Just read my last post - seems I am saying I was a better driver - just to clarify, I meant that you have to be a good driver to get performance out of the TVR but no better than average to get it from the Scooby.

I'll get my coat...

Take an average road on an average day and two average drivers, and 'any' TVR wouldnt see which way a scoob went.

DazW

Do these figures achieved on a wide open piece of tarmac, translate in to real world A to B speed? Despite the Skyline's good showing, it tramlines like buggery and snap oversteers in the wet without much provocation. Down a wet twisty bumpy B road, I'm certain it would be beaten by a hot hatch with equal drivers.

IMO the quickest cars on real road conditions are one which have sufficient grunt, and tell you clearly when they are approaching the limits of grip, then let go slowly and progressively. The best ones have cornering limits which are higher than you would dare approach on public roads, which is why I like my Impreza so much - I've followed sports bikes through sweepers at indecent speeds and the car has always had more in reserve.

Unless you are a great driver, a non-friendly handling car will just punt you into a hedge as soon as you try going genuinely fast in it on a challenging road. Being able to outdrag a £20k japanese tin box is scant compensation for this IMO.

Another interesting point is that Evo, the mag that did those EPR tests, rated the P1 above the Tuscan and Ferrari 360 Modena, and it scored almost the same as the Diablo in their car of the year test. The Skyline was rubbished by a standard PPP-ed Impreza with 17" wheels (otherwise known as the RB5) in last years test. Considering they have some superb drivers on their team, and spend 2 days driving the cars to their limits on some of the toughest roads in the country, I think that's about as good an indication as you'll get of which cars are the best real world performers.

Everyone always seems keen to accuse TVR of producing "specials" for road tests....

Does anyone have any evidence of this?

From memory Evo tested early press 4.5 Cerbie @ 9.2 secs 0-100 (or maybe that was Perf Car..?). In a later issue (0-60 challenge) a "punter" could only manage 10.3, but 'twas with said punter driving, and writer acknowledged a top-end missfire (testing 2-up remember).....so not sure that proves anything.

I don't have any "proof" either way....just can't see Mr Wheeler condoning this when he is so openly dissmissive / hostile towards the press. Why would a man that banned all press from driving TVRs for 9+ months of 1999(might have been 2000 http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/redface.gif ) create press specials? (Evo gave the Speed-6 Cerbie 5-stars and "best TVR ever" label when it was released, but it didn't even feature subsequently in the Evo Car Of The Year doo-dah ~ that had me confused for ages 'til I heard about the ban!)

I'm personally with other guys who cite Driver as the main factor ~ I would think the majority of exotica are driven well within the limit of the car, whereas most Scoobys are purchased by focused drivers who place function over form (or image as perceived by the majority) and drive their cars hard. All this in conjunction with a car that flatters the driver.

Edited to ask Rannoch ~ are you sure the Tuscan in latest Evo is Harry Ms? If it is, he has just got it .... no mention in the mag...????

[This message has been edited by mik (edited 01 May 2001).]

A car that flatters the driver... Now this is the best single phrase I've read describing the scooby.

Easy is a good description too.

Went to a Bedford Autodrome day, in my STi.

Friend went out with instructor driving in his Cerbera Speed Six. Instructor spun it 6 times in one lap.

Went out again with me following, and I could keep up. Which i was surprised about.

Instructor then took out a 550 Maranello - similar performance to the TVR. He absolutely left me for dead.

Afterwards he said the Cerbera was one of the nastiest handling cars he's driven.

On my first track day (very, very wet) I was in my STi and passed (several times) a 550 Maranello driven by an ex-Formula 1 driver - just goes to show that rain levels even the greats!

Maybe he wasn't trying.

Also the question about Harry - from memory - Harry arrived in his new TVR was quoted in the article.

I am happy to be wrong tho!

R http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

OK,

So does that mean you are very very good, the ex-F1 driver was very crap, I'm very crap or the Bedford driver was very good?
http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

Or all the above?

Rannoch,

Re-read it last night (with my anorak on!) ~ I think Harry just drove it to meet the rest of the team......

Can no-one provide any insight to the "TVR produce press specials" claims?

Bedford driver? You had troubles with a *VAN* http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/biggrin.gif

(sorry for being off-topic, couldn't help myself)