive back down to London. Didn't get more than 50 miles before the wipers went ( on a rainy day, of course ). Needed a new wiper motor. Went back to the garage 7 times in the first year ( and these were not minor problems - gearbox rebuild and steering rack were the ones I remember ). After 10,000 miles and the warranty about to run out, I called it quits.
Without a doubt, of all the cars I have ever owned, it is the one which I have the strongest memories of - both good and bad. Might be nice to have now as a 2nd or third car ( as are many others I can think of ), but very challenging to live with on a day by day basis.
Without a doubt, of all the cars I have ever owned, it is the one which I have the strongest memories of - both good and bad. Might be nice to have now as a 2nd or third car ( as are many others I can think of ), but very challenging to live with on a day by day basis.
Not sure you need to pay anywhere near £30k though to get a good Cerbera. The 4.5s are rarer but there's a 1998 one at a dealer on here for £19,750:
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...
ianwayne said:
Not sure you need to pay anywhere near £30k though to get a good Cerbera. The 4.5s are rarer but there's a 1998 one at a dealer on here for £19,750:
http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...
That's my old one! http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/t...
Owned it from June 2006 until August 2012.
Edited by cerb4.5lee on Tuesday 27th May 19:11
Both fabulous cars and favourites of mine. The first time I passengered in a Cerb around a race circuit the overriding impression was of how shallow that windscreen really is.
I've had my Chimaera for 5 years, but Cerberas/Tuscans keep niggling at me. My current TVR always starts, I drive it every day, it gives me little hassle. Should I swap it for potential financial suicide with an extra hundred horsepower, even more brutal noise, basically the unadulterated killed-by-death full-on TVR experience as opposed to the 4.0l Chim I have at the moment....
I've had my Chimaera for 5 years, but Cerberas/Tuscans keep niggling at me. My current TVR always starts, I drive it every day, it gives me little hassle. Should I swap it for potential financial suicide with an extra hundred horsepower, even more brutal noise, basically the unadulterated killed-by-death full-on TVR experience as opposed to the 4.0l Chim I have at the moment....
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