Wednesday 28th April 2010

TVR Confirms 'Vette Power For New Roadster

TVR's owner picks 'most powerful off-the-shelf design' over in-house engines

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TVR owner Nikolai Smolenski has confirmed PH's exclusive about the marque's return with US-sourced V8 power, and now we know he's going to use a Corvette lump.

Tuscan's successor to get 'Vette V8

Smolenski confirmed the choice of 'Vette power in a recent interview: ""We looked at every engine available, including making our own, and decided that the Corvette was the most powerful off-the-shelf design going. Fitting it to our chassis allows us to meet all current regulations and is not too big a step," he told Autocar,who managed to pin-down the elusive oligarch for a chat as they followed-up the story.

If 'most powerful' means the LS9 engine from the ZR1, we'll be looking at a supercharged 638hp and 604lb ft, which should make the new TVR roadster hard not to like. Apparently there's no chance of the TVR's in-house six or eight-cylinder motors being revived, as cost and homologation issues are prohibitive.

Unsurprisingly, the new plan centres on a roadster that will be evolved from the steel-chassis with independent suspension chassis set-up of old TVRs like the Tuscan - and latest reports suggests it will be built by German company Gullwing which builds replicas of the classic M-B 300SL and latest versions of the AC Cobra.

AC owner Alan Lubinsky is reportedly in on the deal too, but although Lubinsky is said to have confirmed talks about TVR production are underway, he says nothing has been concluded yet. Interestingly (and we confess to relying on Wikipedia here), AC Cars is said to be already planning its own production venture in the US - so could that mean TVRs will be built there too? Your speculation is as good as ours, but we do know that the US is a key market for the new TVR business plan.

Also in the TVR business plan (stop reading here, Blackpool purists...) is a hybrid version of the new roadster. And everyone wants one of those these days, don't they?

Either way, we're still expecting the new TVR to make its public debut at the Goodwood Moving Motor show in July, although neither Goodwood or TVR have confirmed that officially. But the PH team will be travelling to West Sussex in hope of a sighting, and so can you - don't forget you can buy your tickets online here.

[busta]

Yay!

Am i right in thinking offering a hybrid is the best way to reduce cO2 over the whole range to meet enviroment regs?

[Varsity]

Awesome choice.

Can't beat cubic inches!

[Stu R]

Sounds positive, but I'll keep the champagne firmly corked. Call me a cynic, but the NS and TVR saga has left me with pretty much the same feelings pipeline cards and 'boycott esso and BP' campaigns. Wonder what they'll be unveiling at FOS, hopefully something more than a slightly reworked tuscan 2 with an LS...

[IforB]

It's hardly going to be a British car anymore though. Owned by a Russian, built in Germany and powered by an American engine. I'm assuming of course that the German company will build it in their normal factory and that Blackpool won't have anything to do with it.

[blindswelledrat]

IM suprised at the early cheers for this.

It strikes me that it the details of that are correct- a Russian has bought our darling british sports car brand, removed anything whatsoever British about it, moved production overseas and is redesigning things for America.
It will now be a low volume foreign car manufacturer like any other.

SUre it will still be good, and all that, just now irrelevant.

[Munter]

busta said:

Yay!

Am i right in thinking offering a hybrid is the best way to reduce cO2 over the whole range to meet enviroment regs?

...to sell in California? You could be right there are some interesting rules about emissions over that way.

[Jag-D]

Stu R said:

Sounds positive, but I'll keep the champagne firmly corked. Call me a cynic, but the NS and TVR saga has left me with pretty much the same feelings pipeline cards and 'boycott esso and BP' campaigns. Wonder what they'll be unveiling at FOS, hopefully something more than a slightly reworked tuscan 2 with an LS...

With you 100% there fella

The amount of bullst that boy has spewed out is the cause behind the recently lovely weather we've been having all on its own!

I will admit that this is the way TVR should have gone (even if it was an option) several years ago

[Snoggledog]

Doesn't Alan Lubinsky have a slightly dubious reputation or have I been listening to unsubstantiated rumours? Although I'd like to see TVR back, the more I hear the less I believe.

[P7ULG]

TVR press release time already,doesn't the year fly by, it will be Christmas before we know it!!!!!!!!!!!

[rknevitt]

busta said:

Yay!

Am i right in thinking offering a hybrid is the best way to reduce cO2 over the whole range to meet enviroment regs?

nah - best way would be slap a TVR badge on a Toyota Cygnet

[DJC]

It will be a cold day in hell before I put another penny in that mans pocket.

[RJDM3]

Oh for gods sake Nik, Alan Lubinsky is a right crook (worked with maltese goverment reps to try and sort some of the mess he left). I truely hope this is just journalism talking and not a fact otherwise tvr will fail all over again due to poor choices on who they work with..

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/ac-cobra-scam-con...

http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/news/octan...

[Biggriff]

DJC, I totally agree

[P4ROT]

Looks like he's planning on slowly removing all of TVRs glorious unique sellings points one by one Wat next? German build quality?

[busta]

I think for me the fact TVRs were British was a great bonus, but it is was the recipe that excited me more than the chefs. As long as this keeps to that typical TVR form of plenty of power and a little lightness in a fantastic looking but down to earth FR sports car then I can overlook the foreignness.

As said above, if TVR had embraced the LS engine early on, in the same way they used and evolved the RV8, then things would have turned out very differently!

[Stig]

P4ROT said:

Looks like he's planning on slowly removing all of TVRs glorious unique sellings points one by one Wat next? German build quality?

Hate to say it, but if Wheeler had opted to put the LS engines in TVRs (with decent wiring) instead of developing their own, TVR would probably still be going strong.

Logical and sound move. But I'll believe it when I see it.

[blindswelledrat]

WHen you look at this- it's bizarre that he actually spent money on TVR when he is creating a completely different car.
WHy bother buying it?

[zooooom]

TVR approx 1100 kgs 638hp and 604lb ft
Good luck in the wet with that one.
Hope they are planning on fitting some form of traction control, otherwise there are going to be a fare few drivers taking unexpected trips into barriers and ditches.

[dpbird90]

P4ROT said:

Looks like he's planning on slowly removing all of TVRs glorious unique sellings points one by one Wat next? German build quality?

Yeah, they might even fit ABS, traction control and front airbags, its sacriligious.

[seismic22]

Its pathetic, nobody likes unreliability and so any improvement in this are is great but the fact is nothing will be left of the characterful TVR rawness that helped the company to survive as long as it did and develop such a cult following.

TVR's are going to become just the same as everyother sports car manufacturer, competing for figures, driver aids and perfection instead of continuing in its niche of giving out and out driver pleasure and excitement from the basic recipe of big power and little weight.