An engine (and it doesn’t really matter which engine although the Six was fractionally less alarming) that was biblically powerful but not exactly linear in terms of power delivery.
A chassis and suspension setup that didn’t really show much evolution from the ones that were powered by harmless burbly old Rover V8s
Initially at least, rather less tyre than you might expect to put the power down
No TC or ABS. You might feel that this is trad and old school and that ‘real men’ don’t need these features. You’d be wrong
All the standard joy of Blackpool electronics but with much greater complexity. Go and have a look on the Pistonheads listings and see how many still have their original door latches. While you’re at it, see if there are any with less than six previous owners.
It’s sort of a race car but doesn’t have the grip or aero of a race car. It then goes on to lack the virtues of a truly great road car.
Oh, and I almost forgot one little detail that is the most TVR thing in the history of TVR.
The first 100 odd Cerberas had a design flaw with the headlights. The light fitting was the same as the Chimera on the outside and this changes the bulb from the back. Not long before series production, TVR changed this because the heat from the engine was melting the bonnet. The lights could no longer be accessed to change the bulbs because there was a fuck off great heat shield in the way. The only catch was that TVR forgot to change the light to allow for the bulb to be changed externally. The sealed lights were fitted in production, the heat shield was applied and the brand new £40k+ car went off to owners who found that a bulb could only be changed if you ripped the heat shield off (requiring a new one) or chiseled the headlamp off from the outside.
I’m now going to wait for someone to describe this as ‘character.’
I admit to having test driven a used Tuscan 4l in late 2011, when I was getting bored with the SLK 55 AMG.
The road was dry and the car was quick, and made a very nice noise. It was in excellent condition. But it twitched ever so slightly on that sunny December morning…Then I came to my senses. Sometimes, when I look back I regret not buying, but it would have probably either killed me or bankrupted me…….
Then in about Dec 2011, I was sent out to get a loaf of bread in the AMG, and I just so happened to pop into the Porsche dealership along the way. When I got back home, I was clutching the paperwork for a 987 Boxster S, and I didn’t get the Hovis………
Louise takes great pleasure in telling people I nipped out for a loaf of bread and came back with a Porsche!!
I’m glad it exists in the same way as I like Grade 1 listed properties that have priest holes and moats. Like Grade 1 listed buildings, there is not a single reason on Earth I’d ever want to own one myself.
To be honest it doesn’t strike me as being as bad as designing a car where you have to take the engine out to change the cam belts. However, because that one has a ‘Ferrari’ badge on it, everyone seems to think that’s OK.
The gap between those berating others for not choosing a TVR and the actual likelihood of they themselves owning a TVR is measured in Astronomical Units.
