- 264
- Praia
In an era of impending automation and electrification, the world needs TVR. The British brand, famed for its raw, often scary and ill-tempered sports cars, is making a comeback under new ownership.
And the new TVR Griffith, unveiled at the Goodwood Revival, is the model that will lead this err… revival.
The TVR Griffith…haven’t we been here before?
Sure, but if you’re intent on re-booting a once Blackpool-based manufacturer that has been idle for 11 years, a bit of heritage can’t hurt. People still remember the Griffith badge with huge fondness.
Depending on your age, you’ll either recall the Ford-powered race car of the 1960s driven by Jack Griffith, or the 1990s roadster powered by a Rover V8. Mostly performing smoky burnouts.
What engine will power the new TVR Griffith?
You’ll have heard the mechanical pitch by now: a 5.0-liter Cosworth V8 with 400 horsepower (298 kilowatts) per tonne married to a six-speed manual to deliver a 0-62 miles per hour (0-100 kilometers per hour) sprint time in under four seconds, and a top speed of 200 mph (322 kph).
What we also now know is that the engine is dry sumped and front-mid mounted, allowing a super-low center of gravity and perfect 50:50 weight distribution. The development story gets even better, too.
How can it get better than a 5.0-liter V8?
When automotive royalty Gordon Murray is involved in the design, that’s how. Murray has been developing a new construction technique called "iStream" which has been applied to the new TVR Griffith.
The basis of the TVR’s chassis is a tubular steel frame with bonded carbon-fiber panels to provide extreme rigidity while helping the Griffith weigh in at 2,755 pounds (1,250 kilograms).
https://www.motor1.com/news/179571/new-tvr-griffith-revealed/
The first 500 cars will be badged as Launch Editions and will come finished in special configurations, with bespoke colors. Prices for the TVR Griffith Launch Edition start at under £90,000. The first production cars are expected to reach their owners in the first quarter of 2019.
http://www.carscoops.com/2017/09/tvr-returns-with-new-hairy-chested.html