Advice Needed Please....
Discussion
Hello Fellow TVR Fans...
I was just wondering if you could possibly help me....
In 3 months time i will be purchasing a new chariot for myself and wife with the idea being that it will be used as our joint transport for our small 6 mile daily commute to work and for weekend fun. I have narrowed it down to either a 4.5 cerbera or an e46 m3. Obvasly, i have done my homework and know the pros and cons of both and i must say that my head is telling me one thing and my heart another BUT what i realy need to know is if the cerbera is able to take a child's car seat and if so, does anyone know how well it will fit?
Sorry about the strange question, i know that you are used to the ( how much will it cost to run, etc ) questions but this is the last part of the puzzle in order for me to decide...
Many Thanks, Grant
I was just wondering if you could possibly help me....
In 3 months time i will be purchasing a new chariot for myself and wife with the idea being that it will be used as our joint transport for our small 6 mile daily commute to work and for weekend fun. I have narrowed it down to either a 4.5 cerbera or an e46 m3. Obvasly, i have done my homework and know the pros and cons of both and i must say that my head is telling me one thing and my heart another BUT what i realy need to know is if the cerbera is able to take a child's car seat and if so, does anyone know how well it will fit?
Sorry about the strange question, i know that you are used to the ( how much will it cost to run, etc ) questions but this is the last part of the puzzle in order for me to decide...
Many Thanks, Grant
plenty on this topic....
You can put a rear facing one in the front only
A fwd facing fits behind passenger only but you are limited in models.
You will struggle to carry a child over 5 yrs in the fwd facing car seat in the rear. THe rear wont take a standard booster meaning it isnt legal to carry a child in the back (unless under 5). All rough n ready ages etc but you get the drift. A cerb isnt a family wagon, an M3 is better.
You can put a rear facing one in the front only
A fwd facing fits behind passenger only but you are limited in models.
You will struggle to carry a child over 5 yrs in the fwd facing car seat in the rear. THe rear wont take a standard booster meaning it isnt legal to carry a child in the back (unless under 5). All rough n ready ages etc but you get the drift. A cerb isnt a family wagon, an M3 is better.
You don't need to tell me that, i already know....
Everytime that i see a TVR my jaw nearly hits the flaw. It has taken me months to get the wife to even consider a cerbera instead of the M, even though it's my money that we will be purchasing it with ( fair huh )but i just need to know that the cerbera will take a child seat as we will be keeping the car for a good length of time....
Everytime that i see a TVR my jaw nearly hits the flaw. It has taken me months to get the wife to even consider a cerbera instead of the M, even though it's my money that we will be purchasing it with ( fair huh )but i just need to know that the cerbera will take a child seat as we will be keeping the car for a good length of time....
The cerb is a 2+1 - you won't fit anyone behind the driver, except for emergencies. But you can take a child >5 I think. Assuming you have one child then:
<9 months: kid goes in rear facing child seat in the front, no room for other passengers (seat belt not long enough to push seat forward).
9months-2.5yrs: kid goes in fwd facing seat with harness in rear, adult passenger can travel in front for short journeys.
2.5-11?yrs: kid goes in rear child seat (eg tvr, recaro) and adult can travel in the front, with increasinly little room for the adult as kid grows.
disclaimer: the above might not be legal these days.
Until they're about 3, the kid takes up more room in the back because their legs aren't long enough to be able to bend at the knees. After that you can push the front seat back a bit.
Solution: buy the Cerbera and a cheap family car.
<9 months: kid goes in rear facing child seat in the front, no room for other passengers (seat belt not long enough to push seat forward).
9months-2.5yrs: kid goes in fwd facing seat with harness in rear, adult passenger can travel in front for short journeys.
2.5-11?yrs: kid goes in rear child seat (eg tvr, recaro) and adult can travel in the front, with increasinly little room for the adult as kid grows.
disclaimer: the above might not be legal these days.
Until they're about 3, the kid takes up more room in the back because their legs aren't long enough to be able to bend at the knees. After that you can push the front seat back a bit.
Solution: buy the Cerbera and a cheap family car.
M3 
I dont think a Cerb is really the car for childseats IMHO. Get the Cerb in a few years when the kids have grown up a little...
The Cerb is infinately better - but if you've got a child young enough to warrant a childseat, it'll be pretty useless carrying your family all at once and will require too much of your time (not reliability problems necessarily, but upgrades/these forums/spa-ring trips etc etc) It wont be great for a 6mile journey as the Cerb will barely be warm and it will become quite tiresome at times - it takes alot of concentration to drive a Cerb compared to a BM. Honestly, I'd give it a miss this time, but get a free pass to buy one from your wife in a few years. Its the kind of car that you just have to own at some point in life... its unrivalled, but for you, I'd suggest that point in your may life be in a few years instead...
Edit:
An example of how much better a Cerb is though for future reference:
Brighton speed trials - BMW M3 15.2seconds 1/4 - Cerb 14.5seconds 1/4 without being able to get third gear properly (driver error)
With third gear it did 12.7 - faster than an F430/Dodge Viper/F40 on the day, nearly adding a 599GTB to that list too, beat it two out of three runs atleast. 
Amazing cars.. worth the wait. 
I dont think a Cerb is really the car for childseats IMHO. Get the Cerb in a few years when the kids have grown up a little...
The Cerb is infinately better - but if you've got a child young enough to warrant a childseat, it'll be pretty useless carrying your family all at once and will require too much of your time (not reliability problems necessarily, but upgrades/these forums/spa-ring trips etc etc) It wont be great for a 6mile journey as the Cerb will barely be warm and it will become quite tiresome at times - it takes alot of concentration to drive a Cerb compared to a BM. Honestly, I'd give it a miss this time, but get a free pass to buy one from your wife in a few years. Its the kind of car that you just have to own at some point in life... its unrivalled, but for you, I'd suggest that point in your may life be in a few years instead...
Edit:
An example of how much better a Cerb is though for future reference:
Brighton speed trials - BMW M3 15.2seconds 1/4 - Cerb 14.5seconds 1/4 without being able to get third gear properly (driver error)
With third gear it did 12.7 - faster than an F430/Dodge Viper/F40 on the day, nearly adding a 599GTB to that list too, beat it two out of three runs atleast. Amazing cars.. worth the wait. Edited by BCA on Wednesday 30th January 21:24
Gazzab, I think you are being overly pessimistic. New laws cannot retrospectively require a car to do something it could never do.
Thats why a cerb doesn't have to pass a standard emissions test. Its why the car on my profile can be driven completely legally on the road with NO SEATBELTS AT ALL. And its why I very much doubt you would be done under the new rules because the car cannot be fitted with a child booster to cope with every situation, but then it doesn't have to be cos the seats were made for children in the first place, and it could pretty much be proved they couldn't take an adult.
I very much doubt you will be prosecuted for taking a child in the back of the Cerb if it looks like you have tried to make them safe.
My nine and six year old are very tightly held by the standard equipment. Much more so than any standard car. I suggest putting a booster under them would make it less safe, not more.
Thats why a cerb doesn't have to pass a standard emissions test. Its why the car on my profile can be driven completely legally on the road with NO SEATBELTS AT ALL. And its why I very much doubt you would be done under the new rules because the car cannot be fitted with a child booster to cope with every situation, but then it doesn't have to be cos the seats were made for children in the first place, and it could pretty much be proved they couldn't take an adult.
I very much doubt you will be prosecuted for taking a child in the back of the Cerb if it looks like you have tried to make them safe.
My nine and six year old are very tightly held by the standard equipment. Much more so than any standard car. I suggest putting a booster under them would make it less safe, not more.
The M3 as a daily driver makes a lot more sense especially with children added to the mix, however a Cerb for £2k less than your curr budget and £2k on a golf or something makes far more sense than both . Don't get strung up on 2 cars being more expensive to run, this way WILL be cheaper and you will have the backup of a 2nd car for those "problem" days and when the Cerb is in for servicing etc (that is rarely an in in the morning back later that day job). I have been using my Cerb a lot lately for the daily grind with kids, short hops here and there getting them seated in the back and strapped in whilst my back gets soaked from the rain.. it does begin to grate, tbh I think an E46 M3 would be an effort as well as it's a coupe only I think (unlike the E36 M3 which I think you could get as a proper saloon). 4 doors sadly rock when you have children, hence why the 2 car option is king.
. Don't get strung up on 2 cars being more expensive to run, this way WILL be cheaper and you will have the backup of a 2nd car for those "problem" days and when the Cerb is in for servicing etc (that is rarely an in in the morning back later that day job). I have been using my Cerb a lot lately for the daily grind with kids, short hops here and there getting them seated in the back and strapped in whilst my back gets soaked from the rain.. it does begin to grate, tbh I think an E46 M3 would be an effort as well as it's a coupe only I think (unlike the E36 M3 which I think you could get as a proper saloon). 4 doors sadly rock when you have children, hence why the 2 car option is king. julian64 said:
Thats why a cerb doesn't have to pass a standard emissions test.
Apologies for the thread hijack, but the above comment interests me. Julian64, assuming you are referring to the MOT emmisions test, why do you believe that?
I only ask as I too was under the misapprehension that somehow TVR had a different set of CO, Lambda and hydrocarbon levels. So I rocked up to my MOT station (with cats missing) and jumped up and down when it failed on all 3 counts. Now this year (actually last year) MOT was conducted using the new DOT linked computer testing equipment with the TVR Cerbera clearly selected on the screen. So I aked the man to get out the DOT reference book and check the levels. He kindly did and I can assure you that the allowable emmision levels are exactly the same as for the Saab 95 2.0 light pressure turbo that was immediately above it. The allowable emmisions are also the same for the 4.5 as the 4.2 Cerbera.
I sulked for a while and then refitted my cats. Took it back and it passed. I don't have the print-out to hand but the Cerbera doesn't have any special dispensation.
julian64 said:
Gazzab, I think you are being overly pessimistic. New laws cannot retrospectively require a car to do something it could never do.
Thats why a cerb doesn't have to pass a standard emissions test. Its why the car on my profile can be driven completely legally on the road with NO SEATBELTS AT ALL. And its why I very much doubt you would be done under the new rules because the car cannot be fitted with a child booster to cope with every situation, but then it doesn't have to be cos the seats were made for children in the first place, and it could pretty much be proved they couldn't take an adult.
I very much doubt you will be prosecuted for taking a child in the back of the Cerb if it looks like you have tried to make them safe.
My nine and six year old are very tightly held by the standard equipment. Much more so than any standard car. I suggest putting a booster under them would make it less safe, not more.
Is that fact or conjecture? You can prove an adult can fit in the back of a cerb - behind the passenger. The car wont take an 8 yr old in a booster. Which on one hand suggests a legal issue but more importantly to me it reminds me that a cerb isnt exactly a safe place for a kid. IMHO Thats why a cerb doesn't have to pass a standard emissions test. Its why the car on my profile can be driven completely legally on the road with NO SEATBELTS AT ALL. And its why I very much doubt you would be done under the new rules because the car cannot be fitted with a child booster to cope with every situation, but then it doesn't have to be cos the seats were made for children in the first place, and it could pretty much be proved they couldn't take an adult.
I very much doubt you will be prosecuted for taking a child in the back of the Cerb if it looks like you have tried to make them safe.
My nine and six year old are very tightly held by the standard equipment. Much more so than any standard car. I suggest putting a booster under them would make it less safe, not more.
eg side on and rear end crash protection is non-existent, the seats in front of the kids will hurt if they hit their heads against them etc.... But then again I have a Discovery 3 for the family and so I guess I am protective.
FarmyardPants said:
The cerb is a 2+1 - you won't fit anyone behind the driver, except for emergencies.
Well not strictly true - depends if you're a shortarse like me. As I have the seat wound right forward there's plenty of room for my ten year old behind me - much more than there is behind my wifes seat. She likes it wound fully back as it's more ladylike getting in and out I have the TVR booster seat, but IMO it does more harm than good for my (nearly) 3 year old. She is a little taller than average for her age, but it puts the lap belt too far down, so I just use a small cushion, and one of those press-stud things that holds the lap-belt and the diagonal closer together.
My solution positions both parts of the belt on her body exactly where they are designed to go, so if anyone ever gave me hassle for not obeying the strict letter of the law in terms of using an official, kite-marked booster seat, I'd fight them all the way. (BTW - I have had traffic cops look over the car with her in situ, and they made no comment on the lack of booster).
Of more concern are the comments below about lack of side and rear impact protection. I've also posted before about the dangerous positioning of the front seatbelt mount, which is unprotected, and exactly at temple height for a toddler. Mine now has a home-made protective cover over it.
In short, it's not a family car, it's a 2-seater that the family can occasional come along in.
My solution positions both parts of the belt on her body exactly where they are designed to go, so if anyone ever gave me hassle for not obeying the strict letter of the law in terms of using an official, kite-marked booster seat, I'd fight them all the way. (BTW - I have had traffic cops look over the car with her in situ, and they made no comment on the lack of booster).
Of more concern are the comments below about lack of side and rear impact protection. I've also posted before about the dangerous positioning of the front seatbelt mount, which is unprotected, and exactly at temple height for a toddler. Mine now has a home-made protective cover over it.
In short, it's not a family car, it's a 2-seater that the family can occasional come along in.
the Feds.touching cloth said:
The M3 as a daily driver makes a lot more sense especially with children added to the mix, however a Cerb for £2k less than your curr budget and £2k on a golf or something makes far more sense than both . Don't get strung up on 2 cars being more expensive to run, this way WILL be cheaper and you will have the backup of a 2nd car for those "problem" days and when the Cerb is in for servicing etc (that is rarely an in in the morning back later that day job). I have been using my Cerb a lot lately for the daily grind with kids, short hops here and there getting them seated in the back and strapped in whilst my back gets soaked from the rain.. it does begin to grate, tbh I think an E46 M3 would be an effort as well as it's a coupe only I think (unlike the E36 M3 which I think you could get as a proper saloon). 4 doors sadly rock when you have children, hence why the 2 car option is king.
I agree with TC, even though my last car was an E46 M3 and i didn't particularly like it, i would still rather have it as a day-to-day car than the cerb and even then the lack of 4 doors was annoying. I've now got a Focus ST as a daily and the cerb for all other times, which makes driving the cerb a real occasion, plus 6 miles is barely enough to get it up to temp etc.. Don't get strung up on 2 cars being more expensive to run, this way WILL be cheaper and you will have the backup of a 2nd car for those "problem" days and when the Cerb is in for servicing etc (that is rarely an in in the morning back later that day job). I have been using my Cerb a lot lately for the daily grind with kids, short hops here and there getting them seated in the back and strapped in whilst my back gets soaked from the rain.. it does begin to grate, tbh I think an E46 M3 would be an effort as well as it's a coupe only I think (unlike the E36 M3 which I think you could get as a proper saloon). 4 doors sadly rock when you have children, hence why the 2 car option is king. Gassing Station | Cerbera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff