ceby 4.2 or 4.5!!!
Discussion
hello again. ive been looking around and checking the prices on alot of cerberas, and i originally wanted a 4.5 but after doing some reaserch and listening to what others have said the 4.2 seems to be the better buy and more tempitng to me now. i know on paper that the 4.5 is the faster car but reading around it seems to be that there pretty much identical after tests on the performance side of things. im stuck which one should i go for guys!?
cheers ben
cheers ben
There are a lot of threads on this , and you'll get a lot of nonsense answers. Those with a 4.5 will brag that the 4.5 is better, those with the 4.2 will defend their cars. There's very little in it, they are both stunning performance cars, so just look for a Cerbera and choose the best one regardless of whether it's a 4.2 or 4.5, and you'll be happy with either of them.
If you really want to tune it then a properly sorted 4.5 will push 410-420bhp which the 4.2 won't touch.
However - in real world terms i.e. traffic light Grand Prixs or just cruising - they are both much better than anything else unless you've 10x the money.
So - I'd get the one in best condition
That's what I did (oh and it helped it was the colour I wanted.)
However - in real world terms i.e. traffic light Grand Prixs or just cruising - they are both much better than anything else unless you've 10x the money.
So - I'd get the one in best condition
That's what I did (oh and it helped it was the colour I wanted.)JensenA said:
There are a lot of threads on this , and you'll get a lot of nonsense answers. Those with a 4.5 will brag that the 4.5 is better, those with the 4.2 will defend their cars. There's very little in it, they are both stunning performance cars, so just look for a Cerbera and choose the best one regardless of whether it's a 4.2 or 4.5, and you'll be happy with either of them.
Quite right. The perfect colour, wheels, extras and condition. Go for the one that makes your jaw drop!
so much to think about aaagghhh haha, thanks for the info though ive been doing alot of reading and i doubt ive finished yet! to the fellow who said about a sorted six, they are massivley tempting to, ive got a six cylinder car at the moment and i just fancied a v8 next. is the performance between the v8s that different? if they had no badging on and you drove them back to back could you tell? they both sound the same to me. sorry to go on im still trying to learn what i can. thanks for the friendly replys, still cant believe how inviting everyone has been on here, and i havent even bought one yet!!!
Ben
From reading on here (I'm a newbie) the very early 4.2 has a thinner crank and has been know to break them if pushed.(apparently)
Also earlier 4.2's had "wild" cams and not a lot of low down torque.
4.5 had thicker crank from start!
4.2 360BHP - 4.5 410BHP without mods just a remap.
Although some 4.2's will out perform a standard 4.5 as they were a bit de-tuned to make them easier to live with!
Earlier speeds six engines would throw the cam shims and mashed up the engine if not caught early. Later ones sorted and early ones need to have had a rebuild! But speed six's are apparently even easier to live with having softer steering, suspension and throttle response.
I went for the 4.5 V8 as it's the best! HAHA!
Go-kart steering! Just touch the gas and it's off!
Very loud Sports exhaust and de-catted!
But will just about poodle along in 5th at 50MPH if Mr Plod about.
Decent milage means it has been used and reliable, so not a bad thing in itself (mine has 38,000 - 1998).
Service history is important, but as TVR dealers move on then Indie and home brew not bad if they know what they are doing.
They all need to be fully warmed up before you rev them above 3000RPM!
If possible check the oil used as 5W-40 fully synthetic best for AJP in normal use, with 15W-50(60) often used if it's been a track tool!
Join/go to your local club and get to know experienced owners before buying!
I should have done it that way, but just saw one that had a nice colour combo and went for it.
Spend in haste -repent at leisure? Hope not!
Then just drive and enjoy it!
I've been using mine in the recent rain and it does mist up a bit, but no where near the monster I thought it was going to be.
Just need to respect it!
Steve
From reading on here (I'm a newbie) the very early 4.2 has a thinner crank and has been know to break them if pushed.(apparently)
Also earlier 4.2's had "wild" cams and not a lot of low down torque.
4.5 had thicker crank from start!
4.2 360BHP - 4.5 410BHP without mods just a remap.
Although some 4.2's will out perform a standard 4.5 as they were a bit de-tuned to make them easier to live with!
Earlier speeds six engines would throw the cam shims and mashed up the engine if not caught early. Later ones sorted and early ones need to have had a rebuild! But speed six's are apparently even easier to live with having softer steering, suspension and throttle response.
I went for the 4.5 V8 as it's the best! HAHA!
Go-kart steering! Just touch the gas and it's off!
Very loud Sports exhaust and de-catted!
But will just about poodle along in 5th at 50MPH if Mr Plod about.
Decent milage means it has been used and reliable, so not a bad thing in itself (mine has 38,000 - 1998).
Service history is important, but as TVR dealers move on then Indie and home brew not bad if they know what they are doing.
They all need to be fully warmed up before you rev them above 3000RPM!
If possible check the oil used as 5W-40 fully synthetic best for AJP in normal use, with 15W-50(60) often used if it's been a track tool!
Join/go to your local club and get to know experienced owners before buying!
I should have done it that way, but just saw one that had a nice colour combo and went for it.
Spend in haste -repent at leisure? Hope not!
Then just drive and enjoy it!
I've been using mine in the recent rain and it does mist up a bit, but no where near the monster I thought it was going to be.
Just need to respect it!
Steve
Well, I went for the 4.2, but that was due to the car itself, rather than the engine.
I may use it on the strip in later life, and as such sort of regretted not buying the 4.5, as it tunes much better, but, to be honest, if it came to the drag strip I'd probably go down the LSx route anyway. Even ~440bhp is nowhere near enough for the strip
On the road there's little difference as, for the most part, you get nowhere near the real performance levels that even the 4.2 is capable of. 4.5, fully tuned and sorted, pumping out 440bhp may be great for bragging rights, but there are very few places in everyday life that you would benefit from the difference.
I may use it on the strip in later life, and as such sort of regretted not buying the 4.5, as it tunes much better, but, to be honest, if it came to the drag strip I'd probably go down the LSx route anyway. Even ~440bhp is nowhere near enough for the strip
On the road there's little difference as, for the most part, you get nowhere near the real performance levels that even the 4.2 is capable of. 4.5, fully tuned and sorted, pumping out 440bhp may be great for bragging rights, but there are very few places in everyday life that you would benefit from the difference.
volospian said:
Well, I went for the 4.2, but that was due to the car itself, rather than the engine.
I may use it on the strip in later life, and as such sort of regretted not buying the 4.5, as it tunes much better, but, to be honest, if it came to the drag strip I'd probably go down the LSx route anyway. Even ~440bhp is nowhere near enough for the strip
On the road there's little difference as, for the most part, you get nowhere near the real performance levels that even the 4.2 is capable of. 4.5, fully tuned and sorted, pumping out 440bhp may be great for bragging rights, but there are very few places in everyday life that you would benefit from the difference.
Eh? For a road car the Cerb is FANTASTIC on the strip, and infact - we've proven in competition that its got astonishing REAL WORLD pace too... See Santa Pod results for the strip, low 12's with high 11's potential is seriously good for a road car. At Brighton Speed Trials the only road car that comes close or that should be watched out for is the Ferrari 599GTB/Lambo LP640 - nothing else on road rubber could compare really, including F430's/F40s etc... Do not underestimate a Cerbera - unbelieveably quick road cars, even more so when you consider our car is now a 10 year old, 74k mile old unrebuilt and completely road biased. I may use it on the strip in later life, and as such sort of regretted not buying the 4.5, as it tunes much better, but, to be honest, if it came to the drag strip I'd probably go down the LSx route anyway. Even ~440bhp is nowhere near enough for the strip
On the road there's little difference as, for the most part, you get nowhere near the real performance levels that even the 4.2 is capable of. 4.5, fully tuned and sorted, pumping out 440bhp may be great for bragging rights, but there are very few places in everyday life that you would benefit from the difference.
As for the difference, standard average powered Cerb vs short inductioned/remapped car is about 10mph/0.5seconds on the strip, and to be fair, we're hampering the mods potential by still having cats on our car, so potentially the difference could be even greater still... Either way, a standard Cerbera is unbelieveably quick - a modded one is the same but more so.
Steve E said:
But will just about poodle along in 5th at 50MPH if Mr Plod about.
Interesting Steve - I find my 4.2 is happier around 2.5 to 3K revs dunno about 5th/50mph but i think even the handbook advises to not treat the engine as a big burbly "american" V8 and recommends keeping the revs up like a normal engine. Something that in 5th at 50mph you can't be doing 
Since plod would be more than interested in your velocityanyone on here knows and understand why the engines are different?
PS if you keep the revs up say at 3 - 3.5k then floor it the b
h flies. 
HTH BCA said:
Eh? For a road car the Cerb is FANTASTIC on the strip, and infact - we've proven in competition that its got astonishing REAL WORLD pace too... See Santa Pod results for the strip, low 12's with high 11's potential is seriously good for a road car. At Brighton Speed Trials the only road car that comes close or that should be watched out for is the Ferrari 599GTB/Lambo LP640 - nothing else on road rubber could compare really, including F430's/F40s etc... Do not underestimate a Cerbera - unbelieveably quick road cars, even more so when you consider our car is now a 10 year old, 74k mile old unrebuilt and completely road biased.
As for the difference, standard average powered Cerb vs short inductioned/remapped car is about 10mph/0.5seconds on the strip, and to be fair, we're hampering the mods potential by still having cats on our car, so potentially the difference could be even greater still... Either way, a standard Cerbera is unbelieveably quick - a modded one is the same but more so.
lol, I never said it wasn't FANTASTIC, however I drive mine on the British roads everyday, and sadly very rarely get a long, dry, straight to blast down at full pelt without keeping one eye over my shoulder for the law, another eye on the traffic, and a third eye out for cameras, therefore my real world is certainly not a drag stripAs for the difference, standard average powered Cerb vs short inductioned/remapped car is about 10mph/0.5seconds on the strip, and to be fair, we're hampering the mods potential by still having cats on our car, so potentially the difference could be even greater still... Either way, a standard Cerbera is unbelieveably quick - a modded one is the same but more so.
. My point is that, for a road going car, on normal roads, in normal weather, you won't be realistically able to use much of the difference between the 4.2 or 4.5. Sure you would get the chance to put your foot down now and again and get the real true performance out of the car, and if you take it on the track, or the strip, you may well see an impressive difference between the two, but in most everyday situations on the british highways, you wont get much of a chance, and so the difference between the cars, in everyday terms, is realistically negligible. The 4.2 is already hugely fast, the extra that the 4.5 gives you is wasted in most "normal" driving.
As for my comments regarding the LSx, Cerbs are indeed unbelivably quick road cars, but when I said "taking it on the strip" I meant solely for the strip, i.e. not using it on the road anymore, and if that was the case (and 've had this discussion on here already) then even moving from a 4.2 to a 4.5 won't realy make much difference considering the total costs involved. I'd have to either transplant a 4.5 unit into mine, or sell mine and buy a 4.5, plus all the tuning on top... or I could go down the LSx route and for a similar overall cost, have considerably more power.
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