Sagaris World Tour of Britain
Discussion
Busy little month!
3 weeks - 2000 miles.
Cpl of weekends ago we went down to Cornwall, say 670 miles or so.
Last Wednesday morning (2am) in absolutely foul and filthy weather we wet off upto Northumberland. The M1 was abysmal, absolutely awful. So bad, that I stopped at Toddington because I was shattered, from concentrating on keeping the car on the road in the weather and water on the road. To be honest, she hardly squirmed at all, but I couldnt really see that much, standing and running water everywhere and I wasnt taking any chances! Well the weather didnt really let up all the way up north till Leeds, but coffee'd up I was happier running hardish and keeping the concentration levels up. She ran true and straight and was a very faithful wet weather girl.
First ownership glitch. Lost the speedos. Both of them and therefore, the trip computer. Wild readings and then 0. For about 20 miles. Then they came back. Then they went again. They they came back. More later.
So anyway, at Leeds I stopped, gave the keys to Sarah and got in the passenger side. Before we rejoined the M1 I was asleep...no seriously I was. Woke up just past Scotch Corner about 7am ish and Sarah was playing in the morning traffic. We carried on into Durham for breakfast. Nice place.
Anyway, as any TVR owner up knows...Hexham Horseless Carriages is only 20 mins away. Big up thankyou to Tony and the boys as I dropped in unannounced with a dead speedo at lunchtime. He said, its probably your speed sensor, go away, have lunch and come back in 2 hours. So we did. Found a nice little Italian in Hexham town centre (nice town) did a cpl of plates of pasta for £7 for the pair of us and wandered back. Job done, car outside, warranty form filled in, signed it and off we toddled again. Met our friends in Washington where we were staying for the night.
Thursday upto to Berwick Upon Tweed via Bamburgh and Alnwick. Cracking places...now they are serious castles! Stayed in Berwick, fantastic place, we both loved it. Threw it down and we didnt care, spent 2-3hrs walking in the rain around the walls and harbour. Great meal at th Queens Head in Berwick that evening, highly recommended, not bad price £12 for the venison, huuuuuuuuge portions and the quality was excellent.
Friday morning, up the M1 to Edinburgh. Pished it down. All the way, heavy as hell it was! gris was superb in the wet again, however rather interestingly/disturbingly the engine oil temp was down as low as 25 degrees even when warm through the downpour! Couldnt believe that, however as I kept to about 60 and below 2500rpm the entire way it didnt really matter. Friday afternoon, we checked into the hotel and had a wander round Edinburgh. A little smaller than expected, but soo much more nicer than London, really liked Edinburgh. Oh and you Scottish lot...you lie about that Royal Mile thing. More like 2 flaming miles!
Anyway, Saturday morning, thrash back to Newcastle, play along the Coastal Route for a Christening at 1pm. Interesting Christening...half Danish, half English! Guide me Oh thou Great Redeemer was printed and sang in both languages! Half the church was singing it in Danish and half in English! As my friend to left is a big rugby fan and Sarah is also, I had to remind him not to do the rugby echo of "Till I want no more" and Sarah was shocked that they werent the real words anyway!
Saturday night, blast back down to Cannock in naff weather again to kip over at her parents' place. Back down to Kent Sunday evening. Interesting thing...200 miles from Cannock back down to Maidstone. 30ltrs of fuel. 10 ltrs = 66 miles, 6.6 mile/ltr @ 4.4 ltrs/ gallon = 29mpg. Sorted!
In all 1170 miles.
Conclusion:
What an absolutely storming Grand Tourer. We were also fully loaded up for the entire trip and even squeezed a 5ft Christmas Tree in from Cannock back down to Kent.
We ran through torrential rains and horrendous downpours and she hardly put a boot out of place. We sat in traffic james and crawling traffic last night on the M1 and the water never went over 100 degrees.
4500 miles now in 2.5 months since end of Aug. Car just keeps getting better and better. EVO had it right, the shock of the Sagaris is not its pace, it is how brilliantly it plays the GT card. You have the pace to leave everything for dead, it carries enough for 2 ppl to go away on a driving tour holiday and she will return you 29mpg Mway cruising high 80s/90 and sat in traffic jams.
If any of you are scared off buying a Sagaris because of the hardcore nature of the car, dont be. This is a genuine car for all seasons and all weather. Sarah's parents say they love it when I go past, the Gris sounds so growly and deep. Below 3000rpm the sound is pretty naff inside the car, the same Mondeo din of the 350 and Tamora, above 3k and esp 4k and the girl just sings. The RV8 sounds awesome from 1500 - 4k rpm and then it is a bit of a noisy din, the 4ltr Speed Six, truly shows the purity of a 6 from really 3500 rpm right through to 7k rpm.
Friday
3 weeks - 2000 miles.
Cpl of weekends ago we went down to Cornwall, say 670 miles or so.
Last Wednesday morning (2am) in absolutely foul and filthy weather we wet off upto Northumberland. The M1 was abysmal, absolutely awful. So bad, that I stopped at Toddington because I was shattered, from concentrating on keeping the car on the road in the weather and water on the road. To be honest, she hardly squirmed at all, but I couldnt really see that much, standing and running water everywhere and I wasnt taking any chances! Well the weather didnt really let up all the way up north till Leeds, but coffee'd up I was happier running hardish and keeping the concentration levels up. She ran true and straight and was a very faithful wet weather girl.
First ownership glitch. Lost the speedos. Both of them and therefore, the trip computer. Wild readings and then 0. For about 20 miles. Then they came back. Then they went again. They they came back. More later.
So anyway, at Leeds I stopped, gave the keys to Sarah and got in the passenger side. Before we rejoined the M1 I was asleep...no seriously I was. Woke up just past Scotch Corner about 7am ish and Sarah was playing in the morning traffic. We carried on into Durham for breakfast. Nice place.
Anyway, as any TVR owner up knows...Hexham Horseless Carriages is only 20 mins away. Big up thankyou to Tony and the boys as I dropped in unannounced with a dead speedo at lunchtime. He said, its probably your speed sensor, go away, have lunch and come back in 2 hours. So we did. Found a nice little Italian in Hexham town centre (nice town) did a cpl of plates of pasta for £7 for the pair of us and wandered back. Job done, car outside, warranty form filled in, signed it and off we toddled again. Met our friends in Washington where we were staying for the night.
Thursday upto to Berwick Upon Tweed via Bamburgh and Alnwick. Cracking places...now they are serious castles! Stayed in Berwick, fantastic place, we both loved it. Threw it down and we didnt care, spent 2-3hrs walking in the rain around the walls and harbour. Great meal at th Queens Head in Berwick that evening, highly recommended, not bad price £12 for the venison, huuuuuuuuge portions and the quality was excellent.
Friday morning, up the M1 to Edinburgh. Pished it down. All the way, heavy as hell it was! gris was superb in the wet again, however rather interestingly/disturbingly the engine oil temp was down as low as 25 degrees even when warm through the downpour! Couldnt believe that, however as I kept to about 60 and below 2500rpm the entire way it didnt really matter. Friday afternoon, we checked into the hotel and had a wander round Edinburgh. A little smaller than expected, but soo much more nicer than London, really liked Edinburgh. Oh and you Scottish lot...you lie about that Royal Mile thing. More like 2 flaming miles!
Anyway, Saturday morning, thrash back to Newcastle, play along the Coastal Route for a Christening at 1pm. Interesting Christening...half Danish, half English! Guide me Oh thou Great Redeemer was printed and sang in both languages! Half the church was singing it in Danish and half in English! As my friend to left is a big rugby fan and Sarah is also, I had to remind him not to do the rugby echo of "Till I want no more" and Sarah was shocked that they werent the real words anyway!
Saturday night, blast back down to Cannock in naff weather again to kip over at her parents' place. Back down to Kent Sunday evening. Interesting thing...200 miles from Cannock back down to Maidstone. 30ltrs of fuel. 10 ltrs = 66 miles, 6.6 mile/ltr @ 4.4 ltrs/ gallon = 29mpg. Sorted!
In all 1170 miles.
Conclusion:
What an absolutely storming Grand Tourer. We were also fully loaded up for the entire trip and even squeezed a 5ft Christmas Tree in from Cannock back down to Kent.
We ran through torrential rains and horrendous downpours and she hardly put a boot out of place. We sat in traffic james and crawling traffic last night on the M1 and the water never went over 100 degrees.
4500 miles now in 2.5 months since end of Aug. Car just keeps getting better and better. EVO had it right, the shock of the Sagaris is not its pace, it is how brilliantly it plays the GT card. You have the pace to leave everything for dead, it carries enough for 2 ppl to go away on a driving tour holiday and she will return you 29mpg Mway cruising high 80s/90 and sat in traffic jams.
If any of you are scared off buying a Sagaris because of the hardcore nature of the car, dont be. This is a genuine car for all seasons and all weather. Sarah's parents say they love it when I go past, the Gris sounds so growly and deep. Below 3000rpm the sound is pretty naff inside the car, the same Mondeo din of the 350 and Tamora, above 3k and esp 4k and the girl just sings. The RV8 sounds awesome from 1500 - 4k rpm and then it is a bit of a noisy din, the 4ltr Speed Six, truly shows the purity of a 6 from really 3500 rpm right through to 7k rpm.
Friday
The fuel economy never ceases to amaze. You'd have thought that was the last thing on the designers list! It probably was. Does that mean it's a very efficient engine or is it just because the car's so light? Whatever.
Scotland with dry roads would be Sagaris heaven. On smooth twisty roads the car is peerless. Most other cars that fast are a lot bigger, wider and less responsive. My perfect road to date was the sinewy dual carriageway cut into the side of the alps coming back from Chamonix this summer. The speed at which it could change direction with complete composure was incredible.
Thought your car looked stunning in Evo by the way. Reflex charcoal is still a bit of an issue for me. I remember sitting in Gatwick TVR and having to make the choice. I'd narrowed it down to Iced tit or RC. It was agony but I went for the colour I'd actually seen the car in.
Scotland with dry roads would be Sagaris heaven. On smooth twisty roads the car is peerless. Most other cars that fast are a lot bigger, wider and less responsive. My perfect road to date was the sinewy dual carriageway cut into the side of the alps coming back from Chamonix this summer. The speed at which it could change direction with complete composure was incredible.
Thought your car looked stunning in Evo by the way. Reflex charcoal is still a bit of an issue for me. I remember sitting in Gatwick TVR and having to make the choice. I'd narrowed it down to Iced tit or RC. It was agony but I went for the colour I'd actually seen the car in.
DJC said:
Anyway, as any TVR owner up knows...Hexham Horseless Carriages is only 20 mins away. Big up thankyou to Tony and the boys as I dropped in unannounced with a dead speedo at lunchtime. He said, its probably your speed sensor, go away, have lunch and come back in 2 hours. So we did. Found a nice little Italian in Hexham town centre (nice town) did a cpl of plates of pasta for £7 for the pair of us and wandered back. Job done, car outside, warranty form filled in, signed it and off we toddled again.
Yup, they're a good bunch at Hexham - make the TVR ownership experience even more enjoyable
Been for a few lengthy runs this weekend and the car is absolutely filthy at the moment, but still flying
. Only up to 5000rpm so far (not quite reached 2k miles yet). Looking forward to getting it up to 6000rpm as I bet the sound/acceleration is intoxicating. Only one niggle so far, occasionally the driver's side window doesn't seem to drop enough to allow the door to open. Might have to drop in on Tony sometime 
. PP
Reads just like an RO's Regional report 
Glad you are still enjoying it DJC.
We've done over 8000 miles now and we are still chuffed to bits with her.
I'm pushing it more and more as my confidence grows.
I was always so cautious of the back stepping out in the Cerb, but this one really does lull you into thinking that you can throw her into any situation and corner at any speed and she won't let you down....so my confidence is gradually getting better.
So.....did you see any nice castles with a 'for sale' sign up there
YP
>> Edited by yellow peril on Tuesday 8th November 07:32
Glad you are still enjoying it DJC.
We've done over 8000 miles now and we are still chuffed to bits with her.
I'm pushing it more and more as my confidence grows.
I was always so cautious of the back stepping out in the Cerb, but this one really does lull you into thinking that you can throw her into any situation and corner at any speed and she won't let you down....so my confidence is gradually getting better.
So.....did you see any nice castles with a 'for sale' sign up there
YP
>> Edited by yellow peril on Tuesday 8th November 07:32
yellow peril said:
Reads just like an RO's Regional report
Glad you are still enjoying it DJC.
We've done over 8000 miles now and we are still chuffed to bits with her.
I'm pushing it more and more as my confidence grows.
I was always so cautious of the back stepping out in the Cerb, but this one really does lull you into thinking that you can throw her into any situation and corner at any speed and she won't let you down....so my confidence is gradually getter better.
So.....did you see any nice castles with a 'for sale' sign up there
YP
Not allowed near em
Now Georgian town houses, run down farmhouses with 6 acrs and Scandanavian style lodges with 2 acres and 12 stables yes. We saw some of those for sale and interest was sparked
i'm starting to get the TVR twitch again although I'm trying to hold off till next year. Sagaris looking good although Tony has commented how good the new Tuscan Convertable is.
Sagaris will probebly be the answer though.
And if I do it will definately being the 400 mile round trip for servicing at Hexham...they are the only dealership for ANYTHING which actually cares. I recently had the Smart back from a dealer after the replaced part of the dash after they had scratched it replacing another part that was scratched. Althought it was fixed they'd left grease on the inside of the door....
Sagaris will probebly be the answer though.
And if I do it will definately being the 400 mile round trip for servicing at Hexham...they are the only dealership for ANYTHING which actually cares. I recently had the Smart back from a dealer after the replaced part of the dash after they had scratched it replacing another part that was scratched. Althought it was fixed they'd left grease on the inside of the door....
fish said:
i'm starting to get the TVR twitch again although I'm trying to hold off till next year. Sagaris looking good although Tony has commented how good the new Tuscan Convertable is.
Sagaris will probebly be the answer though.
And if I do it will definately being the 400 mile round trip for servicing at Hexham...they are the only dealership for ANYTHING which actually cares. I recently had the Smart back from a dealer after the replaced part of the dash after they had scratched it replacing another part that was scratched. Althought it was fixed they'd left grease on the inside of the door....
Fish...the Sagaris is in a different league to the Tamora. Simple as that.
To be honest, the Sagaris is in a different league to my Griffith and I miss that car every day. The only things it could really have over the Gris are the steering and the sound and now Im starting to appreciate what Pits says about the sound. Above 4k rpm the 4ltr really starts singing pure music in a way an 8 never could and in a way the 3.6 could only dream of.
As for the steering? Well I have to be honest, given an 1100 mile jaunt around Britain, the power assisted unit is a lot more livable with than the old heavy Griffith. So if even with my rose tinted Griff loving specs, I think the Gris is just playing a completely different game, the Tamora is blown away like Huge Grant down the Hollywood strip.
The Tuscan droptop however could be a different proposition. My gut feeling is that is going to be an excellent motor and if you want a drop top, get the 4ltr Tuscan drop top. Otherwise buy a Sagaris, just an awesome driving machine.
we could all get along fine ! yellow peril said:
Reads just like an RO's Regional report
Glad you are still enjoying it DJC.
We've done over 8000 miles now and we are still chuffed to bits with her.
I'm pushing it more and more as my confidence grows.
I was always so cautious of the back stepping out in the Cerb, but this one really does lull you into thinking that you can throw her into any situation and corner at any speed and she won't let you down....so my confidence is gradually getting better.
So.....did you see any nice castles with a 'for sale' sign up there
YP
>> Edited by yellow peril on Tuesday 8th November 07:32
There was an article on local news that there was an apartment in Bamburgh Castle available to let a couple of months ago - the first time in living history. 6 bedroom apartment, £2000 pcm. not bad, really.
DJC said:
Above 4k rpm the 4ltr really starts singing pure music in a way an 8 never could and in a way the 3.6 could only dream of.
My Tamora started life with a 3.6, and now has a 4.0 litre, and so far as I can remember, the singing of the original engine was every bit as intoxicating as the 4.0 litre, just in a slightly different way, and probably preferable to some people.
DJC said:
Fish...the Sagaris is in a different league to the Tamora. Simple as that.
the Tamora is blown away like Huge Grant down the Hollywood strip.
So far I've only been for a fairly short ride in dvpeace's Sag, and it all felt very well put together, and I couldn't properly judge it without a decent length drive myself, but certainly from that relatively short ride, I didn't feel any urge to spend lots of cash to change.
I am however prepared to believe the reports that it is an easier drive, more "Mondeo" like?
DJC said:
The Tuscan droptop however could be a different proposition. My gut feeling is that is going to be an excellent motor and if you want a drop top, get the 4ltr Tuscan drop top. Otherwise buy a Sagaris, just an awesome driving machine.
I would also be interested to try the Tuscan conv, but having just seen one parked next to the black Tam at Dream Machines yesterday, I personally think the more compact sporty look of the Tamora really compares well, and the Tuscan would have a tough job persuading me to change, nice as it does look.
shortar53 said:
Reads just like an RO's Regional report
Glad you are still enjoying it DJC.
We've done over 8000 miles now and we are still chuffed to bits with her.
I'm pushing it more and more as my confidence grows.
I was always so cautious of the back stepping out in the Cerb, but this one really does lull you into thinking that you can throw her into any situation and corner at any speed and she won't let you down....so my confidence is gradually getting better.
So.....did you see any nice castles with a 'for sale' sign up there
YP
>> Edited by yellow peril on Tuesday 8th November 07:32
There was an article on local news that there was an apartment in Bamburgh Castle available to let a couple of months ago - the first time in living history. 6 bedroom apartment, £2000 pcm. not bad, really.
I was told about that, though was told it was for sale, not rent.
Bamburgh looks a cool place to live, a little out of my price range however!
DJC...after our recent "debate" about the great Jim Clark,for you to get so close to his birthplace,and not visit the museum dedicated to him is sacrilege....or are you waiting for some better weather for a Borders blast?....if so,I can recommend some very special ones(a couple of which are actually used annually for the Jim Clark Rally)
Agree about the Queens Head...a hidden gem
>> Edited by huge on Tuesday 8th November 19:13
Agree about the Queens Head...a hidden gem
>> Edited by huge on Tuesday 8th November 19:13
huge said:
Dude...I was with the fiancee! Havent I given enough hints yet that she really wouldnt have appreciated being dragged to Jim Clark's museum????
Fair shout...but there look to be enough "Brownie points" gathered over the w/e to justify it surely .....
Alas no, they were wasted at the Christening meal. Given that it was the usual group of friends and we are all engineers, the talk was on the usual geeky boring engineering lines. It didnt help when my mate (the new dad) told his brother who was also sat with us that I had a TVR and he said "great, Ive got a 7, a Robin Hood!" Well you can imagaine the look of "Good Grief!" that went across the fiancee's face at that one! It got worse when I was talking about losing the speedo, etc and he said, ah that's OK I took mine dragging at Santa Pod the other week. Obviously my initial reaction was "What broke?" to which he dead panned back "Im now rebuilding the back axle."
The look on her face got even worse when the conversation meandered back into the Buying a Knackered Castle territory and he replied with "Cool, Im thinking of buying a tank!" Sorted, what an excellent bloke! So er no, brownie points were well and truely lost!
Yeah,I remember the "good grief" look well.I miss the conversations that occur out of the blue as soon as someone finds out you've got a TVR....the wife does'nt though!
Strangely enough, one that sticks in my mind was when I visited the Jim Clark room,and even though I had parked round the corner out of sight,the elderly lady who ran the museum asked me if I had just driven up in a TVR?
The look of "here we go again" from the wife was a classic.
Strangely enough, one that sticks in my mind was when I visited the Jim Clark room,and even though I had parked round the corner out of sight,the elderly lady who ran the museum asked me if I had just driven up in a TVR?
The look of "here we go again" from the wife was a classic.
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