S series performance
Discussion
As ownership of an S draws closer (I'm seeing one in 2 hrs) I thought I'd ask you about the cars performace.
How should it feel when you give it sum, is there a real shove in the back or is it a bit shy by modern standards. What sort of modern car would you compare with. This is the 2.8/9 by the way.
How should it feel when you give it sum, is there a real shove in the back or is it a bit shy by modern standards. What sort of modern car would you compare with. This is the 2.8/9 by the way.
I find the more forceful I am with mine the better it goes, and yes it does give a shove in the back, but in a nice way though.
Cant vouch for anyone elses at not had the pleasure of driving them. When I first got mine I had come to the conclusion it wasn't very fast until someone off here told me to give it some stick, which I did and yes they're quick.
Just not too much on the loud pedal round bends and roundabouts though
Cant vouch for anyone elses at not had the pleasure of driving them. When I first got mine I had come to the conclusion it wasn't very fast until someone off here told me to give it some stick, which I did and yes they're quick.
Just not too much on the loud pedal round bends and roundabouts though
beta_sri said:
As ownership of an S draws closer (I'm seeing one in 2 hrs) I thought I'd ask you about the cars performace.
How should it feel when you give it sum, is there a real shove in the back or is it a bit shy by modern standards. What sort of modern car would you compare with. This is the 2.8/9 by the way.
Yes they are quick and they do give you a shove in the back, I would describe it as brutal by modern standards, modern is quick but can feel a bit tame. Anyway the noise is what you really want it for!How should it feel when you give it sum, is there a real shove in the back or is it a bit shy by modern standards. What sort of modern car would you compare with. This is the 2.8/9 by the way.
The S has enough performance to keep it interesting, plus decent handling and plenty of feedback to the driver. All in all it's a very chuckable car which is fairly fast and great fun to drive.
However, the performance of standard production cars has moved on and there are plenty of modern cars that will give a V6 S a run for the money, some of them quite mundane ones.
The V8S is substantially faster (claimed faster than the top of the range Lamborghini of its day until you got into three figures) but is still not the fastest car on the road today by a long way.
Mine is substantially faster than standard but still I've been followed across town by some sort of hot Clio that was fast enough to keep me honest. It's not hard to find modern cars with similar performance, but you will have to look a long way to find a better combination of looks, sound, performance, chuckability and cost.
However, the performance of standard production cars has moved on and there are plenty of modern cars that will give a V6 S a run for the money, some of them quite mundane ones.
The V8S is substantially faster (claimed faster than the top of the range Lamborghini of its day until you got into three figures) but is still not the fastest car on the road today by a long way.
Mine is substantially faster than standard but still I've been followed across town by some sort of hot Clio that was fast enough to keep me honest. It's not hard to find modern cars with similar performance, but you will have to look a long way to find a better combination of looks, sound, performance, chuckability and cost.
When i bought my S i thought I'd bought a lesser TVR .. Griffs had just been phased out and I wanted one of those really but they were all 2-3000 pounds overpriced as panic buying set in .. i didn't want a v8 Wedge at the time so bought a V8S instead ...
and BOY am I glad i did .. costs next to nothing to run, has fine handling, great performance even as std (and the V6 is fast enough to be fun as GreenV8S says) .. sound nice and seem to be bought by an altogether more enthusiastic sector of TVR owner for some reason. A good S will hold it's value reasonably well too ..
all in all a pretty good buy!
and BOY am I glad i did .. costs next to nothing to run, has fine handling, great performance even as std (and the V6 is fast enough to be fun as GreenV8S says) .. sound nice and seem to be bought by an altogether more enthusiastic sector of TVR owner for some reason. A good S will hold it's value reasonably well too ..
all in all a pretty good buy!
There's a big variety out there and you need to dive a few to get a real feel for how they should perform and therefore whether the one you're driving is okay. The S I drove was a very low mileage but had a really lumpy tickover and didn't pull anywhere near as well as it should have done as I learnt from driving other cars. Remember these are all quite old cars now so performance is bound to vary from one to another.
As has been said, modern hot hatches will them a very good run for their money but the whole driving experience with an S is something else.
Enjoy looking and I hope you find a good one.
As has been said, modern hot hatches will them a very good run for their money but the whole driving experience with an S is something else.
Enjoy looking and I hope you find a good one.
Thanks for the helpful comments people. the one I saw was a dog 
I only realised how much when I walked away and got rid of my giddy head. A loud clunk from the drive shaft when setting off, suspect chassis and a small amount of crazing and interior rips/loose trim.
Driving wise, I have to admit it felt slow!! I drive a chipped Astra cdti, about 170bhp ish, so I thought the performance would be in a similar league but more of a grin factor. the guy floored it is 2nd and I watched as the needle slowly climbed to 4000rpm and made a lot of noise (nice noise though)but it definatley wasnt fast, I'm sure you'd agree, or have I been spoiled!!!
Felt slighlty disheartened after but I need to see a good un to get me exited again.
I only realised how much when I walked away and got rid of my giddy head. A loud clunk from the drive shaft when setting off, suspect chassis and a small amount of crazing and interior rips/loose trim. Driving wise, I have to admit it felt slow!! I drive a chipped Astra cdti, about 170bhp ish, so I thought the performance would be in a similar league but more of a grin factor. the guy floored it is 2nd and I watched as the needle slowly climbed to 4000rpm and made a lot of noise (nice noise though)but it definatley wasnt fast, I'm sure you'd agree, or have I been spoiled!!!
Felt slighlty disheartened after but I need to see a good un to get me exited again.
Don't let that particular one put you off and hang on in for a good one - you may have to travel a bit but it will be worth it to get the right one - I flew to Belfast to buy mine but I could tell it was worth it - If you spotted one for sale up here in Newcastle give me a shout and I will gladly take a quick look on your behalf and advise if it is worth making the trip for - I am sure some of the boys down South would do the same.
Graham
Graham
Harry1972M said:
Don't let that particular one put you off and hang on in for a good one - you may have to travel a bit but it will be worth it to get the right one
Absolutely. My S2 was nearly 300 miles away, but it was well worth it. I got chance to give the car a good test on the way home, if nothing else! 
This time of year is probably a good time to be looking as people consider their options over the winter months. I'm sure with a bit of searching round you will find a decent car and pay a lot less for it now than you would in spring or summer.
Being a new S3 owner 1 week and a bit! They are great, the noise the drive is worth while. I also have an Audi A4 3.0 Ltr sport driving that is a comfy armchair, but the S3 puts you with the car, every bump you feel and effort and attention is needed to drive.
From my limited experience the two things I went for was a sound engine and a sound chasis. My engine is sweet, only 14,000 miles and very well look after. My chasis not the best but not too bad either. Drive it yourself and see how you feel about it, get a screwdriver out and poke around the chasis behingdthe front wheels and in front of the back, does not show you everything but gives you a good idea of the state of the chasis. Check out http://www.tvrsseries.com/ Buyers Guide A and B and use these as a tick of list or a means to negogiate.
You won't regret it.
From my limited experience the two things I went for was a sound engine and a sound chasis. My engine is sweet, only 14,000 miles and very well look after. My chasis not the best but not too bad either. Drive it yourself and see how you feel about it, get a screwdriver out and poke around the chasis behingdthe front wheels and in front of the back, does not show you everything but gives you a good idea of the state of the chasis. Check out http://www.tvrsseries.com/ Buyers Guide A and B and use these as a tick of list or a means to negogiate.
You won't regret it.
beta_sri said:
the one I saw was a dog
That only means the next one will be better.beta_sri said:
Driving wise, I have to admit it felt slow!! I drive a chipped Astra cdti, about 170bhp ish, so I thought the performance would be in a similar league but more of a grin factor.
I think you're absolutely right there. IIRC 2.9 S's were quoted at about 160 bhp, allowing for TVR hype and normal wear and tear they are probably about 140 but in a lighter car.Keep looking and you'll find the right one for you.
profstoff said:
I think you're absolutely right there. IIRC 2.9 S's were quoted at about 160 bhp, allowing for TVR hype and normal wear and tear they are probably about 140 but in a lighter car.
I think the figures were vaguer from the factory back then, my S3 surpassed factory bhp by a margin and torque was well up, can't recall the figures now, but I came away smiling Tripps said:
profstoff said:
I think you're absolutely right there. IIRC 2.9 S's were quoted at about 160 bhp, allowing for TVR hype and normal wear and tear they are probably about 140 but in a lighter car.
I think the figures were vaguer from the factory back then, my S3 surpassed factory bhp by a margin and torque was well up, can't recall the figures now, but I came away smiling profstoff said:
I think you're absolutely right there. IIRC 2.9 S's were quoted at about 160 bhp, allowing for TVR hype and normal wear and tear they are probably about 140 but in a lighter car.
www.petrolheads.co.uk/tvr/s/default.asp?storyId=32...Power was quoted at 168 and I had mine rolling roaded at about 60,000 miles and it was supposedly about 165. TVR's fantasy horsepower figures were reserved for the V8 engines.
Tripps said:
profstoff said:
Wasn't your S3 chipped, or are you talking about pre-chip figures.
No, never got around to it and after getting those figures was pretty happy with it to be honest so left it be.But then it might just seem slow compared to the Griff.
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