griff vs tuscan?
Author
Discussion

turbo_chuff

Original Poster:

46 posts

264 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
hello,

just like to see what you lot think is best...

a griffith 500 or a tuscan s...

griffith sounds amazing big v8 burble tuscan also sounds good.My friends and I can't agree so I thought I would see what you lot think....

so what do you lot think????

interested to see what you say..

thanks alot,

zippee

14,125 posts

263 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
Not driven either so can't comment on that side of things.
Griff V8 sounds amazing, but then I am biased owning a Chim.
The Tuscan, whilst its loud is lacking something in that area.
As for looks, the Griff looks good but the Tuscan is way ahead, one of the nicest looking cars TVR have ever made, that said I love nearly every TVR made anyway.
In a perfect world I'd have a V8 Tuscan...

nsparey

926 posts

280 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
I have been fortunate to to own both a Griff SE and currently a Tuscan S. The Tuscan is streets ahead of the Griff in all mechanical areas, as it should be. Griff sound is unbeatable (pre cat) at low speed, Tuscan is far more tuneful under load. Griff is beautiful, Tuscan is extreem. In am ideal world I would have both for diferent reasons. Oh and Id have a 450 SEAC too

>> Edited by nsparey on Monday 16th May 15:28

luca brazzi

3,983 posts

294 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
And just to help the debate



LB

HarryW

16,026 posts

298 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
Not owned either but have played with plenty.
Looks, dynamics and performance the Tuscan is the better car IMHO, for low speed cruising the Griff sounds better, again IMHO.

Harry

turbo_chuff

Original Poster:

46 posts

264 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
right ok,been on autotrader T350c is a sexy looking beast...

anyone know what they sound like? how they go etc...?

Martin_s

9,939 posts

274 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
You're moving up from a Vauxhall Corsa and you're worried what a T350 will go like?!

Get yourself some driver training and several pairs of clean underpants!

turbo_chuff

Original Poster:

46 posts

264 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
erm... not quite have been having discussions about whats the best car between friends although for the future when have money i will try to own a TVR i like the raw-ness

Martin_s

9,939 posts

274 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
Ah, ok.

I own a Griffith 500, but have recently driven both Tuscans and T350.

The Speed 6 engined cars are much easier to drive and the handling feels far superior. They are also quicker than a Griffith (or any Rover V8 engined TVR), but we're talking about 10ths of a second to 60mph and maybe a couple of seconds or so quicker to 100mph. All recent TVR's are very, very quick cars in terms of acceleration.

The Speed 6 engine is a double-edged sword, though. It makes the cars much easier to drive and more user-friendly because of the much more progressive power delivery and relatively lower torque. The Griffith feels quicker accelerating at less than 100mph (even though it isn't) because the torque of the engine gives a much bigger 'thump' when you floor the throttle, whereas the Speed 6 just picks up speed smoothly and progressively (and deceptively quickly).

I think it's fair to say that the T350 and Tuscan generation of cars are much better by any rational yardstick. They sound different (more like a superbike than a NASCAR); just as nice, but different.

Only 2 things count against the Speed 6 engined cars in the real world: one is that they have suffered persistent, expensive engine problems (which may or may not have now been sorted), and the other is that they have more complex, bespoke electrical components and so are even more prone to electrical gremlins than the Griffith/Chimaera (and all TVR's are prone to unreliable electrics, due to the glassfibre bodywork and the need for separate earth returns).

If you can afford money-no-object maintenance, then the T350 and Tuscan are better cars, no doubt about it.

If you are on a budget and/or do your own maintenance, then the Griffith/Chimaera series are a safer bet.

turbo_chuff

Original Poster:

46 posts

264 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
thats a really usefull way of putting it thanks very much...

i have some knoledge in fixing cars and i've heard the griff 500 (can hear them a mile away) and with scameras i think deceptively quick cars could be costly would rather have a big thump in the back, i think now that you have explained it griff 500 is on the list :P thanks very much...

going to sell stuff on ebay to get money... :P

many thanks

joospeed

4,473 posts

307 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
Martin_s 's post pretty much sums it up I'd say .. good post

fleshlightfreddy

67 posts

257 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
Thanks for the info - I was going to post exactly the same question. Got about 20k to spend, have hired a griff before and loved it but saw I can get one of the early Tuscans for that sort of money. However as my maintenance budget isn't limitless it sounds like the griff might be best.
As i'm looking at my first few this weekend any extra info/advice would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Brad.

David H

809 posts

270 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
fleshlightfreddy said:
Thanks for the info - I was going to post exactly the same question. Got about 20k to spend, have hired a griff before and loved it but saw I can get one of the early Tuscans for that sort of money. However as my maintenance budget isn't limitless it sounds like the griff might be best.
As i'm looking at my first few this weekend any extra info/advice would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Brad.


Here you go, Starmist has his up for sale at the moment (why I'll never know!)

www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=41428&s=3

It'll save you a hell of a lot in the future because it's already modded to a great spec

srebbe64

13,021 posts

266 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
I looked at both a Griff and Tuscan but opted for the Griff because of the rumours of unreliability of the speed 6. With hindsight, I've now met a few Tuscan owners and the rumours are worse that the reality.

Looks wise, I think the Tuscan is awesome - a real head-turner. The Griff is less extreme and more "pretty". However, I'm glad I bought the Griff because of the torque. You can go virtually any speed in 4th gear and accelerate hard at any speed in 4th.

So, I'm happy with my choice. However, the Tuscan 2 is currently on my radar.

barreti

6,689 posts

266 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
turbo_chuff said:
i have some knoledge in fixing cars and i've heard the griff 500 (can hear them a mile away) .....

I'd rather have a big thump in the back, i think now that you have explained it griff 500 is on the list
Sorry to pee on your cornflakes turbo_chuff but it isn't the 500 you can hear. It's his mate down the road in his 4.3 so save yourself some dosh and buy yourself a pre-cat.

The Tuscan is lovely but not classically so, whereas the Griffith is rare and beautiful both to listen to and to look at and a classic in the making.
Buy it, drive it, love it and still sell it for the same as you bought it for. How many cars can you say that about then?

Painey

534 posts

285 months

Monday 16th May 2005
quotequote all
I've got a pretty well sorted Griff 500 but I must admit to a desire for a Tuscan/T350 at some time in the future. However, my dilemma is that I know my particular griff is a good one (thanks Rob Ibgleby btw) and I'd be a bit worried about maybe asking for trouble by getting something else. Be thankful for what you have and all that.

Anyway, my main point of interest is in just how much quicker either of those two Sp6 cars would be as this would be the decider. The Griff is putting out 287bhp/350lbs/ft of torque when serviced at Austec recently and I've been planning on modifying it, so theoretically I'd have thought there wouldn't be much in it?

Cheers - Chris

DustyC

12,822 posts

283 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
HarryW said:
Not owned either but have played with plenty.
Looks, dynamics and performance the Tuscan is the better car IMHO, for low speed cruising the Griff sounds better, again IMHO.

Harry


Lots of good comments and agree with most of them. Harrys opinion abot sums up the whole thing too.

Also to add to Harry's "low speed cruising" is touring. I think for long distance driving holidays the Griff may get you hundreds of miles feeling more relaxed. Happy to drive around lazily. However, because the Tuscans a little quick you could arrive earlier and have 40 winks! (Would rahter see the scenary though!).

Personally I dont like the look of Tuscans and never have. The design just looks bulbous and messy to me. I realise Im probably the only person in the world with this thought though!

Another of Harrys comments is "Tuscan is a better car IMO".
Its newer so handling, performance etc more up to date but better? Thats all down to personal opinion (he did state "IMO".
In my opinion the Griff is better as it better suits my needs (wearing medallions etc).

I would suggest you consider what you want it to do for you and test drive both in as many situations and road types as you can.



>> Edited by DustyC on Tuesday 17th May 13:54

Krusty

2,473 posts

278 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
I've had both and one thing I'll say is I found the Tuscan a better touring car. It had a bigger boot and because the roof / rear screen sits on the top of your gear getting it on and off was a piece of cake. The cabin space is bigger than the Griff (because of the battery in the passenger footwell for instance) my wife used to say she couldn't stretch her legs out (ooh err)
Both cars are obviously quick. I found the Tuscan wondered over 100 but that was cured by adding a splitter and then still stable at 150. The Griff was just more of a handfull all round at speed.
I had well sorted versions of both which adds to the ownership experience, in fact I noticed my old Tuscan has wondered back into the free ads again.....How time flys.

BCA

8,651 posts

286 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
DustyC said:

Personally I dont like the look of Tuscans and never have. The design just looks bulbous and messy to me. I realise Im probably the only person in the world with this thought though!


You arent the only person, I have stages where I like them, but most of the time I do think they look a little... podgy?

Wildfire

9,948 posts

281 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
BCA said:

DustyC said:

Personally I dont like the look of Tuscans and never have. The design just looks bulbous and messy to me. I realise Im probably the only person in the world with this thought though!



You arent the only person, I have stages where I like them, but most of the time I do think they look a little... podgy?


When they came out, I plain hated them, but given 2 years and I actually really like them now. Where as the Griff I liked from the word go and still do.