What are griffs like to drive?
Discussion
How do Griffs handle?
I bought my first TVR (an S3) fairly recently and the handling has been a very pleasant surprise - its well balanced, responsive and even reasonably forgiving. The way some people talk about TVR I had expected it to bite my arm off at the first oppurtunity.
I ask the question largely out of curiosity - I'm very happy with the car and the moment and can't see me selling it in a hurry - but if I was to part with it in the future I think a Griffith would be rather tempting.
There's obviously a lot more power to deal with, but if you're sensible with the right foot (well, reasonably
) are they really such a handful or is that a myth?
I bought my first TVR (an S3) fairly recently and the handling has been a very pleasant surprise - its well balanced, responsive and even reasonably forgiving. The way some people talk about TVR I had expected it to bite my arm off at the first oppurtunity.
I ask the question largely out of curiosity - I'm very happy with the car and the moment and can't see me selling it in a hurry - but if I was to part with it in the future I think a Griffith would be rather tempting.
There's obviously a lot more power to deal with, but if you're sensible with the right foot (well, reasonably
) are they really such a handful or is that a myth?I've never found any of mine a 'handfull'.A properly sorted and set up car is very difficult to upset in the dry,unless your an idiot!In the wet i have always given all my tivs huge respect,and drive like a 'nanny' by comparison.As long as yur sensible and your car is sorted,you'll be fine.
There should be a few people on here who have come from an 's',and could also give you a direct comparison.
There should be a few people on here who have come from an 's',and could also give you a direct comparison.
Chris71 said:
How do Griffs handle?
I bought my first TVR (an S3) fairly recently and the handling has been a very pleasant surprise - its well balanced, responsive and even reasonably forgiving. The way some people talk about TVR I had expected it to bite my arm off at the first oppurtunity.
I ask the question largely out of curiosity - I'm very happy with the car and the moment and can't see me selling it in a hurry - but if I was to part with it in the future I think a Griffith would be rather tempting.
There's obviously a lot more power to deal with, but if you're sensible with the right foot (well, reasonably) are they really such a handful or is that a myth?
Chris - had an S3c (circa 200bhp), a Chimaera 450 (circa 275bhp) and currently there is a Griffith 500 (circa 285bhp) in the garage. As with any car, drive like a tI bought my first TVR (an S3) fairly recently and the handling has been a very pleasant surprise - its well balanced, responsive and even reasonably forgiving. The way some people talk about TVR I had expected it to bite my arm off at the first oppurtunity.
I ask the question largely out of curiosity - I'm very happy with the car and the moment and can't see me selling it in a hurry - but if I was to part with it in the future I think a Griffith would be rather tempting.
There's obviously a lot more power to deal with, but if you're sensible with the right foot (well, reasonably
) are they really such a handful or is that a myth?
t and all 3 will leave you heading backwards into the nearest bit of greenery.The S is the most direct of the lot, and despite the power defecit on the RV8 cars mentioned above is still one of the most fun cars I've owned and that was on standard TVR suspension, whereas the Chimaera and Griffith had/have ProTech's from TrackCar Solutions, so not exactly a direct comparison - but all handled very well and in a similar manner (broadly speaking).
IMO both the Chimaera and Griff *feel* much bigger than the S. I think the reputation came from the lack of anti rol bar at the rear on the very early cars and magazine reviewers in a somewhat jingoistic frame of mind.
As and when (if) you decide to change, don't discount the V8S. Over the years I've been posting on these forums there are a number of people who have followed the S --> Chimaera / Griffith path and miss the directness and sheer chuckable nature of the S.
Agree with all that's been said so far.
I went from an S2 to a Griff 500. The S you can chuck around and have a lot of fun at legal speeds. The Griff is just in another league as far as performance goes. To really have some fun with it you need a track (at least legally) but that v8 is sooo sweet. Don't get me wrong they are not boring it's just the performance band is so wide you have to have one eye on the speedo.
I was a bit worried having heard all sorts of scares about people suddenly finding themselves pointing the wrong way having 'not done anything'. However my experience is these are fine handling cars. There is an amount of skill required to drive any TVR rapidly and safely.
They are not Scoobie's or Evo's with a nanny computer to keep you out of trouble and that for me is the real appeal of them.
Oh almost forgot they are also drop dead gorgeous...
I went from an S2 to a Griff 500. The S you can chuck around and have a lot of fun at legal speeds. The Griff is just in another league as far as performance goes. To really have some fun with it you need a track (at least legally) but that v8 is sooo sweet. Don't get me wrong they are not boring it's just the performance band is so wide you have to have one eye on the speedo.
I was a bit worried having heard all sorts of scares about people suddenly finding themselves pointing the wrong way having 'not done anything'. However my experience is these are fine handling cars. There is an amount of skill required to drive any TVR rapidly and safely.
They are not Scoobie's or Evo's with a nanny computer to keep you out of trouble and that for me is the real appeal of them.
Oh almost forgot they are also drop dead gorgeous...
I came from a V8s to a Griff 500 and as said the S did “feel” smaller and more chuckable and probably easer to catch when it got sideways where in fact they are about the same size. I suspect that people get into trouble with the Giff for three reasons :-
No experience of rear wheel drive and hence power overseer which probably comes as a bit of a surprise if you have only had nice safe front drive stuff. Those of us who started out in Escorts ( or in my case a Corsair) learnt about that from the start.
No experience of the very high torque levels available from the V8 almost at tickover compared with modern revy engines that need winding up before anything happens.
The big one however is engine breaking. Change down without matching the revs on a bit of wet or oil and the back will be in front.
I suppose as an afterthought a fourth reason is also the fairly high grip levels available which gives a bit less warning before the back end overtakes, if you have for example ever driven a midget with the skinny standard rear tyres you will how controllable they are because the grip level is so low.
No experience of rear wheel drive and hence power overseer which probably comes as a bit of a surprise if you have only had nice safe front drive stuff. Those of us who started out in Escorts ( or in my case a Corsair) learnt about that from the start.
No experience of the very high torque levels available from the V8 almost at tickover compared with modern revy engines that need winding up before anything happens.
The big one however is engine breaking. Change down without matching the revs on a bit of wet or oil and the back will be in front.
I suppose as an afterthought a fourth reason is also the fairly high grip levels available which gives a bit less warning before the back end overtakes, if you have for example ever driven a midget with the skinny standard rear tyres you will how controllable they are because the grip level is so low.
I started with an S2, then went for the griff 500, and had the same questions as you, I booked a full days ride drive course which included the airfield session, it certainly opened my eyes with what the car, and driver are capable of, worth considering if you are going to get one, I had my ridedrive day within a week of picking up the car, and to be honest its one of the best £300 `s I`ve ever spent
Treat it like you would a bike and you won't go far wrong. They can be interesting on tired suspension!
Before I had the Griff I had a 996 and it had every driver aid going, there were yaw and steering wheel position sensors. Get it wrong on snow and it brakes the inside wheels while still powering the outside wheels to push and pull you through the corner. The expected slide just doesn't happen. The Griff on the other hand will just laugh and slide off the road with the same level of provocation.
A similar driver on a similar less than perfect road could make better progress in the Porsche. That said, the envelope where it starts to become fun is seriously into license losing territory.
The Griff will whirr and pop and bang and growl from the moment you sit in it
You'll sense the anticipation as the fuel pump primes and you're ready to fire up that lovely V8. I have to say each and every single drive I've had in the Griff has made my pulse raise and that only happened a couple of times in the Porsche and at stupidly fast speeds.
In a word, a Griff has a soul like no other car I've ever owned
Before I had the Griff I had a 996 and it had every driver aid going, there were yaw and steering wheel position sensors. Get it wrong on snow and it brakes the inside wheels while still powering the outside wheels to push and pull you through the corner. The expected slide just doesn't happen. The Griff on the other hand will just laugh and slide off the road with the same level of provocation.
A similar driver on a similar less than perfect road could make better progress in the Porsche. That said, the envelope where it starts to become fun is seriously into license losing territory.
The Griff will whirr and pop and bang and growl from the moment you sit in it
You'll sense the anticipation as the fuel pump primes and you're ready to fire up that lovely V8. I have to say each and every single drive I've had in the Griff has made my pulse raise and that only happened a couple of times in the Porsche and at stupidly fast speeds. In a word, a Griff has a soul like no other car I've ever owned
Quinny said:
cloggy said:
adam_rbts said:
Quinny said:
It's a proper mans car mate, honestly..
..unless it's turquoise 
I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it.
More than happy with my S for the time being. I've driven it for long enough now to relax a little (don't worry - relax, not let my guard down
) and I was surprised how docile it is - it's quite possibly the best handling car I've ever driven. I probably shouldn't admit this, but it feels like a certain Japanese roadster after a healthy dose of adrenaline - atleast in the dry; I've not taken it out in the wet yet! As long as you bear the extra torque in, mind you can drive it in a very similar fashion. I wondered if this extended to the more recent cars... sounds like it does within reason.A little bit of extra straightline oomph wouldn't go a miss perhaps, but the only occasion I could have done with that was after coming across a Conti GT the other day. I caught him up very rapidly on a twisty stretch and then as we approached a long (long...) straight I edged a little closer thinking about going past and he speeded up a little. I speeded up, once again he went a bit quicker. With 12(?) cylinders and however many turbos it was only ever going to go one way. I think he was waiting for the point I tried to go past, to boot it.
Hmm, maybe a supercharged V8S...
Chris71 said:
A little bit of extra straightline oomph wouldn't go a miss perhaps
That was my thought too. I've been trying to prove that there is a limit to the amount of power the chassis can sensibly handle. I haven't managed it yet, but I haven't given up. Chris71 said:
Hmm, maybe a supercharged V8S...
I had an S2,and now have a chimaera,the S2 was great,very direct and chuckable and terrific fun,but lift off suddenly in a bend and it suddenly whips into oversteer,which is frightening to say the least.
The chimaera has a more sophisticated rear suspension,it doesn't oversteer suddenly,it absorbs bumps better and has better ground clearance,its also smoother and faster with better brakes and more comfortable on long journeys ,but it feels heavier and bulkier on those country roads.
The chimaera has a more sophisticated rear suspension,it doesn't oversteer suddenly,it absorbs bumps better and has better ground clearance,its also smoother and faster with better brakes and more comfortable on long journeys ,but it feels heavier and bulkier on those country roads.
My first TVR was an S3 and whilst I loved it, to drive, it felt more like several different cars put together than a single entity. The Griff 4.0 was much easier to drive smoothly and unlike the S3 it didn't run out of puff over 60, it just kept going. Then I moved to the Griff 500 (no PAS) and it was back to taming the beast - firmer suspension, lower profile tyres and more torque means it's much more prone to skate about on uneven roads, cat's eyes etc. Having said that, it's nothing to be frightened of, you just have to grab it by the scruff of the neck and persuade it to do what you want. But stay within your limits, because when it lets go, unless you're very good, you'll probably go straight to the scene of the accident.
ETA: The seat in the 4.0 was different and sat lower - much better in fact.
ETA: The seat in the 4.0 was different and sat lower - much better in fact.
Edited by Simpo Two on Saturday 12th April 21:39
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