How fast does yours seem?
Discussion
New-ish owner of 450 Chim having jumped from Jag XJR (6 pot, not V8). My beastie is a 1997 on an R and runs well after a few electrical niggles were sorted. Temp good, oil pressure excellent, no smoking accelerations etc etc. Is it me or is my Chim slow compared to other 450's. I know you can't actually answer me but I had a 330i Beemer seriously out accelerate me yesterday 
This isn't something I expected too much from a 450, expecially given the TVR performance figures. I am hoping that my expectations are too high and the performance from the XJR (manual with 0-60 of about 6 - 6.5 secs) was similar to the Chim. Maybe I am being a pussy and not revving high enough but when she gets to 5000 rpm I think to myself that this should be enough, surely!
Anyway, don't get me wrong, I am completely enamoured by this car, I don't really give two hoots (well maybe one or two!) if I am blasted by a beemer but when I ask for some action I thought I might get it in spades! Maybe I am just getting used to it, as I might expect. If I am outclassed by a Ford Focus Turbo diesel I am chopping her in for an XKR! Actually, I couldn't even do that! The V8 soundtrack would stop me!
This isn't something I expected too much from a 450, expecially given the TVR performance figures. I am hoping that my expectations are too high and the performance from the XJR (manual with 0-60 of about 6 - 6.5 secs) was similar to the Chim. Maybe I am being a pussy and not revving high enough but when she gets to 5000 rpm I think to myself that this should be enough, surely!Anyway, don't get me wrong, I am completely enamoured by this car, I don't really give two hoots (well maybe one or two!) if I am blasted by a beemer but when I ask for some action I thought I might get it in spades! Maybe I am just getting used to it, as I might expect. If I am outclassed by a Ford Focus Turbo diesel I am chopping her in for an XKR! Actually, I couldn't even do that! The V8 soundtrack would stop me!
Its unlikely you will see the sub 5 sec times quoted by the manual, but you should still be able to see off a 330i and the Jag without any major fuss. If you cant then either the car you are pacing against is modified , you are down on power or you didnt time it right. For example was the 330i already giving it beans and you tried to match him but were in a higher gear ?. The only way to know for sure is to get yourself to a rolling road spend £50ish quid and get the true power output.
5k is a bit of a short shift if I'm realling caning it I push on to 5600 which from my rolling road sessions is where my power peaks. You can go up to 6250 before hitting the limiter but In my experience its pointless no guts beyond 5600.
ETA: in response to the title of the post, mine still feels like a rocketship after 2.5 years, good enough to see off most high performance machines on the road today and sounds
with the exhausts sleeved
5k is a bit of a short shift if I'm realling caning it I push on to 5600 which from my rolling road sessions is where my power peaks. You can go up to 6250 before hitting the limiter but In my experience its pointless no guts beyond 5600.
ETA: in response to the title of the post, mine still feels like a rocketship after 2.5 years, good enough to see off most high performance machines on the road today and sounds
with the exhausts sleevedEdited by bigdods on Monday 3rd September 18:07
As mentioned above, so many variables, e.g. were you just trying to out accelerate him in a higher gear, or did you drop a gear?, was he already pulling away before you tried to catch him? etc, etc.
Although I'd say I've got used to my 450 now, I still regard it as very quick, and have yet to come up against anything on 4 wheels that it hasn't utterly destroyed. I did wonder why it stuttered once in 2nd, but then realised that in my enthusiasm I'd bounced it off the limiter (it does get there very quickly in the lower gears).
So, maybe you were caught napping, or maybe the other car wasn't standard, or, if it was neither of those, maybe a rolling road session would be in order. At least you'd know whether your motor was as good as it should be.
Although I'd say I've got used to my 450 now, I still regard it as very quick, and have yet to come up against anything on 4 wheels that it hasn't utterly destroyed. I did wonder why it stuttered once in 2nd, but then realised that in my enthusiasm I'd bounced it off the limiter (it does get there very quickly in the lower gears).
So, maybe you were caught napping, or maybe the other car wasn't standard, or, if it was neither of those, maybe a rolling road session would be in order. At least you'd know whether your motor was as good as it should be.
I have a 94 400 and had a scrap with a Vauxhall Astra VXR, I was quite surprised how evenly matched we were, in actual fact I was ever so slightly gaining on him higher up the speedo range before we ran out of road (or perhaps he eased off a touch?) looking at parkers guide this evening, the vxr has an alledged 236 bhp and 0-60 in 6.2, given them figure's im very impressed with my chims performance, with the possibilty that mine has probably lost a few horses over the years!
My 4.0HC was a bit quicker than my mates Newish S2000, as we regularly out together in the cars. The Chim is also much more predictable down the A / B roads .
But i can say the 500 is a different beast much much quicker . Its also only done 22,000 compared to the 47,000 of the HC.
Along side the S2000 sits a new 2.5 tuned Scoob with 280bhp, nowhere near the Chim , especially in really terms as we chim has power and torque over probably 3500-4000 rpm range , where the scoob has it over 2000 range .
But i can say the 500 is a different beast much much quicker . Its also only done 22,000 compared to the 47,000 of the HC.
Along side the S2000 sits a new 2.5 tuned Scoob with 280bhp, nowhere near the Chim , especially in really terms as we chim has power and torque over probably 3500-4000 rpm range , where the scoob has it over 2000 range .
Edited by Rum Runner on Monday 3rd September 20:35
Just returned from 2 week hols in Cyprus. Hired a eurobox for the duration, which seemed pretty quick. However, shortly after returning home took the Chimaera for a blast and soon realised just how quick the TVR is. I think it could be a case that you do get used to the performance........?
It looks like a trip to "rolling roads R us" for me then! I am sure the Chim is quick but maybe I am expecting a little too much of her. The fact that posters here use so many superlatives when describing the speed of their chariots I just assumed the 450 was monstrously fast. It just doesn't feel like it. Perma-grin still well in place and the V8 soundtrack is enough to make any speed issues melt away! Thank for the feedback chaps!
See you out there!
See you out there!
Red V8 said:
"not revving high enough but when she gets to 5000 rpm"
I think the rev limiter will cut in if you try to rev any higher...
rev limiter on a 450 should be set at 6250 but power does drop off pretty quickly after about 5200 ish - only way to know for sure for an individual car is get it on the rolling road. My 450 still produces good power up to almost 5600 so thats my shift point when really giving it some beans .... when I'm just out having some fun I tend to shift around 4500.I think the rev limiter will cut in if you try to rev any higher...
frazer guest said:
My 400 seems rather slow. I would say its performance matched that of my old V12 XJS.
On saying that, it did feel the quickest 400 that I had driven and noticably quicker than a 450 that I test drove.
There must have been something wrong with the 450 then IMHO. On saying that, it did feel the quickest 400 that I had driven and noticably quicker than a 450 that I test drove.
The 4.5's I have driven and passengered in have been a risla paper in difference to the performance of the 5 litre, and a very noticeable step up in performance to the 4 litre.
A good 450 should be fine in that situation but its also fairly easy for TVR's to be off the boil.
I've read some back history of Mark Adams rolling road sessions where some cars have lost serious HP due to underbonnet faults like HT Leads, AFM etc.
May be worth a tune-up. They do vary quite a bit
I've read some back history of Mark Adams rolling road sessions where some cars have lost serious HP due to underbonnet faults like HT Leads, AFM etc.
May be worth a tune-up. They do vary quite a bit
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff