As TVR Comes Back to Life, We Take a Look at its Craziest Ever Cars

[GTPNewsWire]

This is the discussion thread for a recent post on GTPlanet:

As TVR Comes Back to Life, We Take a Look at its Craziest Ever Cars

This article was published by Joe Donaldson (@Joey D) on September 16th, 2017 in the Car Culture category.

 

[Venari]

Come on now. That's not the original TVR Griffith. And while we're here, that's not the original Tuscan, either.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVR_Griffith_200

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVR_Tuscan_(1967)

 

[TexRex]

Come on now. That's not the original TVR Griffith. And while we're here, that's not the original Tuscan, either.

Those are the models that get lost amidst the Triumphs, MGs, ACs, Sunbeams and Healeys, back when a lightweight, thin-skinned English sports car with a [in its day] powerful engine and no ABS wasn't a novelty. The models highlighted in the article are likely more memorable for a certain generation as they were the ones more likely to appear in video games and horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible John Travolta movies (I know what you're thinking: "There were no TVRs in Battlefield Earth.").

 

[Jon Terry]

I love the fact they were actually persuaded to build one Speed12

 

[DRambo]

The 5.0ltr in the Griffith wasn't a TVR engine? It was still the Rover? Sorry if I'm wrong.

 

[Dave A]

The 5.0ltr in the Griffith wasn't a TVR engine? It was still the Rover? Sorry if I'm wrong.

No you're right, the V8 in the Griffith was a Rover engine, the AJP8 or Speed Eight V8 engine which TVR developed was intended to be used in the Griffith but it wasn't completed on time. In the end the only road model it was used in was the Cerbera.

It was a short lived engine which was quickly overlooked thanks to the AJP6 V6 (Speed Six) engine which also appeared in the Cerbera but also went on to appear in the Tuscan, Typhon, Tamora, T350 and Typhon. In fact it was two of these AJP6 engines mated together which formed the V12 used in both the original Speed 12 and the Cerbera Speed 12.

 

[DRambo]

Dave, I am going to be pedantic again, but the Speed Six was straight? We TVR enthusiasts should get it right???? (All in jest).

 

[Dave A]

Dave, I am going to be pedantic again, but the Speed Six was straight? We TVR enthusiasts should get it right???? (All in jest).

Aha, you've found my deliberate (ish) mistake . Yes the Speed Six was straight, it was only V when two were mated together to form the Speed 12 engine. Serves me right for logging in on a Sunday morning .

 

[DRambo]

LOL

 

[Dave A]

Before Smolensky closed TVR's door he did intend to release a new model, the Typhoon:

Often confused with one of my favourite TVR's, the Typhon:

Only 4 Typhons were built and sold, 3 we're sold to order and the original working concept was sold in 2011. It's basically a faster, more powerful, more agressive, wider Tuscan.

 

[Bom15]

I think the normal Cerbera should've been in the list. Especially the 4.5. A few people who wanted the Cerb took it out for a test drive. Scared themselves and ended up getting the Chimaera. That's according to a couple of people from the TVR car club.

Also another sort of TVR was the Phoenix. That came about when an owner of a Cerbera said it wasn't fast enough. Austec racing where modifying it and it was supposed to have 1000hp. But the project halted somewhere along the line.

Also the Speed 12. There are now a couple of speed 12's. The red car which is the most true Speed 12. It has the proper engine, chassis and body. Albeit from the racers. But I think they only built a couple proper speed 12 engines and one survives. Another recent car is purple and was ready for the road earlier this year. The chassis and body parts are also from the race cars. But as only one speed 12 engine exists it has to make do with an Aston V12. There are also rumours of a 3rd car being built. Same story as the purple car. Right chassis and body parts. But an Aston engine.

 

[bloodyboyblue]

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/09/marque-revived-look-back-tvrs-history-cars/

^this article is a good companion to Joe's article since it highlights most of TVR's pre-90's cars.

 

[-Fred-]

and horrible, horrible, horrible, horrible John Travolta movies

Halle Berry's boobs, though.

 

[gregorius93]

I'll smash the Speed 12 to the wall in GT2. the hardest car to drive with in GT 2

 

[Joey D]

Come on now. That's not the original TVR Griffith. And while we're here, that's not the original Tuscan, either.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVR_Griffith_200

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TVR_Tuscan_(1967)

I tried to focus more on the cars that people would remember from video games like @TexRex suggested. TVR has very few, if any, classic models in games. I also figured folks would chime in with their favorite classic TVR's in this thread.

The article @bloodyblueboy posted is definitely a good one to learn about the classic TVR's too.

Plus TVR has almost no PR department to speak of so trying to track down images of cars we can legally use is a bit of a challenge.

 

[TexRex]

I tried to focus more on the cars that people would remember from video games like @TexRex suggested.

Oh, no, it was more of an accusation than a suggestion.

 

[Scheer]

All round favourite TVR has to be the Griffith 500. Favourite engine is the 3.6 Speed Six. I doubt any manufacturer will be able to make an engine like that again, and the best handling goes to the Tamora/T350 and the Sagaris which benefitted from a slightly wider track. The most TVR looking TVR has to be the Sagaris - who else would make a car that looked like that?

 

[Tyger]

Most of their cars were loony, the aforementioned "original" Griffith and Tuscan, the 450 SEAC, the Tuscan Speed 6 in all its variations (including the Typhon), the Sagaris, and of course W112 BHG (would love an update on that or to see some sign of it again). Love most if not all of them, and for all the apparent reliability woes I still see quite a lot of them around, the 80s-00s models at least.

 

[TexRex]

The most TVR looking TVR has to be the Sagaris - who else would make a car that looked like that?

Lamborghini, and that is not a compliment.

 

[Tyger]

Lamborghini, and that is not a compliment.

You think Lamborghini would or would've made a car that looked like the Sagaris?

 

[TexRex]

You think Lamborghini would or would've made a car that looked like the Sagaris?

I think the Sagaris looks a great deal like what Lamborghini has been doing lately, albeit not quite so angular, with panels having a very tacked-on (and worse, floating-above) appearance and disjointed lines as opposed to flowing ones.

 

[Epic B]

The Speed 12, despite never making it to production is probably the most ridiculous car TVR has and ever will make. It's a shame it never made it to production (outside of a prototype using a race car body sold to one person) cause it was a car that could have possibly dethroned the McLaren F1.

I wonder where that Speed 12 prototype is now.

 

[Dave A]

The Speed 12, despite never making it to production is probably the most ridiculous car TVR has and ever will make. It's a shame it never made it to production (outside of a prototype using a race car body sold to one person) cause it was a car that could have possibly dethroned the McLaren F1.

I wonder where that Speed 12 prototype is now.

W112 BHG is out there somewhere, I believe it last changed hands (publically at least) in 2010. It was drivien in 2005 by John Baker in Evo magazine, the article is a great read if you can ever find it. Not sure what's going on with the replica being built with the Jaguar engine.

 

[Epic B]

W112 BHG is out there somewhere, I believe it last changed hands (publically at least) in 2010. It was drivien in 2005 by John Baker in Evo magazine, the article is a great read if you can ever find it. Not sure what's going on with the replica being built with the Jaguar engine.

Yeah, I don't know what's up about the Jaguar powered replica. I haven't even heard about it until now. I just hope W112 BHG is in good hands. I think I did dig up that Evo article once.

 

[Scheer]

Lamborghini, and that is not a compliment.

What, a compact, obviously front-engined coupe with barely a flat surface in sight looks like a Lambo? No. Just no.

 

[Bom15]

W112 BHG lives at the Lakeland Motor Museum up in the Lake District.

https://www.lakelandmotormuseum.co.uk/collections/featured-collections/2000-tvr-cerbera-speed-12

Here is the FB page for the Speed 12. I think this is the guy that rebuilt W112 BHG. As I said above he also built a 2nd Speed 12 using original parts which was finished recently. W312 BFV. He also has another body. In all 5 bodies were built for racing. And he also has the prototype body which used to have the reg W312 BHG. I believe that's the bodyshape that was at Goodwood FoS in 2000 and the one used in the GT games. For it's debut the Speed 12 had another different body with vents in the bonnet only. The cerbera speed 12 has had 3 different bodies as far as I know. And lets not forget the Tuscan Speed 12 body which was discarded for the cerb body.

https://www.facebook.com/officialspeed12/

2 replica speed 12's I know of are an orange car built Helical Technology. Aston V12 powered and was based off the 5th tub and chassis. And the other is the TR Speed 12. Which Idk much about. I think both are owned by Mvernon automotive.

https://www.facebook.com/MVernon-Automotive-496800013714064/

 

[Bom15]

Actually looking through my old photo's of it. At goodwood it's reg was W112 BHG. But defo has the smooth body They're not great pics because they're scans. I didn't have a digital camera back then. Also included some other pics. A couple again from the early 2000's when it was racing in the getaway livery. Scans though unfortunately. Then a couple of the TR Speed 12 last year. I do have a pic of it at the motorshow to. But really not worth uploading unfortunately. And I missed the FoS when it was there last.

 

[Tunerguy21]

Actually looking through my old photo's of it. At goodwood it's reg was W112 BHG. But defo has the smooth body They're not great pics because they're scans. I didn't have a digital camera back then. Also included some other pics. A couple again from the early 2000's when it was racing in the getaway livery. Scans though unfortunately. Then a couple of the TR Speed 12 last year. I do have a pic of it at the motorshow to. But really not worth uploading unfortunately. And I missed the FoS when it was there last.

Those last three pictures.... It honestly looks downright stunning. But "Speed 12 Turbo"?

 

[Bom15]

Those last three pictures.... It honestly looks downright stunning. But "Speed 12 Turbo"?

Yeah that's one of the replica/recreations. Found more info on both those. Both were built by Helical engineering and they're marketing it as a TBR Speed 12. Even though the blue one was clearly TR?? Anyway... Sounds like it has the Aston V12 but twin turbo'd for 1012hp. Link to there site below.

http://helical-racing.com/tbrcars.html

 

[TexRex]

What, a compact, obviously front-engined coupe with barely a flat surface in sight looks like a Lambo? No. Just no.

I think the Sagaris looks a great deal like what Lamborghini has been doing lately, albeit not quite so angular, with panels having a very tacked-on (and worse, floating-above) appearance and disjointed lines as opposed to flowing ones.