The Scariest British Car Ever Made and the Flaw that Ruined it - TVR Tuscan
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- Опубликовано: 28 дек 2024
- The TVR Tuscan is without doubt the maddest.. but also most exciting car I have ever driven. A truly bonkers product from TVR that could have changed their fortunes.. instead a huge oversight wityh the speed six engine eventually led to its bankruptcy.
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"Nit the prettiest thing"... have you lost your mind, Jack!!. The Tuscan has to be one of the most beautiful cars ever to grace the roads... Grace, probably isn't the right word!
The said TVR is shapely, distinctive, and displays an aggressive stance - a truly mad concept that is unlikely to be repeated. I have a very strong liking for the TVR, however I agree with Jack, it's not a 'pretty' car.
Some tvr are beautiful cars.
Nah, it definitely ain't pretty! But it is very striking 😎
... The Knight Who Says 'NIT" For 'NOT'... Tee! Hee!... 'Silly Not'... 🏴🏰🍻
Nahhhhhhhhhhhh. Just say you like it and move on instead of writing this embarassing paragraph 😂
I've had one of these for a few years now, what I have found is that while the front end feels darty and hyperactive, once you learn to trust it it will find its own way over the road profile. The instinct is to grip the wheel tight and try to wrestle it into submission, but if you relax your grip, let it squirm a little and trust the car will find its path, it begins to flow far better. Also, the quicker you go the more easily it flows down the road. There's absolutely nothing else like a TVR. They are made out of gaffa tape and magic, and we will sadly never see their like again! Great video Jack, I think you've captured what they are like to drive better than any other video I've seen on here.
Regarding engines, the lubrication issue is definitely much discussed in the community, but another major issue with reliability was the finger followers which were bought on the cheap. A rebuilt engine from somewhere like Powers Performance with upgraded components is a pretty tough unit and they last well.
Once you trust it...famous last words.
There's one fs with a TVR Power engine rebuild. Is that a good rebuild?
Thanks for answering the engine question. As in, what's the 'fix'.
I've never driven a TVR sadly. But a colleague owned a wedge way back in 1986 and it looked like nothing else on the road. I was smitten and still am.
Fast forward to around 1990 and I had too very good friends in Blackpool, so was there off and on. I think it helped me understand the TVR 'culture' or similar. A little. I think it was something akin to 'wring everything that you can out of what you're given' and maybe what you end up with is the whole being greater than the sum of it's parts? I honestly don't know.
They like their bling, which explains the interior ;) They like to do things differently. Which explains the exteriors. And they like raw power, most of all and the ability to just 'get down the road'. As to the exterior styling. I recall being gobsmacked when I saw the 'new style front ends' on the Tuscan/Tasmin etc I LOVE the styling of these later cars and as far as I can remember, there was nothing like it, anywhere. I remember them popping up in various action movies and looking completely at home with all the explosions, supermodels, leading men and Hollywood in general.
I think that defining a petrolhead is a toughie. However, I do think that you have to have a special place in your heart/soul for TVR. Right next to the special place that you keep for Italian exotics and others :)
@@nigel.w As good as it gets. Dom at Powers was the guy who handled the warranty repair work when the issues with the Speed 6 engine were first becoming known to TVR. He was there at the very beginning dealing with the failures and developing an understanding and solutions to the problems. A Powers rebuild has a 5 year/100,000 mile warranty, which speaks to how solid the units are when rebuilt properly. The lubrication issue Jack mentions is not addressed as far as I am aware, but with better quality internal components these are proving to be very robust engines.
The other key factor is correct warm-up and servicing - it is important to drive it gently when first setting off (don't leave it idling at standstill to warm up) and wait until the oil (not just the coolant) is up to temperature before giving it the beans.
@@Drew-uv5wi Trust it, but always respect it! It might not be as unruly as you first think when you get in one, but it remains a hedge-seeking missile with no traction control, ABS or airbag. 😂
I'm absolutely fine with the fact most hot hatches would absolutely muller me point-to-point. That's not the car's failing, that's down to my limitation as a driver - but I know I would be having more fun, and I'm not about to wrap myself round a tree trying to prove anything to anyone! They are defintiely a handful if you get one out of shape, the key to a long and happy life is to not be daft enough to provoke it on a public road!
I had two of these over about 15 years - amazing experience and I loved them. They never let me down, including 2 long european tours, apart from a jammed fuel pump (Bosch).They are certainly a handful and you have to remember that they are basically trying to kill you. Most fun you can have with your clothes on.
🤘🇬🇧🙏
I absolutely loved these care when they came out, and I still think they are some of the best looking cars ever.
Same here, I absolutely adore TVRs, and I still have the dream of being able to buy one one day.
Just look at the Boxster next to it, and you realize how good the design of the TVR was back then.
Add the exquisity of being so rare, the unique and raw interior design AND the flaws, and you probably get the most charismatic cars ever made in modern days.
100% agree
First time hearing about these, it is gorgeous.
Griffith, Cerbera, even the T350 and just breathtakingly gorgeous in my opinion...
agreed, when they came out looked very good ,i had both cerebra and tuscan, also scary fast (the cerebra)
The interior details anticipate Pagani, while the exterior is pure poster magic. I'm from an MG-Lotus tradition - neither terribly reliable, but neither that hairy... I've always held TVR at a highly respectful arm's-length. So glad these exist. Always wish them well. Hope they resurface...
if the pic of the supposed new TVR is anything to go off, they're doomed for more obscurity, it looks like every other middling sports car and not like a madman's fever dream, that's what the Tuscan, Cerbera and Sageris are....a madman's fever dream!
but i do hope TVR returns to full glory someday, even if owned by another company, many companies have flourished that way....
If these were available in the United States I would be at my local dealership waving my checkbook and yelling "TAKE MY MONEY NOW PLEASE "!
If they were, the whole town of Blackpool would be won at court by Americans.
Make sure your life insurance is good it will try too kill you
And then at your mechanics when he waves massive invoices at you
I would as well, beautiful machine 👍🏻♥️
They were rather unconventional in construction , Ladder chassis , not monocoque..They would never make it in any kind of crash tests or modern homologation standard for pedestrial safety.
If anything they were very much like the High end Kit cars, that could only be bought preassembled.
Suspect that the only way they could be sold out of the UK is by first registering them in the UK, and in doing so they automatically became accepted in the rest of Europe.. But no such agreements were in place with the US, so I doubt you'd ever manage to get them road legal in the States..
Amazing! That car was originally owned by a friend of mine. I had the sister car - X454 XCL (which I’ve tried looking for, but can’t find, sadly). 443 and 454 had many an adventure together 20+ years ago. I loved my TVR experience, all three engine rebuilds of it 😂
Three? Luckily I only had one, TVR Power worked their magic on it. It was a graceful brute.
For me the most amazing aspect of this car, and perhaps all TVRs, is how they managed to do this on a budget that must have been so minuscule. Anyone who worked on this project is a legend in my opinion.
Jesus I absolutely adore TVRs especially Tuscans, Cerberas and the Sagaris. That straight six sounds glorious!
Yeah, man, I couldn't agree with you more! One of the very few cars that look as good today, as they did in the naughties! The interior and exterior are both equally unique!
Nothing like that fat snarl of a straight six. Nothing. I get to take in some vintage racing tomorrow and can't wait to hear a 3.8 or two, and anticipating some L24's since Datsun will be the featured marque. I attended the Goodwood Revival back in 2013 and had the giddy pleasure of parking up next to two gentlemen from Holland driving a Griffith and Sagaris respectively.
@@mescko oh boy I’m jealous! Sounds lovely. We don’t have much historic racing events here in the Pennsylvania area. Got to go to California for that type of stuff. Actually it would be quicker for me to get to England nonstop to get to California. See I’m talking myself into a UK trip 🤔 lol
TVR were one of the very few small operations that knew how to make its cars look truly desirable; the styling was dramatic and well proportioned, and the bespoke switchgear made them special when they could have just used Morris Marina parts. But as you sadly point out, the reliability wasn't there. A friend of mine had his machine shop full of their cylinder blocks and heads which were in to correct "problems". A real shame, because TVR came so close.
if they had made engines for the Spitfire in WW2, Germany had won easy!
RUBBISH Reliability is THERE, as the man said, Wheeler starting using cheaper parts etc, and wrong metal part for the engine.
They should have used jaguar v8s then they would have sold like pies 😂
The engines were released too soon and they fixed the issues buying now your nit gonna have the issues the new cars had. Too bad it's tarnished the reputation. Keep in mind the trusty Rover V8 slightly modified were used in the most popular models, ranging from 4 -5 liter across the Griffith and Chimera life span. Super sounding and reliable. Griffith 500 Rovers do a sub 13sec ¼mile. Even today that's right fair and square into hypercar territory!! 😮
I’ve owned a Tuscan S for 7 years now and this is the best, most honest and accurate review I’ve seen. Yes it feels lively on the front end but a good geo setup, modern tyres, decent adjustable shocks, you then gain trust it’s a pleasure to drive at all speeds. Thanks Jack, keep up the great content!
What I loved about this era of TVR was that they looked at a reasonable way to make a sports car and said "yeah that's nice but what if we gave it a big spoonful of insanity?" and nobody told them not to. It was never going to work but I'm glad they tried
Great vid Jack! As an ex-owner of a Griff 500 (4years) and a T350 with a 4.0 litre blueprinted engine (6 years) I can concur that every time I got in them I felt great excitement and trepidation they were going to put me in a ditch somewhere! I loved them and they we're great cars for the money, I emphasise money as I believe this was TVR’s downfall, you couldn’t produce a car with this performance for the price they were charging without saving money where you could, hence the chocolate engine. I spent a huge amount of money on my T350 and it was set up properly but if TVR had done this from the factory they would’ve had to charge another 15-20 grand and that was getting close to 911 money.
The tuscan has been my dream car since they came out, im in Australia, they never came here , except personal import and were very expensive... always thought the looks are epic, great vid
"Half thrilled, half scared shitless."
Never have I heard the experience of driving a TVR summed up so accurately. I believe the Tuscan is the most beautiful European cars built since the E-Type. I cannot WAIT to import one to America next year.
You superbly demonstrate this super car the likes of which I only wish I could have owned. With your easy naration you take the viewer right into the hot seat as you power up through the gears. I am reminded of how, many years ago, I enjoyed the acceleration of my '66 Sunbeam Tiger, even though it had but one third the power of this TVR beast. Such sound and, yes, you are "bedding ino" the drivers seat as you aproach and exit the bends, this is a drive-by-the-seat-of-your-pants car at the highest level. Wonderful! Of any car, THIS TVR is not one to be electrically converted.
Thanks for your most exciting video.
Great Video. You got to love that noise and raw driving experience, no other car manufacturer can compete.
My Griff 500 puts a smile on my face every time I drive it.
As an overall package I prefer the chimera, but that speed 6 engine sound, wow! That's one of the best engine sounds I've ever heard. Utterly gorgeous.
Isn’t it!! Amazing sound❤🤘
I owned a 4.0 litre Red Rose version of these between 2003 and 2009 before selling it and moving to Qatar. It was a BMW colour (Oregon Blue) and TVR used paint colours from many manufacturers. Provided they were well looked after, and maintained properly (and I mean properly) they were fine (although mine had an engine rebuild at 15,000 miles. Finnicky electrics required patience (windows anyone) and the boot leaked like a sieve (oh....and it smelt like a canoe!). At the time my daily driver was a BMW 730d Sport and I was also fortunate to have an SL55 AMG. For sheer fun and the odd squeaky bum experience (sideways most of the time and once, spinning the rears in 5th gear on a wet surface), there was (and is) nothing like it. A rocket ship that goes like shit out of goose with a thunderous exhaust soundtrack (that would set off every car alarm in an underground car park) to match.
It's such a cult car that owners will always excuse the dreadful build quality. On pistonheads back in the day you'd face an onslaught for suggesting they are anyway unreliable...yet every owner has had at least one rebuild!
The perfect match of crazy British car and British owner
@@dagnut 😝
An engine rebuild at 15,000 miles is an unusual sign of reliability...
It's probably more suited to US roads rather than the third world black top that Jack is driving on.
@@freespeech3673The car or your driving ability??
Awesome car design, it looks timeless. Thank you for showcasing another TVR. Only know this brand because of Top Gear and Gran Turismo.
I remember using this car and the Speed 6 and 12 concepts in Gran Turismo 2 and being determined to master them after immediately spinning out over and over on the test track. Once I did, it was in the top ten out of the 100 great cars I had in the garage.
Absolute beasts: liable to spin at any corner!
A beast of a car, as a boy in the 80s I was obsessed by TVR, and the Tuscan was probably the pinnacle, loved it. Is that the best sounding 6 cylinder engine ever.
Always loved the Tuscan. Still remember the interior pic in Autocar. Had never seen anything like it. Just so outlandish and cool. Wish TVR was still around and available in the US.
Still in my opinion the most beautiful sports car ever made , and the sound , my goodness , the sound , nothing like it , great video and a big thumbs up to the sound man
Love the sound! Front grille treatment inspired Ferrari Roma almost 25 years later. Good coverage of the engine troubles. I understand that the last of the Speed Six line, the Sagaris, has some tweaks to the chassis making it more predictable. Would be fun if you found one for comparison.
Ha, ha, the Roma, another ugly car.... (I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder so I'm not serious)
Ever since I was 4 years old and saw this thing as Damian Drake's spy-car in Looney Tunes Back In Action I've wanted one. The sound the Speed Six makes is just the most glorious 6 cylinder I've ever heard! And that pearlescent paint in combination with that bodywork, amazing!
Well done Jack, great review as always. As the owner of a Griffith (who also regularly does your/Harry's test route!) I was thrilled to see this video come up. That looks like a particularly nice Tuscan too. They are such amazing cars, such an event every time.
Aha, so I was right. I thought I recognised those roads.
@@joshuarosen6242 At first I thought road was in Cornwall, then Dorset, but ach I don't know really!
@@Quebecoisegal I now know that it's in the Cotswolds near Burford.
@@joshuarosen6242 Me too, different camera angles, but those S-bends are so unique.
I saw her live today at Powderham Castle, what a beast! Gorgeous!!!
While my TVR is a little older, the first rule of driving a TVR is get the suspension geometry checked and set correctly. Mine had what we suspected was a less than perfect factory fabrication and would throw the car sideways constantly. Corrected it handles properly now. Fun little cars. Yes you can press on when you want to.
Yes absolutely super critical to have a full 4 wheel alignment done. Do you put max camber-in at the top, on the front?
@@gairnmclennan5876 No idea. Just had the guys make a new suspension part to replace the banana that the original part was (rear suspension) and set it up within specs. Shop owner likes to go racing so let him work his magic. Drives like a dream.
Me and my mate at school lusted after a few new cars in that era: E46 M3, Vanquish, Vectra GSI (genuinely) and the Tuscan. Its looks suited its name. It seemed like some mystical, mythical creature like a phoenix or griffin or dragon. Certainly, it's not "pretty" but it's definitely beautiful, striking. It's like they crossed a Corvette, a Viper, an E-Type and a Cobra with all the TVR forerunners then gave it a heavy dose of Citroën eccentricity and dropped a few tabs of LSD in the petrol tank.
"Not pretty" couldn't disagree any more, series 1 is just as cool as it got.
In the 70s i worked for a bloke who had a TVR 3000 M…he asked me to deliver a package for him ..he said take the TVR! …the delivery was about thirty mile round trip, the best fun i ever had driving a car…
Thanks Jack. We got almost no TVRs in Australia. But in 2002 I vividly remember seeing a chameleon painted Tuscan S in traffic in Melbourne - what a thing!
What a video. What a car. I used to always lust after a TVR anytime they were in a Magazine. You rarely see any on the road and always hear them first!!
What a lovely car shame enough people didn't have the confidence to invest in one 😊
Some did. I own a 2005 MK2. Had it for 9 years now and worth a lot more now than I paid for it. I know a guy with a MK2 that's got 120k miles on it, takes trips around Europe, still going strong and never had an engine rebuild. I'll never sell it, just too much fun to drive .
its a British car, i dont trust the Brits..!
The joke was, who was tvr's test driver? Answer, The customers.
English cars never had a problem with power, comfort or looks.... but reliablility and durablity.... only a divorced car mechanic should own a British car....
My main memory from a test drive from the Blandford dealer back in the day was of those fantastic brakes. The steering did feel nervous but then in those days there weren't too many cars with only 2 turns lock to lock, and you did get used to it. You certainly had to make sure everything was pointing in a straight line before giving it the beans but on the other hand that long-travel accelerator was a reasonable substitute for traction control. But I swear that even with the roof down it still smelled of glue!
ap brakes the best then and now
The smell was the from the polyester used to lay up the glass fibre.
Smelled like glue, yes, from the GRP! One French tester described his car as smelling of pee pee. It didn’t help the car was damp inside due to leak.
Jack: "I'm half thrilled and half scared shitless!"
An excellent summation of a great review of a fantastic machine! I've always loved the TVRs for their insanity! There's just something about the style and presentation which has always stuck with me through the years.
I would own one in a hot-minute!
Cheers mate! 👍
I never understood the “it tries to kill you” phrase until I bought a 1989 Honda Transalp 600cc V-Twin adventure motorcycle. It was terrifying for a man on the smaller side like myself. It tried to kill me 3 times. It was my dream bike. I sold it at a loss and was happy to see the back of it.
And then the glue comes unstuck, the leather peels off, the switchgear comes loose, the throttle cable snaps, the gauges start rebooting every 30secs, the main engine fuse (located underneath the engine in a friggin’ inline fuse holder) blows, and finally the engine detonates…. Worst £50K I ever spent.
My dream car. Wanted one since they first appeared. It may not be 'pretty' as such but it's absolutely stunning to me. There's nothing quite like it. Not even other TVRs.
THXS for the 'ride', a friend of mine have one, luckily he let me drive it, what a power and what a beauty, the design is stunning, 6 cilinders made the best noice in mine opinon, and this is the best
I remember in the late 90's just about every car crash I went past (I was a courier driver) was a TVR that had swapped ends. You would really need to spend a week on a track with it to be able to survive a week driving it on public roads
I have a mk1 Tuscan and yes every drive is an experience.
Drove it to work today and when the barrier went up at the entrance, just the slightest touch of the throttle got the back end stepping out and the wheels spinning in the damp morning conditions.
Brilliant, terrifying, thrilling are the 3 words I’d choose to describe this car!
Got a 5 litre Chim drove it to work on a secure sight (Sellafield) and the security guys always said nice car mate even when a Porche was in front of me .
I always remember the film 'Swordfish' with this car being the main star in that movie. TVR was on an absolute roll back then. Such a shame it went downhill for them so quickly. I drove a 4.5 Cerbera several years ago and pretty much everything you say about this car applies to it. F*cking fast but boy it demanded 10/10ths concentration to drive it hard.
Loved it for the TVR but also remember it for Halle Berry’s ample assets.
Yeah. I remember. I think that car had the “flip-flop” or color changing paint scheme.
The V8 Cerbera held worst fastest production car for 2 years top gear did a feature the Blackpool bruiser
@@alanfaultless I don't even remember a TVR in that movie. All I remember about that movie was Halle Berry's knockers. One of my friends loaned me the VHS in school so I could watch that scene. I was only about 12 and didn't even have internet. All we had were movies and car magazine in those days. Amazing how much things have changed in 20 odd years.. Born in 1988 I was really the last generation to experience growing up without internet, smart devices etc. We used to buy car magazine like "Max Power", "Redline" and "Fast Car". The whole British modified car scene was very popular back then. I remember once in the very early 00s there was a feature of a Cerbera in one of those magazines, Max Power I believe. It was painted in gold and features a red leather clad interior.. Corbeau or similar bucket seats I believe.. and a massive sound system in the boot. We thought it was really cool back then. Today it'd probably be looked at as an abomination. I always loved the TVR cars. I only ever saw a few of them over the years, quite a rare sight on the roads around here. We used to play as them on Gran Turismo II on the PlayStation.
downhill quickly.... the UK car industry died many deaths and it took to long to die complete...
but Thx tom Brexshit, the last remains will be gone soon, too
....its not a shame, others are just better...!
I had one of these, on an X plate, 4L Red Rose in Cascade Blue, six different shades of paint, at sunset it's shimmered pink around the outline of the car. Hard to believe it's nearly 25 years ago, daily drove it for five years, it costs £25k in maintenance, three engine rebuilds but everything else was surprisingly reliable when daily driven, used to wheel spin at 70mph on a wet motorway as there is no steel after the rear axle, used to keep weights in the boot to keep the back end down. It was de-cat'ed and straight piped from the factory, all very much hush hush special order, on tickover you could feel the vibration through the ground when standing near the car, I used to drive down the roads setting off people's car alarms and one of my neighbour's house alarm, she was fine with it, she likes sports cars. Loved every minute, no regrets.
Great video Jack as usual - I drove one once on a test drive, lovely car for for 300 yards until it broke down 😢
Ah mate.. why a shame. It’s a ride you would not have forgotten!
@@Number27 Oh the sound of it was amazing and the colour, vivid yellow!
What an exaggeration! I bet you are a Fisherman
Nope fact! TBH it was less than that!@@GRACEORT
Bullshit
The AJP8 was a cracking engine that could produce some serious power.
Literally it would seem!
Lovely Jubbly, what a beast from Blackpool, nice to see it on the road being driven Jack
Glad you enjoyed it Paul.. mental car this!!
Gorgeous car. I have the Poor Man's sports car, an MGB roadster! And I love it. Love the monocoque construction of my B. Very predictable, handles well and a blast to drive and I can do all the work myself on the car!
A front engine, rear drive sportscar with character. Once again a straight six, NA engine bringing joy. :) Classic formula- crazy application. I don't know how you do it, but you keep putting out terrific videos seemingly every day!
Saw a Tasman in the late 70s? Fell in love with TVR at that moment.
As as long-time viewer and 3 year Tuscan owner. This I was really excited to see. Jack you pretty much nailed it, the feeling you got is almost exactly how I feel every time I drive mine, it is a shame you drove an early example as there is a big difference a couple of years later with different geometry and wider track ect, good tyres are also a must and I'm not sure about the tyres on that car, re taking it to the limit I'm 3 years in and I have only almost hit the limit only a few time, basically on a smooth flat straight road on a dry day with warm tyres, any other situation and your risking it, the series 2 wavy dash I don't like, the later 2002/3 4.0L examples of MK1 are peak prime Tuscan, I love how it scares you but like me you want more its soo additive, wonderful honest spot on review Jack, I genuinely don't think there is anything else like it and I've driven a lot of cars, this car connects to you on a level unlike anything else, thanks Jack
Glad you approve dude!! Great to hear that from a Tuscan owner..
Wow what a great video of my friend’s TVR sounds even scarier listening to the growl on video 😂 the car 🚗 is still looking amazing. Well done Gareth you should be proud x😎🍺🍺
The world needs more companies like tvr. Less homogeny, more uniqueness, more excitement! Bring back tvr!
Those days are gone.....pollution controls , airbags , crash standards , antilock this and lane control that. If you want a real car, look for one and snap it up .they don't make affordable ones for regular people anymore.
@@turboturtle9083
Never say never again!
A pal of mine here in Cheshire had that same model and wanted some special mod or other. I followed him to the Blackpool factory in an Audi S4 (also his). Once we hit the M55 motorway where there were hardly any cars (it was a Sunday) , he accelerated to a speed the Audi couldn't match. To be honest, I lost my bottle at 140 and backed off. At the factory, I needed a wee and the very kind security guard allowed me to go as long as I didn't deviate from the yellow lines on the factory floor. The smell of adhesive was overwhelming and if I didn't know better, I'd have thought they were making canoes! Very memorable day.
Fantastic looking Tuscan and a great review!
8:09 The look on your face and subsequent words sums it up so well! Really enjoyed this one. Great presentation!
An absolutely incredible design. Still blows me away even today.
I remember test driving one of these gen1 Tuscans in c.2000. It was still being run in so they wouldn’t let me take it over about 3k revs but I remember the interior being every bit as mad and gorgeous as you see here. The floor mounted pedals were also new for me at the time and I found it really difficult to get comfortable with. Desperately wanted one - even more so after it appeared in Swordfish. Not sure I’d buy one now but these must bring a lot of joy to their owners. Shame we don’t have more of this madness to choose from these days.
I've always thought these Tuscans were absolutely phenomenal looking (and sounding) things, but never really knew how they drove (other than quickly). A friend had one when nearly new and it did spend more time off the road than on it, though. I think he had gearbox issues rather than engine.
Wow, what an informative piece. Fascinated by the cam/valve interaction that's been included, really interesting stuff. Great to be given a very articulate opinion on the driving experience, while at the same time being given some technical detail, and some company history. Learned a lot from this video. Many thanks!!
To me both the Tuscan and the Cerbera are two of the best looking cars ever made, also love the TVR story they were ambitious, unique and deserved more success!
A friend bought a Griffith 500, new. Spun it in the wet, running in on the 2nd day and declared it “evil”, selling it 6 months later “before it killed him” he said.
TVR speak to a generation of car making when you were assumed to be an adult capable of making important and significant decisions without the nannying. If you f'd about you absolutely found out! I have huge admiration for TVR.
Like a first gen Viper. Your feet are the traction and stability controls.
New to the channel but subbed just on the basis of this one video. Entertaining and factual at the same time 👍
Welcome aboard! Thank you so much… hope you enjoy the other videos too..
@@Number27 You're welcome, there's a few more of your videos that I'm definitely going to watch.
Keep up the good work!
How do they make the exhaust sound like that?? Why don't other incline 6 engines sound like this?
If I remember correctly they weren‘t sounding terrible from the factory to start with
@geoffburns7684 They do look like cherry bomb mufflers out back. So I wonder if a cherry bomb muffler would make an inline 6 sound like this? 🤔🤔
@geoffburns7684are you sure that's aftermarket? They had those big silencers on the back when new
@geoffburns7684It's not aftermarket, these cars have always sounded like this from factory.
ITB's.
100 per cent agree with your review Jack. Loved my S1 Tuscan but, as Clarkson said, it was always waiting to rip your face off. In the repair shop after one spin off I chatted with the managing director of an insurance business who said the Tuscan was the most crashed car in British history. With the skittishness at high speed and the risk of blipping the throttle at the wrong moment on the painted white lines it is easy to understand why.
The styling was laugh out loud hilarious, interesting about the production compromises of the engine i dont remember that was really out there at the time, although "spending time at the dealership" was understood to go with the territory. I think for Peter Wheelers ambitions they undersized the displacement and might have been better with more modestly tuned 5L, What I would note is that supercar switchgear and dials of the time were largely parts borrowed from more modest production cars, TVR was the first I can remember that actually manufacture their own unique stylized instruments, the milled binnacle with its brass aluminium and glass is museum worthy on its own. 6:04
Looks more at home in a modern art studio .... or front knobs of EVH 5150 guitar amps .. or Hartke bass amps
I was a big fan of TVR - my own grail was a Griffith - but they disappeared just as I was getting able to afford one. I did know a chap with a Tuscan in the colour-changing (green/purple) paint. Thank you Jack for this EXCELLENT view into the TVR Tuscan driving experience - it's exactly how I imagined it - and that SOUND! All the best, Rob in Switzerland
Always loved the TVR's exterior styling, unusual but nice for some reason, quirky. They should have sourced the 4l inline 6 from ford, intech and later evolved into the Barra spiced it up cost effective cheap motor that's easy to maintain and bulletproof.
@richardharrold9736 And can make heaps of power, iron block alloy head is the way to go for a performance motor, even with the tax it's cheaper, the engines were cheap as chips and can make tons of power. No wonder they are so sought after, people are importing them into the US.
@richardharrold9736 yes, turbo is fun, why not.
@richardharrold9736 Turbo engines sound amazing with the spool and BOV, dont need a big turbo to make similar power to the TVR six, especially a good turbo with twin scroll bearings, in what universe would it add another 100kg, 50kg max, the barra can handle allot of abuse and would suit the TVR making it even more crazy with the spool and BOV,
@richardharrold9736 Most people would disagree and love the turbo spool noise, look how popular RB, 2J and Barras are, no one wants an NA, Iron block is teh way to go, go and push 700hp from the stock TVR internals.
@richardharrold9736 Barras are being sent to Europe and the US by the shiploads due to the price hikes in 2j and RB's, an NA RB or 2J are weak af no matter how much you put into them, they are a joke. first think people do if they buy an NA skyline or Supra is GE + T them or RBXXDE +T them.
Gorgeous design, I remember it in that Travolta film with the green pearlescent paint
6:18
As a former Speed 6 owner those eyeball vents were there to dry your pants after you had pissed yourself in fear. Damn i miss my Lil' Devil
lmao 🤣
@@davehooper5115These days i have a Triumph Stag which ive engine swapped replacing the disaster that was its original engine with the 3.5l Rover V8 i sourced from an old Range Rover. Its very very lovely.
My favourite thing about the speed 6 engine is that it somehow harks back to British sports cars of the past. Like an updated TR6 kinda sound with added ferocity
I've always loved how these sound more than their looks, but I do appreciate the uniqueness. In the original Gran Turismo I remember it being absolutely impossible to keep these on the road lol
Yes...spot on. When I was a kid our neighbor had one..monumental noise, which I thought was so cool. In GT7, it looks very ugly, will buy it to see how it drives.
Absolutely loved this video. I was there experiencing it with you. Brilliant commentary. Engaging and informative. I really enjoy your videos. Keep em coming.
Do not forget the Speed 12 a car that was imposserble to drive and was planned for Le-Mans but rule changes stopped that a very is a rare beast .
A Speed 12 auctioned recently for a little over £600k.🙂
@@davegreg I read a test drive I think in Autocar back in the day. They said it was a Monster wheelspin in almost every gear it tramlined like crazy. I love those crazy Batmobil looks that the Gen of TVR's if only they could have shaken their Kitcar back ground off to become a quality built car instead of again great idea's let down with poor build quality and cost cutting .
Brilliant review and soundtrack!! You’ve done some great work with the quality in these videos that really capture the essence of driving one
I think the Tuscan looks brilliant. Not sure why but this also brings to mind the Chrysler Viper which was a handful.
Wonderful cars if you know what your doing 😉
Dodge Viper not Chrysler you idiot
I bought a 2 year old Tuscan from a dealer in 2002, it came with a 1 year warranty and I sold it when that expired! Absolutely loved it despite not having it for 9 weeks while they replaced the dash computer, twice having the engine fixed (something to do with valves) for a total of 12 weeks off road out of the 52 I owned it. Still my favourite car to date.
There was also a leak in the roof where rain would drip onto the mirror adjust knob shorting them out and sending them into a fit, apparently they had a fix for that, a redesign of the drivers door card to move the knob out of the way of the drips :)
Then there were those headlights - had to park facing downhill as if it rained, water would pool in the cavity and the lights would turn on by themselves. Had to remember to remove the headlight relay if I couldn't park that way, there were a couple of nights I woke up to the sound of rain and panicked when I realised I hadn't resulting in a trip outside to the drive in my PJs in the rain! Fun times.
The thing I love about TVR... They TRIED. They shot for the moon. They may not have got there but by God did they try.
Why is the air vents pointed down? Simple, to keep the sausage and round things cool, if the rounds things get hot the courage goes up, then all hell will break loose.
TVR has a way of making an inline six sound wonderful!
You are correct the car looks like a six eyed, alien beast out of a bad sci-fi movie from the fifties, yet it still looks cool.
It's been said TVR altered the engine design so that they wouldn't have to pay Al Melling the royalties. Oil starvation & a bad batch of crank components did the rest. The Mk 1's were more twitchy.
Thanks Jack, I feel that you are slowly being drawn into the TVR world?! 🙏🙏
I am.. love these cars!!
@@Number27 'Resistance is futile!'
I seem to recall hearing the same story and it would sound like a Wheeler sort of thing to do. 😂
Heard the same story with the speed six
The tuscan from the Tuscan challenge series was gorgeous. For true lunacy the speed 12 was insane more power in road trim than it had in the British GT champship.....when it ran.....
I love the Sagaris. Incredible looking thing. The Tuscan like most TVRs are intentionally intimidating. It's the excitement. That fear for your life and primal response.
Sounds more like poor engineering.
@@anxiousappliance Only if you don't understand the relationship with fear and excitement
And those pops and bangs on overrun are deliciously savage
When I saw the TVR Tuscan in the Movie Sword Fish back in 2001! I thought wow TVR has finally made it to the big leagues! It looked amazing in that chase scene! But unfortunately as you adequately put it in your review, they didn't address the real issues.
Thank you Jack Sir for the great content as always 🙂✌👍
i think you see more BMWs or Mercedes in movies now, because they still produce cars....
I saw a Griffith 400 when I was sixteen and haven’t been right since.
I know it's hard to believe but my dad owned this exact car (the one being reviewed) before I was born and was forced to sell it because it had a few problems and was a bit unreliable. I wonder who owns it now.
two former owners in the comments now!
I’ll volunteer to be the bike nerd and just add that the picture you show of the GSXR is actually a 1990 model with the screw and locknut valve adjustment. The 1991 model changed to shims and one dedicated cam lobe and rocket arm per valve. These have a different look from the 1990 with a change from the flat front end to recessed headlamps behind a clear lens and a wider tail unit. I can speak from first hand experience as I’m lucky enough to have both versions in the garage at the moment.
Lucky you!! Had few bikes and loved that eta of Suzuki
@@Number27- I can’t take all the credit as they are part of a collection of twelve GSXR750’s (ranging from 1985 to 2000) that I took over from my father after he passed away. I still have seven of them including the 90 and 91 versions.
So here we are twenty years later. What would you rather have? A twenty year old Boxter or the car equivalent of Darth Vader...
The word "nervous" is used an awful lot here.
You're supposed to be nervous. Darth Vader is meant to scare you. 😱
An engine sounding that good when accelerating will kill you in the end - sound is more than lovely!
It’s a beautiful looking beast
Looks and sounds stunning. Someone bring it back!!
My friend has one in a Rolex Oyster finish & he has taken me out in it a few times & I can indeed confirm it is one hell of a scary ( but incredible) ride!!!
Hey Jack....Looks like a mini Viper !!! but O so fast
Such cool, bonkers cars! Love the snap, crackle and pop throttle overrun!
The scariest British car ever made would be another TVR in my book: The Cerbera Speed Twelve. Thanks for the video of this insane car. Cheers Robin
A friend of mine had a Tuscan and it terrified him. He once told me that he felt, for no reason at all-he might one day wear a lamp-post, such was its chaotic handling. I love the look of this car Jack, aggressive, squat stance, a touch of Batman and an AC DC soundtrack. What a car