Top Gear 2003 Magazine and TVR reviews

[anonymous-user]

Just bought the latest Top Gear 2003 special magazine which features most of the TVR range in it (no mention of the Griff anymore though)

Some of the interesting bits:

Tamora / T350 (bhp/0-60)

350bhp / 4.6secs
"Rivals in Boxters S's or BMW M Roadsters will be left for dead in a cloud of smoke "

Tuscan/T440R (bhp/0-60)
3.6 350/4.3sec
4.0 390/4.4sec
(Don't know how that worked... the smaller engine was quicker !)

"Most sophisticated TVR ever built"

Cerbera (bhp/0-60)

Speed Six (350/4.8)
4.2 V8 (360/4.8)
4.5 V8 (420/4.0)

Said that they would go for the Speed Six rather than the 4.2 and that "ironically the Speed Six (engine) sounds even better than the V8's!

Owners of the 4.5 should be "members of the wide awake club "

Chimaera (bhp/0-60)
4.5 285/5.1
5.0 320/5.2

"Chimaera is last of the old school TVR's, consequently next to the Cerbera, Tuscan and Tamora its looking dated inside and out"

The articales were fairly pro TVR with all the cars getting 4 out of 5 (except the Tuscan/T440R which got 5)

[thirsty]

"Chimaera is last of the old school TVR's, consequently next to the Cerbera, Tuscan and Tamora its looking dated inside and out"

Maybe... but everyone still looks when I take it for a drive. And everyone who sits in it still goes ooooh ... aaaaahhhhh :

[wedgie]

Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. But surely no-one can really say the Chim is dated, more... timeless.
The Chim has to be the most elegant thing to come out of Blackpool.
IMHO, the Tuscan and Carbie are pure muscle, but the lines of the Chim are classic, like a fine wine, or Kylie...

[paul-wh]

Definitely Kylie! I always thought when I looked at my Chimaera that it had the best looking ass I've seen on a car.

[Pinkney]

Tuscan/T440R (bhp/0-60)
3.6 350/4.3sec
4.0 390/4.4sec
(Don't know how that worked... the smaller engine was quicker !)

I'm assuming you mean the standard Tuscan (350bhp) and the Tuscan S (390bhp) rather than the T440R (440bhp).

According to TVR's own brochures the Tuscan S (390bhp) should be 3.8sec - fastest of all the current clan.

[anonymous-user]

Yeah, I think they were on about the Tuscan and Tuscan S rather than a T440 (which TVR have still not produced). I think the timings were "actual times" rather than what the TVR brochures say.

I've got a Cerbera Speed Six which is quoted by TVR as 0-60 in 4.4secs..... it posted a time of 4.8secs in the tests.

Looks like the Cerbera 4.5 is still the quickest of the bunch!

NB - I still love the Chim as well !

[clint888]

thirsty said:

"Chimaera is last of the old school TVR's, consequently next to the Cerbera, Tuscan and Tamora its looking dated inside and out"

Maybe... but everyone still looks when I take it for a drive. And everyone who sits in it still goes ooooh ... aaaaahhhhh :

I second that AND if spares are still available I predict that it will become a genuine classic just about when the Tuscans etc are getting through their third engine replacements.

[nubbin]

Testers eh.... Tamora and standard Tuscans share the came engine and drivetrain, as well as wheelbase, chassis etc. yet the Tuscan is 0.3 secs faster to 60. Must have been a wet track, hungover tester, whatever. The Tamora is listed elsewhere (Autocar IIRC) as 4.2. But anyway, they're all ridiculously fast!! 30-70 is where it counts, in the real world.

[wedgie]

thirsty said:

"Chimaera is last of the old school TVR's, consequently next to the Cerbera, Tuscan and Tamora its looking dated inside and out"

In not many years, it's the 'trendy' Tuscans etc that will look dated, while the Chimp maintains its timeless elegance. Not that I'm biased, or anything