Friday 26th August 2011

Spotted: TVR T440-R

The phrase 'find another one' was invented for cars like this...

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Back in the good old days when TVR was an active car manufacturer and its T400-Rs were racing in the British GT championship as well as endurance events, four road cars were built for homologation purposes.

Three of those cars were intended to run a supercharged version of the 4.0 straight-six with sequential gearboxes (we're reliably informed that sadly, said gearboxes never worked properly), whilst the remaining car was built to its intended 4.2 litre atmospheric spec' and was sold as the only T440-R customer car.

It might look at a glance like a Tuscan, but aside from the gearbox (which is the same) not one part is interchangeable between the two cars, and the entire body is built from carbon fibre. The full specification is impressive and can be read here on the vendor's website.

'Although with correct maintenance the straight six TVR engine is capable of covering a fair distance, earlier examples weren't without the odd issue and this one has been given a rebuild at the factory and features the later type camshafts and followers. That said if the asking price is met then the vendors (ex-factory TVR race engineers) will supply the car with a fresh engine rebuild for peace of mind, which brings us to the vulgar topic of coin...'

The asking price is £150,000. Despite the racing car connections and claimed near-200mph top speed, there's no denying that it's a lot of money for a TVR. You could buy this monster if you wanted a 200mph Trevor, add this to your stable for some on-track action, and still have a hefty chunk of change left over.

But then again with the collector and specialist car market booming perhaps this unique, carbon-bodied GT might prove to be a sound investment? It's not like you're going to find another one...

[Flat2theMat]

Spotted the Typhon in Liverpool a few years ago and had to look twice, three times and then a fourth time to make sure it was really a Typhon! Lovely car. It was one of the black ones and I'd literally been reading an artical in Evo magazine about it the night before. Is there much difference between the Typhon and the T440 - R?

[diluculophile]

Dream car.
I'll have to check my pockets for spare change...
No doubt this'll end up locked away in some private collection.

[louismchuge]

As a lotto win, I'd have this in a heart beat over anything for similar money

[mybrainhurts]

Yum...

[SWoll]

Lovely looking piece of kit, but £150,000 is a lot of money for a kit car...

[Blown2CV]

Flat2theMat said:

Spotted the Typhon in Liverpool a few years ago and had to look twice, three times and then a fourth time to make sure it was really a Typhon! Lovely car. It was one of the black ones and I'd literally been reading an artical in Evo magazine about it the night before. Is there much difference between the Typhon and the T440 - R?

I thought the Typhon was intended to be the SC version.

[Jonny TVR]

As much as I love it and want it, I think its a risky investment at that level. However if you already have a DB4, V12 Vantage, Muira, Fulvia, Griffith 200, Griffith 4.3BV, Series 1 land rover etc then it would be a good addition

[Blown2CV]

I do love TVRs, but never got hugely excited about the T400/T440, but for that kind of money the Typhon seems a far interesting prospect, esp as there are 2 (count em) roadgoing examples knocking about...

oh and interiors on late model TVRs are shockingly st... the ones clearly designed as a generic dash for both RHD and LHD... hate them.

[shortar53]

SWoll said:

Lovely looking piece of kit, but £150,000 is a lot of money for a kit car...

A kit car?

ooh, I didn't realise Trevors had ever been offered as home-build.

home-rebuild for the straight six maybe...

[Rusty-C]

The chap that's selling is a top bloke, too. Isn't the cabin fantastic?

[Blown2CV]

wonder if racing green would FFF the engine or is it too far away from the 'original and best' sp6?

[AV12]

Very, very impressive machine.

[J4CKO]

It just begs the question, why arent TVR's being made any more ?

[900T-R]

Blown2CV said:

I do love TVRs, but never got hugely excited about the T400/T440,

I was - from the first pics in Evo with that red car back in '02 - because finally there was a TVR that promised to take the concept significantly further structurally instead of putting ever more outlandish bodies on the same old tubular framework. TVR already had the pace & drama & practicality (to a point) - what was needed to truly and well keep up with the big boys (apart from more consistent build standards) while keeping the unique formula we know and love was... well, this. IMO.

[anonymous-user]

What a waste of money. sorry my keyboard slipped into mumsnet mode.

This is a cheap car in comparison really, considering it is race bred and that is where its natural home should be..like a lost lion

[British Beef]

So so sad these things are not still being built.

Stunning car, although only for the diehard TVR fan or wealthy collector at that price.

I think I prefer the more brutish looks of the Sagaris over this smoother shape.

[soad]

louismchuge said:

As a lotto win, I'd have this in a heart beat over anything for similar money

Same here.

[cerb4.5lee]

Just awesome,would be amazing to have this in the garage!

A great piece of history,i will keep dreaming.

[DJRC]

Not a very impressive car in any way shape or form.

And sadly I have far too much experience with these bloody things. None of it good.

[jellison]

Jonny TVR said:

As much as I love it and want it, I think its a risky investment at that level. However if you already have a DB4, V12 Vantage, Muira, Fulvia, Griffith 200, Griffith 4.3BV, Series 1 land rover etc then it would be a good addition

Think I'll pass. One of them at our TVR meet a month back - the Green one). Mega car. But not really going to be any faster than a Tuscan with the same engine.

It would need at least 4.5 Power engine to get me even vaguely interested. And I don't have the cash - you could build an fia Griff200/400 and race the best historics ever made for that money all over Europe.

They are Great though - bugger all in common with a Tuscan bar drive train. Pity they could not get the blower to work - christ they could hardly make the SP6 work in Standard form!!!!!!!!!!!