Marcos TSO GT

[Driftster]

ok...If the 240z stole the recessed lights from the MGB, then the jaguar stole the recessed lights from the MGB....and the 1961 250 testarossa had recessed headlights with a shield....so the MGB stole them from Ferrari.

 

[eliseracer]

Of course we do we're just giving them a hard time.

Well, whenever a new model comes out, it is almost guaranteed that some bloke says "that looks like their other cars". No shiz! Of course it will! If you understand the whole marketing of design, then why does EVERYBODY say the Porsches look similar, the Astons look similar, the VWs look similar! etc.

I'm fine with "that Marcos looks like a TVR". Yes trends do exist, that is another discussion.

Argh. Like I said. It's no use. People will always ignorantly say all of brand X's cars look alike.

 

[Driftster]

you're right, because the masses are stupid.
Oh well ya gotta deal with em, just try and influence as many on your way as you can.

P.S.
A long time ago i was involved in a debate where someone said the 350z looks just like the Audi TT. If that isn't stupid I don't know what is.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

I was speaking to the specific scallop of the MGB headlight bucket, but then you're accusing me of saying that drawing from past designs somehow cheapens the 240Z design.

Guess what, the 240Z is one of only ten Japanese cars I actually crave because it's a very classy and tastefully designed sports car with a great chassis and engine. Just because I can pick through the design and call out all of the previously used styling elements doesn't mean it's a bad design.

If that were the case, then Raymond Loewy would never have been one of my favorite designers.

 

[Cap'n Jack]

This is one very nice car! I saw it at the Clipsal 500 this year, sounds great too! I believe Vipergtsr01 saw it on the road too!

 

[Jacks]

The T350 has a 3.6 liter inline six, the TSO has a 5.7 liter V8.

This says it all, i know which i'd rather have 👍

 

[Double_R]

the TVR!!!!!!!!

 

[Jacks]

Don't get me wrong i love TVR's but this thing looks really good and has big engine 👍

Although looking at the 0-60 and 0-100 times its not that much faster than T350

 

[Double_R]

Don't get me wrong i love TVR's but this thing looks really good and has big engine 👍

Although looking at the 0-60 and 0-100 times its not that much faster than T350

So just because it has a big engine you would rather have the marcos. All great sports carrs and race cars dont have massive engine. F1 cars are 3-liter.

 

[Dave A]

The TVR's inline 6 is tried and tested and it's the same inline six seen in the 580Bhp Typhon, the TSO uses a Mustang engine which probably meas it should be reliable but it's not going to offer the same level of thrashability as the inline 6. Also it's a bigger engine and has a lower Bhp/liter ratio. A comparison of two cars with the same power would be the Sagaris v the TSO, again the Sagaris has the same inline 6 upped to 4 liters but produces 400bhp and I'd have absolutely no doubt at all that the Sagaris would run rings round this on a track.

 

[Double_R]

The TVR's inline 6 is tried and tested and it's the same inline six seen in the 580Bhp Typhon, the TSO uses a Mustang engine which probably meas it should be reliable but it's not going to offer the same level of thrashability as the inline 6. Also it's a bigger engine and has a lower Bhp/liter ratio. A comparison of two cars with the same power would be the Sagaris v the TSO, again the Sagaris has the same 3.7 liter inline 6 but produces 400bhp and I'd have absolutely no doubt at all that the Sagaris would run rings round this on a track.

I 2nd that.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

Like hell the Sagaris is going to run rings around the Marcos TSO at the track. Beyond the fact that the Marcos uses a Chevrolet LS1 V8 (you know, Corvette/Camaro/Firebird/GTO engine) instead of the limp-wristed 4.6L Mustang lump in the outgoing Mantis model.

Here's the old TSO press release. It pays to have a little bit of reading.

From the outset, the new management and engineering team at Marcos set out to build a reliable, easily drivable two-seater, yet instil the TSO with many of the attributes found in Marcos racing cars. This has yielded a road car with exceptional performance and agility while also being comfortable in daily driving and at home in any environment.

The resulting 'TSO' or 'Omologato' is derived from its racing blood line and as such delivers an awe inspiring 400 horsepower in a two seat roadcar that weighs just 1090kg. These impressive power to weight figures enable it to accelerate to 60 mph in just 4 seconds and to 100mph in just 9 seconds. Top speed is estimated to be over 185 mph.

Power is provided by a 5.7 Litre V8 Engine derived from the same GM powerplant used in Marcos and Corvette racing cars worldwide. This Aluminium Alloy block and head design is extremely reliable and lightweight. The TSO R/T benefits from intake and valve train enhancements to increase useable horsepower without sacrificing drivability or fuel economy.

The TSO provides driving agility and impressive road holding due to extensive chassis development and testing under a partnership with Prodrive – a recognised leader in chassis dynamics, vehicle dynamic systems and powertrains. Currently, Prodrive has six World Rally titles and five British Touring Car Championships to their name.

The design team was driven to capture some lines from the 45-year winning history of the brand, yet take the design forward in precision, quality and style. Designed by Damian McTaggart, formerly the designer of TVR’s Cerbera, Tuscan and T350, the TSO’s lines are exceptionally clean yet aggressive. The design effort coupled classic sculpting techniques for real-time feedback with state of the art CAD techniques for precision and speed.

The entry level TSO is priced at £39,950 and delivers 350HP with a 5-speed transmission and 17 inch wheels. The TSO R/T is priced at £44,950 and produces 400HP with a 6-speed transmission, sports suspension package and18 inch rear wheels.

Oh, and by the way, bhp per liter is a totally IMAGINARY performance stat that has no relevence to the performance of a car ESPECIALLY when you take displacement as the finite definition of the engine's size. You have to also consider the engine's weight, the usable powerband, the chassis weight, the tire sizes, etc ad nauseum.

Try something besides throwing around quaint little ricer catchphrases like "It's got a bigger motor, of course it's slower and doesn't handle" and start at least pretending to know what you're talking about in the field of automotive performance.

 

[Dave A]

I know exactley what the Bhp per liter is, I never said it affected performance. To put the TSO and Sagaris into perspective, the Sagais is lighter, same power, a proven engine thats already showing what it's capable of in other models. I have nothing against a big motor, however in the UK it's not as good as a smaller motor simply due to the cost of using one over here, so in that sense the TVR's is better.

The Sagaris hit's 60Mph in 3.7 seconds, it goes on to hit over 185Mph as does the TSO. Read up on the Sagaris which is now on sale, and you'll see why it's a better car. Persoally I don't give a **** that the V8 in the TSO is a Chevy LS1 engine, that doesn't impress me one bit, I expec it to impress you more since I would guess your American, Americans in general have a differerent taste in cars to Brits, the V8 being one of them. TVR's inline six is one of the most impressive engines performance wise I've seen in a very long time. Remeber also that the TVR Speed 12 uses two of these inline six's, it's very flexable and as I've said before is proven to be so. Hence why I prefer this engine over that V8.

I fully expect the Marcos to be great car, just not as good atrack car as the TVR equivelents, Sagaris, Tuscan S, T440R (but thats pushing up to next level of performance a bit more) ect.

 

[Driftster]

Well if it was a 4.6 I'd say the only chance it had would be if you dropped the SC 5.4 in there. But now that I learn it's a LS1 I think the stories changed a bit. LS1's can make rediculous power and you know that, and it's not like it's a bad engine for road racing either and their hella dependable.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

Certainly the Sagaris is an amazing performing car, never claimed it wasn't.

However, with the TSO's 1090kg (2403lbs) curb weight it seems a good mix with the potent Chevy V8's 400bhp. And with it's and it's 39k pound ($74,000 USD) pricetag, it seems a much better bargain than the TVR which is priced at a heady 50,000pounds (or about $94,000 USD).

And yes I am a Yank, a Yank whose personal pair of cars are a 1989 Pontiac Firebird and a 1970 MGB GT. I'm a huge fan of good engines, and the TVR range has always employed good engines dating back all the way to the classic Tasmin and Vixen ranges.

The cars are pretty fairly matched, and I happen to like them both a lot. However, the TSO isn't nearly as far behind the Sagaris as you'd like to believe and the Chevy V8 is a benefit to the car, not a deficit. And when you look at the pricetag then you see that the Marcos is a really impressive car.

 

[Dave A]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the TSO or it's engine are bad, I'm just stating my preference and which I think will be faster of the two. I will admit to exaggerating when I said the Sagaris will run rings round the TSO but I do think that on a track it would be the faster car.

 

[Jacks]

The TVR's inline 6 is tried and tested and it's the same inline six seen in the 580Bhp Typhon, the TSO uses a Mustang engine which probably meas it should be reliable but it's not going to offer the same level of thrashability as the inline 6. Also it's a bigger engine and has a lower Bhp/liter ratio. A comparison of two cars with the same power would be the Sagaris v the TSO, again the Sagaris has the same inline 6 upped to 4 liters but produces 400bhp and I'd have absolutely no doubt at all that the Sagaris would run rings round this on a track.

Yeah i've just bought the latest edition of evo magazine, the sagaris is one awesome looking car, and i think your right about the engine, i still think the car looks nice but comparing it to sagaris it hasn't got a chance.

And no Double_R I wasn't saying oh its got a big engine then i'd rather have one, i was assuming that more power meant faster but i wasn't really paying attention, and american V8's do often sound good, but then again so do TVR's, I just have never been a huge fan of the standard T350, but TVR's inline 6 is a good engine i completley agree.

 

[G.T]

It's been confirmed that a 450bhp version of the car will be released here in the UK (from evo magazine) to take on TVR's coupes head on. Marcos expects to carry on its racing legacy into a modern, reliable and fun-to-drive GT coupe. If your wondering " what racing legacy", Marcos won the British GT Championship in 1961 and there have been recent trips to Le Mans.

What I find strange, is the car is only out in Australia at the moment with the 400bhp version. At least the UK will get the superior version.

 

[Dave A]

Marco's has won quite a few GT championships, they've been dominant in a few races with the LM600's and Mantara racers.

 

[G.T]

Marco's has won quite a few GT championships, they've been dominant in a few races with the LM600's and Mantara racers.

That's great then. I just meantioned what they said the the magazine.

 

[Jay]

I have seen one of these on the road here in Adelaide South Australia in that colour, at first I thought it was a TVR from the front (was driving by at abit of a distance) but one I saw the rear I knew it was a Marcos. It was here the the Clipsal 500 V8 cars race (not actually racing). Not sure if it was that exact model but it looked identical.

 

[JohnBM01]

I actually think this is a nice machine. Only Marcos I can remember most is the Marcos LM600 Race Car. Yeah, it has some TVR and Aston Martin looks, but is it either? Who's to say that America or anybody is no different? I made a thread called "Cars That Are Rip-Offs," one said the Chevrolet SS-R Concept Car stole its looks from the Mazda RX-8. Some cues from other car companies are there, but it's all Marcos. Now unless either one of the companies have contributed to its design, then it's pointless to say that. Regardless, it looks pretty exciting. It has that mean, yet subtle aura to it. Most take meanness and overkill it, this one is all manly and muscular. To boot, it seems pretty aerodynamic at that. Don't know its drag coefficient (CD), but I bet it's a blast riding into the wind.