You Cannot TRULY Understand Britain Till You Know TVR - Chimaera 500
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- Опубликовано: 23 апр 2023
- If you truly want to Understand Britain looking at Rolls Royce, Bentley and Aston is not enough.. TVR is as British as it gets but from the opposing end of the spectrum, the Chimaera is as British as it gets and the wild child of British cars. Today I drive the Chimaera 500 and see if the wild reputation is truly deserved!
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While the Olds Jetfire was indeed a pioneer, it’s not really a first. Introduced at the New York Auto Show on April 20, 1962, the Jetfire wasn’t the first turbocharged passenger car on the market, or even the first from General Motors. The Corvair Monza Spyder turbo had been unveiled a few weeks earlier at the Chicago Auto Show.
My Great grandmothers 62 Buick Skylark had the 4bbl version of the 215 and it was rated at 200hp. I still have the engine.
i had one, it used more water than petrol, it leaked, it had electric issues, no driver aids, the roof was drafty and it was always looking to kill me... . It was brilliant!
Had a worn down 92 Honda CRX like that, I drove it 580 km nonstop because it was hilariously fun to drive (it weighed 860 kg, had slicks, coilovers and vtec). Before and after that bastard gave me countless headaches (after a few decades of abuse even Hondas give up)
That’s what TVR’s were all about. Did you ever find a ‘funny mark’ on the body panel from the factory?
I've got one it tried to kill me to
Mine was exactly the same!
I knew 4 people who got killed In 2 separate griffith 500+ accidents.
I'd still have one tho.
Not to be take lightly them TVRs
I've had a 4.5 for 14 years. It's been brilliant. In fact so brilliant, I've just bought another one.
You can never have too many TVRs.
Had an S, V8S and a Griffith 500, all 3 were great cars and reliable apart from minor gremlins. Did loads of touring in them and never had a breakdown. What I really loved about TVR’s was they were classless, people would talk to you and ask questions whereas with some marques you get looked on as being a flash git.
Back in 1969 I had the opportunity to do a small bit of playing with an Americanized TVR Tuscan. Classic TVR chassis with a Ford 390 cu inch V8. It was a brute. Nothing truly refined about it. When cold and the choke was on it idled at 35 mph in first gear. It belonged to a small Sports Car dealer in Charleston, South Carolina.
One night at about two in the morning we were sitting around the office and a siren went by. I looked at Don, Don looked at me and we both looked at Byron. Byron said "Not only no but hell no!" Sitting out front we had the TVR, a Ferrari 270 and an Iso Griffith. The Griffith was probably the slowest of the three at about 160/170.
Charleston Corvette Club had the backing of one of the biggest dealers of the day. There were some pretty terrifying Corvettes in the club. But if you took the TVR into town and a Corvette was likely to be sitting next to you at a stop light it would do anything to not have to face off against the TVR.
We finally sold it to an FBI agent.
As a mechanic I have driven some of the best cars in the world at one time or another but nothing ever scared me like that lovely, wonderful, TVR Tuscan. It holds a special place in my heart.
Sounds gorgeous! Incidentally the Buick engine was originally designed as a marine engine, thus the reason it was made from all aluminium and not Detroit iron!
My uncle had one of these in period. I was only about 10 or so at the time and it was an absolute rocketship. It sounded amazing and I had never been in something so fast. He, and that car, sent me on course for a lifetime of loving cars.
I remember sitting it in one day and I pressed the cigarette lighter in, when it popped out the entire mechanism popped out with it......
I owned a 450 for 13 years and after owning a 991, 997 and two 55AMG the TVR was my favourite. It never let me down always put a bug smile on my face and It had soul. Yes it didn't handle quite as well as the 991 but it was my best friend. My advice.... Buy the best you can afford and look after it and fix issues as they come up. Things do go wrong from time to time but you bond with them. In return you will have a car that you will be so connected with and raise your pulse. I miss that car. 😢.
TVR's philosophy was "put the most powerful engine you can find under the bonnet and make a featherweight chassis and body without any unnecessary electronic aids and complicated gadgets "..and after that pray to God to stay alive driving it.
Was he wrong ?
@@johnmatthews1095 Only once, with the original Speed 12 he drove and was all '....yeaaaaaaa lets tone that down just a tad, it's way too mental for the road' haha
@nicwilson89 definitely. you can go too far. personally I like about 220-240bhp in a sub 1000kg car
I needed to get a TVR when I was young as I saw my first TVR in London in the 90’s… and was blown away!😊 Being German, it has proven to be a difficult task as for the German TÜV and other regulatories. Still, a strong desire always finds a way and I bought my first TVR at Fernhurst TVR, a Chimera 450, just about 10k miles on the clock and exported it to Germany…. ever since I was in love with British sportscars, and happily owned an Elise, an Exige, an XKR, a Morgan and some more…. Love England and moved to London 15 years ago, fab country and people…
As a German, I don't want to give the impression that I understand England, but I love my Chimaera 450. Bought from James Agger 13 years ago, it has been looked after with dignity ever since, it has always given me joy and has never let me down. We will remain “one team” for many years to come 😁
I have just bought one in the last week! Been dreaming of getting one for 20 years and I love it. No driver aids and simple mechanics
Many many years ago I travelled the UK and saw one just like that (actually I heard it first and only some time later actually SAW it). Best sounding road car I've ever heard, to this day
I seen a red one of these when I was a young lad, the guy floored it for us and that sound stuck with me forever. I love TVR's.
Miss my TVR. Tried to kill me twice, bits fell off it. Loved it ❤
The exhaust note is definitely on point. The green and crème color is spot on too. Seems like a real good deal.
Loads of fun! I feel the only thing missed was a quick peek at the madness that is the exhaust collector in front of the engine. A co-worker and friend of mine had one of these from new many years ago and let me tag along on several drives. It was a traditionally bonkers metallic yellow with purple interior. It reminded me of a mix of pure artwork and some sort of Miata-inspired supercar built atop a racing chassis by a complete madman. Just wonderful! All these years later still one of the most memorable cars to blast down a twisty road.
Love my Chim 4L, great fun to drive and never let me down. Something quite unique being part of the TVR community, defo puts a smile on ya face.
I’ve had mine since it was new in 1999 and as I’ve now owned it, and its 4 litre predecessor for more than a third of my life I’m still enchanted by it. It was 1963 when I saw a TVR Grantura and that was the itch that took until 1996 to scratch. Incidentally the 4.0L Chimaera is nowhere near as much fun as the 5.0L and I suspect the engines weight the same so the handling will be the same Jack.
The big consideration when buying a Chimera is corrosion in the chassis. It is not so much underneath the vehicle as embedded in it. The plastic body may appear flawless while the tubes are filigrees of oxide. It is possible to repair or replace the chassis, but judging by the videos I've seen, the exercise can be classified as "non-trivial".
Replacing the chassis on a 20+ year-old TVR (and I've owned 4 TVRs) is a damned sight easier and cheaper than converting a metal mass-produced 'competitor' back from the pile of scrap, or domestic appliances it has now become. Also bear in mind the tiny quantities most of these cars were produced in, the likely driving style of their owners, and the (large) percentage still surviving.
"an exercise classified as non-trivial" 😅
Edd China did one on Wheeler Dealers and Dean from the YT channel Saving Salvage has an ongoing chassis swap one one currently
That Edd China one is a great episode and scary stuff :)
It's a major job, and most cars have either had it done, or need it doing. However, once it's done (properly), it should last indefinitely. I had mine hot zinc sprayed then powder coated.
I bought a 400HC back in 96, then a 500 in 98. Had them over a total of 8 years. And truthfully the most reliable 8 years of motoring I've ever had. I've had a lot of Landrovers since then....
Owning a TVR is very much like owning a pet lion. Great fun and very very cool, until one day, and without any warning whatsoever, it just kills you! Didn’t stop me owning a Chimera and a Cerbera at different points… and yes, both tried to kill me…
This was Clarkson's saying except it was a Bear instead of a Lion.
The only joke Jeremy Clarkson has ever made that made me laugh. I think it was a pet bear though
Always amazed me how quick the front became the back when you lost concentration
I reckon this video demonstrates how your videos have stepped up to another level of quality. I love the fact that in doing this you have not compromised your own perspective for views. Great video.
Content great but the vocal mic is overdriven throughout. Good recordings of the car though.
Reckon
@@bentucker2301 I hope being the internet's spellchecker gives you a warm sense of accomplishment and importance.
@@MrCarrera28the OP corrected the error in the end, meaning they must have appreciated it. Perhaps Ben can obtain some satisfaction in knowing that by typing just a single word he assisted the OP, he helped to preserve the English language in a small way AND he managed to trigger a wanker who everybody knows is that guy who CAN'T be told anything! 👏
@@misssummersalt Perhaps instead of flinging vile derogatory comments, regarding a conversation you were not part of, you might consider some self reflection.
You post demonstrates the traits of a first class wanker. i) No value to add to the post or topic, ii) dripping with vitriol and iii) 100% self gratifying with no consideration of anyone other than yourself (the very definition of self pleasure after all).
If your content is limited to vile insults in an effort to inflame others it simply demonstrate a paucity of sagacity.
Great video again!
Would love to see more of this British small number manufacturers - like Bristol or one of my favorites a Reliant Scimitar…
Jack if you do get a chance to drive a Scimitar please make it an SE5 or a SE5a.
So glad you enjoyed your first TVR experience Jack! I'm on my second Griffith 500. Had it now for 12 years, absolutely love it. I often do the roads you take your cars on, above Burford 😀 great review and your comments were pretty much spot on.
Great contextual piece about Blackpool, its decline, and opportunities for rebirth. The Chimaera is a forgotten TVR that deserves more recognition. Thanks, Jack!
Lovely! Considering the low volumes, and the tiny comparative development budget, TVRs of this era are exquisitely well designed cars - in my view they put some much bigger brands to shame in the looks and perception departments. The Rover 3500 based V8s would have been a good bet in terms of parts availability, and expertise to repair faults, but I gather from various road tests at the time that TVR’s own engine was problematic. Great cars though - I’d have one!
I started my TVR obsession with a Chimaera 450 in an almost identical colour combo to the car in this vid. It needed a chassis refurb, and while pricing that up a bargain popped up on a Tuscan, so I sold the Chim and took a gamble on it. Turned out to be a really good car. I have since added a Cerbera 4.2 V8, so have an example of each of the engines TVR built in-house. Those later cars are much more bespoke than the Chim, and it absolutely blows my mind when I think of what such a small company managed to achieve. They lacked the polish of the supercar competition but they had every bit as much soul, and in a straight line the TVRs were on the money.
Really glad you enjoyed the Chimaera Jack - they are lovely burbly woofly things that as you say make great tourers, especially with that massive boot. They are really simple cars as well, and if you avoid the TVR tax that suppliers will charge for parts by doing some research into which parts bin TVR raided in the first place they are very cheap to run and DIY friendly.
So glad to hear your opinion on the Chimaera. Great but under rated cars, 7 years later I still miss my 500, which I sold, fully working, MOT'd for £9500!!
Don't tell me that...I'm about to pay over £25k for one (26k miles, but still)
Excellent review, I am very biased, I had a Griffith 500 for 13 years and did 70k in it, I still miss it.
Ah.. wonderful cars. Will hopefully be doing a video on one soon!
@@Number27 Brilliant.
Incredible cars. Almost identical to mine, except mine is the 450. I was going to sell it as it's sat in the garage, keeping dry for 6 months, but after watching this... Bring back the sunshine!! Great video as always!
What a waste,you`re ruining it.
Absolutely love my 1997 Cerbera GT. Looking forward to getting it back out on the road as the better weather comes along. Absolute weapon of a car. Expensive to run but it's a hell of a machine.
Yes well they were nice looking. This thing looks like something from 70s. Dreadful looking thing
@@DaleSteel are you feeling ok? Can you not see the resemblance?
@@wingcommanderdaltonwalton67 no they are different fronts. That's the big issue.
As a Chimaera 500 owner I can confirm that they're great cars!
BTW, apparently the story of the 'Ned-bite' indicator enclosure was made up - it was in fact a Marketing PR exercise that even Peter Wheeler went along with... 🙂
That story originally appeared in Autocar as a result of an interview with the late great Peter Wheeler. If it is indeed 'made up' then I suspect many of us loved the idea of a car designed by a dog. .
Hi Jim, would you perhaps hail from Lancashire?
And did you own a Tuscan before?
@@sebastiend.5335 I don't, ,sadly, haven't had a Tuscan!
@@albertperks3476 Difficult to know for sure. The book 'Cars of the Peter Wheeler Era' by Ralph Dodds has this alternate view.. 😃
@@jmarthecorkes OK thanks for responding Jim!
I remember buying one of these ..a 4.5 variant ….loads of issues , no air bag but it was so comfortable. It had a noise to shatter windows , went like a proverbial bat of hell ….and man I loved it ..
Great video Jack!
Had a Chimaera 400 prior to my 500 - this was also great.
They're certainly performance car bargains!
Worked in Hanover Square in the West End in the eighties and nineties as a 'young professional'. The style and grunt of the TVRs in that era is unparalleled. They prowled the West End streets.
Curves. Sound. Looks.
Anything else needed?
.. and then there's the other minor car company with a three letter name that started in Blackpool, Jaguar the J in JLR, originally Swallow Sidecars.
I thought I knew a lot about TVR having owned one however the level of detail is incredible! Bravo 👏🏻
Had a 500 with straight through sports exhaust. Front wheels are smaller than the back cos the front steers and the back has to have plenty of rubber to handle the power. You could hear it before seeing it. The roof would lift over 60 mph when up and needed persuasion to fold low enough so you could see out the back when down. NEVER completely floor it at low speed if you are not pointing straight ahead and have your hands firmly on the steering wheel unless you want to go drifting or the back to swap with the front. Found out the hard way.
Driven with precision it was wonderful. Take your eye off the ball and it bights. Hugely rewarding, 0-60 in the mid 4’s if you keep it in a straight line so proper quick even now. Keeping the engine cool was not easy in heavy traffic.
No nanny state traction control lane assist etc etc or even an air bag. You take responsibility for your own actions.
Oh and it has a good boot as well.
Lastly you need it shod with good quality recent rubber. Found that out the hard way too.
All in all a proper British sports car with the best V8 sound track to keep you entertained.
Had a 400 and loved it! Tricky in the wet...only car I have spun into a field after planting my foot too hard after a wet bend 😊Took it down through France to southern Spain which was fun although when it is hot the glass fibre body and heat from the engine make it like sitting in an oven! But with the open roof and that noise from the V8 all the shortcomings are quickly forgotten.
I had a TVR Tasmin in the late 80's and loved it. Just so different to the usual stuff on the road at the time. Called in to the TVR factory and was given the full guided tour, an incredible place with a great workforce.
Thanks for a trip down memory lane. I was lucky enough to get a new one in 1994.... Broke down on way home petrol pump failure. Number of other niggles and problems over the first year. Kept ypu on your toes every time you drove it, but boy did it settle down when you pushed it. A great car.
Very cool car. Fantastic intro with the higher. Thank you for show casing these cars I've only ever seen on Gran Turismo 4 and giving history behind the car, brand and country of production at the time. Keep up the good work.
I put a tvr 5 litre engine, fuel injection, with the t5 gearbox in my westfield kitcar. The tvr quoted power is a bit exaggerated but with a big valve head and wilder cam I managed to get 330bhp and 390 lb.ft torque. Performance is brutal. I would love to own a tvr with the big engine. Great video.
About time you got around to TVRs now finish the job properly and do the Cerbera, Tuscan & Sagaris.
A dear friend of mine had a Tuscan. He took it the Blackpool factory many years ago and I followed him to bring him home. Because it was Sunday, the place was closed, but the security guard allowed me to go inside for a desperately needed wee. I was told to follow the yellow lines 'till I found the lavatory. The factory was silent but smelled wonderfully of glue and fibreglass (much like I imagined an old canoe factory). Despite the temptation, I didn't stray from the yellow lines for a 'nose about' though. I only saw a very small part of the place but it was wonderful all the same.
Great video Jack. Love my 500!
Great video yet again. I looked at a few TVRs prior to buying my S2 Elise and most were falling apart in one way or another. It really says something when the build quality makes later S2 Eliges onwards look like an S-class 😆
Thanks for sharing this with us Victor.
Was waiting for you to finally bring a TVR to the channel. Always been in love with them since I was a kid. Never seen one in the flesh though (certainly not in Italy but neither when I come to the UK for work).
Bought a 450 3 months back after Up n Down did his video's. Well impressed with it. Great tourer.
Mate of mine had one of these about twenty years ago (from memory I think it was the 4.3L). Great to drive, sounded fantastic. Spent (literally) more days in the garage being fixed than it did on the road ;)
Great cars, amazing value. I did a rally/treasure hunt in a Griff 500 once, mainly in the rain. Made you feel alive!
Thanks for that great drive Jack, it looks like it gives you a big smile on your face every time it's out on the road. Good looking with a lovely interior. My late father in law actually lived around the corner from the Blackpool factory, which is now going through a lot of birth pains in Wales, I don't know when Shmee 150 will get his car though. Regards, Bob M. South Wales
Great video - love TVRs! (Jaguar started in Blackpool too!)
Wonderful, Jack. I've always has a soft spot for TVR. Grossly under-rated car and company. Thanks so much for this.
very true, Peter and crew are legend :)
Owned a 450 Chim for over 20 years now. Had a few memorable road trips across northern France/ Belgium/ Holland in it. The boot is very big for a sports car, it was marketed as the Gran Tourer of the range, supposedly softer. It has let me down twice, both times the failure of fairly inexpensive items, which I don't think is too bad given the reputation TVR's have. They always run very hot, it's the only car I've driven where my prime focus is often on the engine temp gauge...with an EV you have range anxiety, with a TVR I always have temperature anxiety ! Of course run faster and it cools things down......
I had a Chimaera 500, still remember spinning it going in a straight line on Anglesey circuit. No harm done, these make you feel alive and are the perfect antidote to modern life.
Just wish there was an equivalent being made today, these offered what was then monster power priced at a level for the normal driver…
Years ago at an auto show TVR was there and the British model standing next to the car would say over and over "If excitement is what you want, excitement is what you'll get with the TVR" - One can only imagine what TVR's definition of "excitement" was! lol
Beautiful car, thank you for the review/ presentation. Brings back sweet memories
Well, Jack, looks like you have a number of the TVR-owning community in your fan club. You’re gonna have to try a few more! Get used to the driving style they desire and they become quite addictive. Always a smile inducer! Except when they make you grimace. As my own Chim 500 did yesterday with an electrical failure. Still, soul has no price, except patience 😅
What a great surprise to see this car with the exact specs as mine going on these roads. @number27 thanx for making this video. I actually chose this car over a porsche 996 coupe, and im so happy i did! This thing is so much fun and so easy to work on. I love it to bits. I read most are making around 270-280 HP. Mine is chipped and makes a healthy 300 at the crank.
I think as a roadster, and also as a car to take long trips in, these things offer so much fun for the money. I love the fact that they are so practical and have so much room for tall people.
What jack says about the way it handels, is certainly true, it doesnt want to bite your head off or kill you. Its much more friendly than that.
A family member had a nearly identical Chimaera but not the 500, though I have been on track days in a Griffith 500. The Griffith was left with me for a few months, about as wise as getting Fred West as a babysitter. I never did take it out on the road.... fascinating to sit in them and identify what cars you have previously seen some of the parts in.
Love them.The Buick 215ci motor,of course,became the Rover V8 which has powered umpteen cars & been successful in competion especially in the Rover SD1 works racer & rally cars of the early 80,s campaigned by luminaries such as Steve Soper,Tony Pond etc.They were quite difficult to get to get serious power from until fitted with the "wildcat" heads which allowed up to nearly 400bhp.TVR also had their own race series in years gone by.
Great video. I’ve been thinking about buying a chimaera and seeing this video really helps. Think I want one.
I bought mine 4 years ago and absolutely love it
Don’t drive it as much as I should but when I do take it out I just love it
Thanks for a most enjoyable review!🙂
RE: Ned the dog bite , I believe that is just a myth I'm afraid. I remember a while back a few original TVR employees debunking it. Great Myth though. I suggested a TVR a while ago, great you've finally featured one 👍🏻
myth or not, Peter either started rumour, tongue in cheek or went along with it...I rather suspect the first - watching interviews of him mention it...he actually does say it, with tongue in cheek! ;)
The original TVR factory was directly under Blackpool tower.
Thanks for posting
Are you referring to the circus and ballroom...? 🤣
Wonderful. Seems fun to tool along gently too, which is nice
I've only ever driven a 400 Chimaera - a nearly new hire car - way back in 1999. The ride was really impressive; the bonnet seemed to go on forever! Loved it but it felt a bit underpowered.
The 400 I test drove felt the same do I bought the 500 which has bags of power
I'd have a 400 still if that's what you could afford 👍still a great car and experience. Less chance of a not so skilled driver killing themselves either 😂
I've always been fascinated by the TVR marque, one of the few spotted was a Tasmin parked behind The Balmoral in Toronto during the 80's & 90's, then it was gone, a rare cat.
I had a 4 litre Chimaera for 5 years and loved it - I used it daily for work too....absolutely NO reliability issues....and servicing was super cheap....lovely noise - surprisingly large boot without the top - I could get my inflatable yacht tender and outboard in there - the other gear (sufficient for a week's sailing) went on the large parcel shelf behind the seats....a great car....
Lived within a couple of miles of the old factory all my life. Miss hearing them ripping around on test drives 😃🎶 Blackpool is still going strong don’t worry about that! Yea some places are in need of a good clean up , but not as bad as many places I’ve been to! Also remember , Jaguar cars originated in Blackpool. Only couple hundred metres from the seafront , near the football ground.
Great cars Jack
I’ve had my 500 4 1/2 years and fine plenty of miles even used it as a daily at one point when my others were off the road . The Chimaeras my most reliable car !
I think once you drive them more you’d carry more speed into corners mines spot on with knackered suspension and a new set of springs snd dampers in the boot waiting to be fitted
They’re just a cool car , I take mine out round nth wales for a good run and it just chills me out and clears my head
I love it
Yep.. defiantly liked it a lot.. then again I like cars with character!
Brilliant vid Jack👏🏼
I remember being at a race meeting in Mondello, a track in Ireland, in the early '90s the TVR series came over. Can't remember which model it was but by far the best race of the day. They sounded and looked amazing ☺
It'll probably been the Tuscan challenge back then. All open top racers.👍
I think TVR's can be underrated mostly because some people think of them as a kit car, I have never thought that to be so in the true sense of a kit car. I love the shape of the Chimaera and the sound is so good. The colour of this one is also nice. I do hope TVR come up with a new car for a new era at some point, there are rumours of a new engine but we shall see. Until then we have some great cars to choose from. I think you might be on the look out for a good one at some point on your bucket list! Thanks Jack a great review. 👍👍
But it wont be TVR - TVR was Blackpool & Peter
Loved mined! That V8 sound is intoxicating.
You’ll have to review them all now!😊
A car that has always been on my bucket list. One day I may even buy one.. have been close a couple of times.
The smaller engined cars weigh the same. It's the same block. Arguably, best of the bunch is the 450. Get a later one though as many of the the early 450s were actually 500s.
I agree. Strange that he thinks they're a different engine.
The 450 is the only one with cross-bolted main bearings, so it's stronger. They all use the same block and bore size. The different capacities are achieved by varying the stroke length. I believe that in the case of the 500, the only way they could achieve the required stroke was by reducing the diameter of the big end bearing. I've also heard there was a quality issue with some of the 500 crankshafts. This is why there are some reports of 500 crankshafts snapping.
In my view, the 450 is the strongest engine, and is plenty powerful enough. That's why I've owned one for the last 16 years.
Love it too ! That sound, wow !
My overall impression watching this video is that it would be interesting and instructive to see a review of the "lower powered option". Partly because it may prove to be better balanced as you suggest but also because you would likely need to push the rev limit up to dig into the full power band; always a more fun experience than having such abundant low end torque. Either way another hugely entertaining outing.
Far from being an odd location Blackpool made perfect sense, others have mentioned Swallow sidecars later to become Jaguar but Duple Coachbodies also came from Blackpool and employed a couple of thousand people so design, assembly and trimmers were all skills readily available in Blackpool.
One of the best looking TVR cars ! Love it! What a beast
Riddled with problems but you cannot fail to love the underdog😍
You don't need to do slow in fast out, most of the handling issues are with people trying to use engine braking. The things are torque monsters with no weight in the back so if you try to engine brake whilst braking hard in anything other than perfect road conditions it will just lock up the rear wheels and you'll be going sideways. You can go fast into a corner, brake hard and then pick the gear that you want to exit with once it's in the 2/3krpm range 💨💨
Exactly as I saw it too. If you were too keen on the down changes it would lock the rears.
They are actually fairly well balance weight wise front and rear - the engine is well back from the front axle, you sit next to the gearbox with your feet by the engine.
That sound, brilliant jack 👌😄
I looking forward to getting one of these soon, and I can't wait 😀.
Good review. I have driven this and the Griff 500. Lovely cars.
Cheers, Jack! TVRs are manic! 🎉🎉🎉
How apt. I've bought a baby Chimaera 400 literally an hour ago. Awaiting delight and frustration in equal measure :)
Good luck!
Saw a Purple Paradise 5 litre, on the front cover of TopGears April '98 magazine amd fell in love with this car since.
Love a TVR 🙂
A friend (BTCC driver) used to have a Chimera, went like a stabbed rat and stuck to the road like chewing gum to a wig……… and the engine, ❤️ none of that flat plane (sounds like a thrashed inline 4) nonsense………. Growing up with good’ol Uncle Sam’s cross plane symphony 🥳🇺🇸
Another friend had a tuned to the max Cerbera with the flat plane V8, north of 400+ BHP in a glorified soap box…….. it was homicidal 😳
Personally, I love the big six sound in other models……… sad day when they stopped the madness….. hope they start up again 🏁❤️
The sound when you opened her up brought back wonderful memories of my 4.3 I had about 15 years ago.
Very tempted to buy another, but it would have to be a 500 …….
Not a car I was interested in until I watched your great video. What a hoot!
That’s great.. thank you!!
This channel deserves more views 💯
Because of this car I am now claustrophobic after shutting the door I couldn't find the door leaver, I then thought I would open the window but I couldn't find the switch. Do I nearly kicked the front screen out. I can't even go in a lift anymore. Thanks TVR.
😁😁😁😁😁
I owned a 1995 Griffith 500HC for 19 years, sold it in 2019. It never ever let me down, although it blew a fuse and boiled over at Le Mans in 2007. However, I managed to get it all the way home to Milton Keynes with no coolant fans operating! I never had any corrosion issues but it was garaged all its life and I didn't drive it with salt on the roads. Handling was interesting shall we say
Love this video. Thanks Jack!
I had a 4L HC (high compression) which had 275bhp instead of the normal 4L’s 240.
There was also a 4.3 earlier in the run, with 280bhp I think.
Many say the 450 at 285bhp was the pick of the range. I’d love to try a 5L though.
The sounds at 11:30 when you opened it up Jack gave me the shivers and brought back amazing memories!
I had two 4.3s, which produced about 280 bhp, but quite a lot less smooth than the 4.5 with 285 bhp, though that could have been the luck of the draw as my 2nd Chimaera was a lot better than the first. QC!
HC denotes High lift Cam , and not high compression, so pocketed pistons and lumpier profile.
I'd take TVR quoted power numbers with a pinch of salt! Having rebuilt and supercharged 2 Rover V8's.
Love the sound of the engine and the short gear change