From E92 M3 to a Tuscan

[Blade79]

Hi guys ive got a E92 M3 at the moment and have had M3's for yrs, I have recently got a new Lexus IS220d as a daily driver so the M3 is now just a toy, and ive been questioning wether i need that much money tied up in a car thats just going to be used as a toy or indeed if its special enough to have as just a toy, its full of every option known to man but so is the Lexus, So basically I dnt need a car full of luxuries, this os where the Tuscan comes in, I know very little about these other than they look amazing , are suppose to be great fun [which is what i want from a wknd toy] and are extremely problamatic with engine problems etc. Just looking for some good news about them as all I read on forums is the bad stuff, are they as unreliable as you read..
ps. my budget should be around £15-£18k any advice on anything to do with Tuscans very much appreciated [websites etc]
Regards and thanks for your time
Lee

Edited by Blade79 on Tuesday 8th September 20:38

[UpTheIron]

Blade79 said:

Hi guys ive got a E92 M3 at the moment and have had M3's for yrs, I have recently got a new Lexus IS220d as a daily driver so the M3 is now just a toy, and ive been questioning wether i need that much money tied up in a car thats just going to be used as a toy or indeed if its special enough to have as just a toy, its full of every option known to man but so is the Lexus, So basically I dnt need a car full of luxuries, this os where the Tuscan comes in, I know very little about these other than they look amazing , are suppose to be great fun [which is what i want from a wknd toy] and are extremely problamatic with engine problems etc. Just looking for some good news about them as all I read on forums is the bad stuff, are they as unreliable as you read..
ps. my budget should be around £15-£18k any advice on anything to do with Tuscans very much appreciated [websites etc]
Regards and thanks for your time
Lee

Edited by Blade79 on Tuesday 8th September 20:38

Do a search, read the threads on here and the other Speed 6 forums. I've had my Tuscan for 30-odd thousand miles and no significant problems. I've recently spent a fair few quid on lots of odds and sods as things do need keeping on top of, but overall running costs are pretty reasonable when you consider the performance.

I don't keep up with the market, but I would expect your budget to buy you a good Tuscan, but ensure you leave a few K in the bank for any unexpected nasties.

You'll find plenty in your search, but in summary:

- Later engines are better, or one that has had a rebuild at a recognised specialist. My 2001 unrebuilt engine is going to need work sooner or later, but I bought with that in mind and 30-odd thousand miles it is still pretty much as when I bought it. Noisy, using some oil, a bit of swarf in the oil at every service, but still going!
- Engine rebuilds range from a few thousand to just short of £10k for a TVR Power 4.3.
- Clutches last 20-odd thousand typically, and cost the best part of a grand to replace.
- Original shocks and springs not particularly great
- Paintwork chips easily (the downside of fibreglass)
- 18" Spiders can bend easily

Do some research, and if you find yourself still interested then I could be tempted to move mine on if you fancy a PX for the M3!

[Blade79]

thanks for the reply, what other Spped 6 forums is there?
Also one thing im worried about is im 6ft2 and stocky, will I comfortably fit in one?
PS M3 is selling for £40k its an extremely rare one too email me if interested for more info.
Regards
Lee

Edited by Blade79 on Tuesday 8th September 21:13

[boardinscotland]

Blade79 said:

thanks for the reply, what other Spped 6 forums is there?
Also one thing im worried about is im 6ft2 and stocky, will I comfortably fit in one?
PS M3 is selling for £40k its an extremely rare one too email me if interested for more info.
Regards
Lee

Edited by Blade79 on Tuesday 8th September 21:13

On your height wouldn't worry. I am 6ft 4" and I dont even have the seat all the way back and my mate fits in the passenger seat and he is 6'6" and 20 odd stone and doesn't have a problem although i have noticed the acceleration is dunted a little, but not tooo much.

As said before there are loads of threads on here on the speed 6. Just go in with your eyes open. It is a cracking piece of kit though.


G

Edited by boardinscotland on Tuesday 8th September 21:27

[ChrisnChris]

Blade79 said:

are they as unreliable as you read..

4 years of ownership..... 3 reliability issues

1 Throttle cable failure, mended by nice AA man
2 Mended throttle cable failed, replaced by nice man at Racing Green
3 Blown coil fuse, replaced by nice man

Not at all bad for 25,000 miles...

[magpie21]

I'm in exactly the same place as you.

I'm just completing a deal on my E92 as like you I have a separate car (CL500) for the mundane stuff and to me an M3 isn't special enough and a bit pricey to have sat in the garage for the odd jaunt.

The Tuscan ticks all the boxes for me, I'm at the beginning of my search and research into getting one too so if I find any useful links or info I'll let you know!!

[da_murphster]

Another happy Tuscan owner - 20 months and nothing but servicing costs, tyres and suspension (my choice)

Remember this is not a honda - it will need either (a) some nurturing and looking after or (b) throwing money at it everytime you get a 'niggle'

[pete]

I was in a similar place to you - had a Tuscan, toyed with an E90 M3 as a daily driver, but concluded that there was too much overlap and the M3 wasn't special enough as an only car, so I bought a 335d instead.

I find the combination of comfy diesel and Tuscan ideal. The BMW gets used when I need a car that works like a kitchen appliance; the Tuscan gets used for weekends and holidays. In terms of reliability, I've had it for over 4 years and 20k miles and it's only cost me servicing and relatively minor problems (all my costs are in my profile). I know I've been lucky, so I have a slush fund reserved in case of emergency. If (realistically when) I need a rebuild, I'll spend the slush fund on a 4.3 upgrade

Pete

[Funky Jo]

Same as Pete here: full optioned 335D (E91) with all the comfort buttons that keep you amused in a traffic jam, but still enough power/torque, not to feel under motorized after a week-end in the Tuscan. Perfect combination actually.
Mine is a (rare and thus expensive) LHD Tuscan and the first owner must have treated/overheated it at +30°C in Nardo ... so the full engine rebuild, clutch alternator, tyres and many other little bits and parts I spent in the last 12 months almost sum up to the value of the BMW... But now it's just perfect and the fun toy factor pays it all back :-)
So not only have a close look at the car and the documents, but also at the vendor and his/her driving style and passion to take good care of his TVR...

[m3coupe]

I'm going the opposite way. I've had my Tuscan for 20 months and am selling it with the intention of buying a E90 BMW. Only reason i'm doing it I want a good comfortable and reasonably day to day transport so the BM is a good choice though i'm ruling out the M3. Probably go for a 330/335 diesel or petrol model. May even tweek it a bit as you can get a good 360+ Bhp out of them.

For a toy i'm buying some sort of track car as there is no point in my opinion of having a weekend toy on the road that you can't get the full use of.

My car has cost me a bit of money, (circa £3500) but that's including servicing and little niggles. They can cost you a bit but you never get tired of owning one.

I'll probably be back in a Tiv in the future, just have other plans just now that don't include it.

[Blade79]

Thanks for all the intersting replies.

Hopefully having a testdrive in one at the wknd, it seriously needs to impress me, which im hoping it does, ive heard several stories about them, one of the worrying ones was that it will not seem anywhere near as fast as my M3 as it clearly isnt, also the build quailty is non existant, I know they wont be great, but surely they must be ok. If it dissapoints me I shall be keeping the M.

What I cant quite understand and I may have this all wrong and only time will tell but how can a car costing £40k+ new have so many things that can and do go wrong with such low mileage. I do understand tthough these are not main stream cars and kind of cottage industry fair.

I own an Accident Repair Centre so am quite handy around a car, and the thought of constantly tinkering with a TVR to keep it in great form does excite me, but that said I would want to have some ind of confidence that if I take it down to the South of France etc its not going to blow up.

Roll on Sat so I can see what these are all about.

[D14 AYS]

Blade79 said:

ive heard several stories about them, one of the worrying ones was that it will not seem anywhere near as fast as my M3 as it clearly isnt,

Yeah ok

[G20RG B]

D14 AYS said:

Blade79 said:

ive heard several stories about them, one of the worrying ones was that it will not seem anywhere near as fast as my M3 as it clearly isnt,

Yeah ok

+1

[pete]

Blade79 said:

Hopefully having a testdrive in one at the wknd, it seriously needs to impress me, which im hoping it does, ive heard several stories about them, one of the worrying ones was that it will not seem anywhere near as fast as my M3 as it clearly isnt, also the build quailty is non existant, I know they wont be great, but surely they must be ok. If it dissapoints me I shall be keeping the M.

Gosh, you've been somewhat misled. The E92 M3 is quick, but it's night and day behind a Tuscan. You only have to look at the excess weight on paper (1650Kg plays 1050Kg) to realise that the extra few BHP will only come into play well over 100mph. In reality of course they're both a lot faster than the average car, but whereas the M3 felt quick, the Tuscan feels downright dangerous.

I think a lot of it is down to feel. An E92 M3 feels like a quicker, nicer sounding, revvier version of my 335. Within 20 minutes of the test drive I was drifting it off wet roundabouts at 50mph, and that was with a BMW salesman and my girlfriend in the car. The Tuscan feels much more raw, more intimidating; definitely more of a challenge to drive quickly, and one I still haven't managed after 4 years. If you want a marked contrast with your Lexus then it may be for you, otherwise keep the M3 as a faster, more special Lexus.

The disappointment may be refinement and build quality. Don't confuse the latter with reliability. My Tuscan is very reliable, but the build quality is shoddy. With a Tuscan your money went on making a car that would go like the clappers and look gorgeous; with a BMW it's gone on a car that's merely quick, but also silent at 100mph on the motorway and as reliable as a Bic biro. Remember the old story about how TVR developed the whole Cerbera, engine included, for the development cost of the BMW E36 dashboard. In practice it means you need to treat a recent Tuscan a bit like a 60s classic car, and be prepared to sort out trim and electrical niggles yourself, while living with something that will always have a lot of rough edges.

You'll love it or hate it, and only a few test drives will tell you which. And let's face it, if you have to keep the M3, it's not exactly a bad car!

Pete

[m0ssy]

G20RG B said:

D14 AYS said:

Blade79 said:

ive heard several stories about them, one of the worrying ones was that it will not seem anywhere near as fast as my M3 as it clearly isnt,

Yeah ok

+1

I will race you for 'pink slips'

[Blade79]

Thanks again guys. Pete thanks for the replies yours really make me think and I can relate to exactly what your saying......

In relation to the speed thing compared to the E92 M3 I stumbled across this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-KMp6pPLaw

[Daston]

Blade79 said:

Thanks again guys. Pete thanks for the replies yours really make me think and I can relate to exactly what your saying......

In relation to the speed thing compared to the E92 M3 I stumbled across this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-KMp6pPLaw

Drag races can be very very misleading as a lot comes down to the driver getting the best get away and the best gear changes. The extra weight of the Beemer will have helped traction and I imagine it being a lot easier to drive. However put them on a track and I imagine it will be a lot closer.

Take the top 50 on the Top Gear test track

1:17.1 - Gumpert Apollo Sport
1:17.3 - Ascari A10
1:17.6 - Koenigsegg CCX (with The Top Gear Wing)
1:17.8 - Pagani Zonda F Roadster
1:17.9 - Caterham Seven R500 (cold tyres)[6]
1.18:3 - Bugatti Veyron
1:18.4 - Pagani Zonda F
1:18.9 - Maserati MC12
1:19.0 - Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SuperVeloce
1:19.0 - Ferrari Enzo
1:19.5 - Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
1:19.5 - Porsche 997 GT2
1:19.5 - Ariel Atom 2 300 [7]
1:19.7 - Nissan GT-R
1:19.7 - Ferrari 430 Scuderia
1:19.8 - Lamborghini Murciélago LP640
1:19.8 - Porsche Carrera GT
1:20.4 - Koenigsegg CCX (without Spoiler)[8][9]
1:20.7 - Ascari KZ1 (damp)
1:20.9 - Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren
1:21.2 - Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano
1:21.9 - Ford GT
1:22.3 - Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale
1:22.3 - Porsche 911 GT3 RS (996 mk.II)
1:22.4 - Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z06
1:22.5 - Noble M15
1:22.9 - Ferrari F430 F1[10]
1:23.0 - Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series
1:23.1 - KTM X-Bow (Not Shown on TV)[11]
1:23.1 - Porsche 911 GT3
1:23.2 - Ferrari F430 Spider F1[10]
1:23.6 - Audi R8 V10 (Not Shown on TV)[11]
1:23.7 - Lamborghini Murciélago (retested)
1:23.8 - Pagani Zonda C12 S 7.3 (partly damp)
1:23.9 - Aston Martin DBS
1:23.9 - Koenigsegg CC8S
1:24.0 - Ariel Atom 1 220[12]
1:24.2 - Veritas RS III
1:24.3 - Prodrive P2 (concept)
1:24.4 - Audi R8 (damp)
1:24.6 - TVR Sagaris
1:24.8 - Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VIII MR FQ-400
1:24.8 - TVR Tuscan Mk.II
1:25.0 - Noble M12 GTO-3R
1:25.0 - Caterham R400[12]
1:25.1 - Lotus Exige S
1:25.3 - BMW M3 (E90)
1:25.7 - Lotus Evora
1:25.7 - Audi RS4[13]
1:25.7 - Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder

[m0ssy]

Blade79 said:

Thanks again guys. Pete thanks for the replies yours really make me think and I can relate to exactly what your saying......

In relation to the speed thing compared to the E92 M3 I stumbled across this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-KMp6pPLaw

I think that is misleading, front end dipped quite a bit on the tuscan towards the end, almost looked like braking.

Plus its a green one. Everyone here knows blue ones are faster

[rens914]

i can put my mother in my tuscan and you'll have the same youtube picture
raced on francorchamps with my 993 against a GT3 porker and won
was my car faster ?
hell no
my hart was bigger !
owned a lotus esprit turbo before the tuscan
have a look what clarkson states about the esprit but it's no competition to the tuscan

i think the best part is that i've driven all my cars on max speed but never dared to do that with my tuscan.
the tuscan is a monster
rens

[davemac250]

Something not right with the youtube clip there

Same Tuscan in this clip up against a 550.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPm1re9mZFQ

Anybody want to explain this other than arsing around?