On my way to work this morning I had an interesting play with a bloke in a beautiful TVR Tuscan. I drive a MY01 wagon and was behind him for a couple of miles at least.

He really blew me away on the straight bits to the extent that it was bit embarassing actually - it must have been at least 2/3 seconds faster from 40 to the top speed we hit. However, on the twisty bits, on the brakes and around a roundabout I closed the gap down to nothing and if I'd been on a track I think I could have slipped past him! - he was then holding me up out of some of the corners, his exit speed was much slower than mine. I was not pushing mine that hard around the bends.

Is it a badly handling car? Or was it just being badly or over cautiously driven do you think? I've never been in one but always thought it was very well set up based on write ups it got.

Maybe he did not even see me and was driving normally!! (Jees, how embarassing would that be?).

Could be a combination of all the above. I remember following a Chimera on a wet road. I had to keep riigggght back because, every time he put his foot down it fishtailed and slithered all over the place.

No doubt a REALLY good driver could make it go fast around the bends safely, but there's not many of those around.

TVR - Roundabout - Wet roads
This is NOT a good combination.....
I think anyone who has driven a TVR would agree.

This is odd though as it was bone dry with a fair bit of road to play with.
Perhaps he was still getting used to it as it did have a new plate on it.

[Edited by Reidy - 2/13/2002 10:36:08 AM]

Think in the hands of a VERY skilled driver, Tuscans are actually quick on circuit.

Problem is, 99% of people aren't good enough and they can be downright dangerous if they're not driven well. :(

Quick in a straightline though :)

My Scoob totally outhandles the TVR I had due to the size of my bollox! Driving the Scoob fast on corners (esp wet ones) is easy. Not so easy in a RWD TVR with 330 Lb ft of torque!

D

I drove my friends TVR Tuscan and I can tell you that I was glad to get back in the Scoob afterwards.
A group of us were trying out each others cars down some great Essex country roads and at one point in the Tuscan, whilst breaking up to a bend, I thought a back wheel was about to come past me; the rear end lifted and wriggled all over the place(causing my rear end to do something similar). Beyond belief for a car of this type.
I had a similar scare when I started to (try to) scrub off some speed after a crest.
I had already done this circuit in my car and was doing it at lower speeds in the Tuscan out of respect for the owner (although still driving "enthusiastically" ;) ) so it wasn't a case of me going faster than I thought I was.
In a straight line these cars are wonderful but the handling and composure just doesn't match an Impreza.
In fairness this was an early Tuscan and in a later conversation with TVR's press guy Ben something-or-other (Samson?) he assured me that the new rear spoiler and front splitter combination as fitted to the later cars improves the problem (but he would say that wouldn't he!).
Just my experience.
Incidentally, I also drove a 4.0 Chimera on the same day and found that to be a very "lively" car. Beautiful exhaust note though!

Neil.

Why all the fuss about these then if they snap out and break away without a lot of notice? Whats the point of having all that power but not being able to deliver it?

Apart from the noise, the badge, the prestige, the history, the britishness, the feeling that you are in a plane etc....! OK - now I see.

I do remember though being out on a track in a Cerbera - the owner driving - I remember thinking it handled really well, however, he was an experienced TVR owner but no driving expert!

My wife had one of these awesome machines, and I must admit that compared to the scoobies we own, they can feel very twitchy even in the dry let alone the wet, and unless you feel totally confident in the car you do have a great tendancy to back off quite a lot at bends.

In a straight line and standing start I have never been in anything so quick, but without ABS and traction control to assist going up and slowing down they can set the nerves on edge, particularly being fibre glass. I once saw one that slid sideways into a lamppost 10 days after the guy bought it, the chassis propped up the lamppost, the body you could sweep up off the floor.

About the most annoying thing about the Tuscan is the reliability, my wife's spent 6 months in the garage out of the 12 months she owned it, and the resale value drops dramatically, she lost £13k when she sold a 12 month old car, all Tuscan owners are complaining about it, perhaps they should do what we did stick with the scoobies (apart from the fact she has just taken delivery of a Merc SLK 32 AMG)

all down to driver abailty and the poor confidence that TVR's inspire. But a good driver will cain teh pants of most things straight or twisty.

From my experience, if you ever see a Cerb or Tuscan driven well at a track (which is very rare) there won't be much near it and it'll be in and beyond caterham territory, well beyond standard evos and scoobs.

Hmmm,

There were 3 Cerberas at a recent Donington trackday - a Speed Six and 2 4.5s.

After I'd overtaken the 4.5s down the backstraight and the session had finished, the owners came up to me and asked if the car was std.

I had to say yes of course - increase their insecurity ;) :D

edited cos I can't spell for toffee :D

[Edited by CraigH - 2/13/2002 11:21:44 PM]

I had a play with a TVR on a wet sunday afternoon in december, neither of us were absolutely caning it( Had the girlfriend in the car and the chap in TVR had a women beside him) but occasionally one of us would open open it up and fun was there to be had, Roads were wet and strewn with cow crap. I pulled out from a T junction knowing I had plenty of time to get out ahead of an oncoming car, The TVR followed as I watched my mirrors......... he didn't see the car coming until he pulled out then he nailed the throttle, fishtail BIG style barely missing the granite walls on either side of a bridge, Once I saw everything was alright, boy did I laugh at the look on his face.

4wd flatters even the most hamfisted of drivers...(me)

Andy