Discussion
Evening
I recently posted re a high miles cerb and got some helpful advice
I have now driven the cerb plus 2 other cars at the dealer - 5l chim and 4 l chim
The cerb and 5l chim were both in perfectly reasonable condition for age / miles but the 4l stood out as exceptional, even given its 20k mileage
I am planning on going for the 4 but slightly worried I am going to find it lacking (although felt great on the test drive) presumably I could Chuck a bit of cash as upgrading the 4 if found it lacking
Thoughts and opinions invited!
Thanks
I recently posted re a high miles cerb and got some helpful advice
I have now driven the cerb plus 2 other cars at the dealer - 5l chim and 4 l chim
The cerb and 5l chim were both in perfectly reasonable condition for age / miles but the 4l stood out as exceptional, even given its 20k mileage
I am planning on going for the 4 but slightly worried I am going to find it lacking (although felt great on the test drive) presumably I could Chuck a bit of cash as upgrading the 4 if found it lacking
Thoughts and opinions invited!
Thanks
After a brief look at your Garage -"then and now" on the Forum, I would say that your only route to happiness is a 4.5 Cerbera.
Although a 4.0 Chimaera is perfectly adequate sports car in todays modern world, I just think that you would it to be quicker, no point in modifying though.
So the fastest car is the Cerbera but the 4.2 might still be not fast enogh so you might as well go for the whole hog 4.5.
Although a 4.0 Chimaera is perfectly adequate sports car in todays modern world, I just think that you would it to be quicker, no point in modifying though.
So the fastest car is the Cerbera but the 4.2 might still be not fast enogh so you might as well go for the whole hog 4.5.
Deendog said:
Thanks guys
Some valid points
I’m not really into modifying cars so would normally agree - just get a 4.5 or 5
Thing is, the 4 is in such nice condition it’s practically like a new car
I thought maybe a few mods could get best of both worlds
Replace the engine with an LS or supercharge it. Otherwise get a 450. Some valid points
I’m not really into modifying cars so would normally agree - just get a 4.5 or 5
Thing is, the 4 is in such nice condition it’s practically like a new car
I thought maybe a few mods could get best of both worlds
Unless you are some sort of track day fan looking for the last ounce of performance I wouldn’t get too worked up about engine size.
I’ve had a 400 and two 500 Chimaeras and frankly the 400 sounds nice, goes decently and provides 95% of the experience. It’s probably all you really need.
However if you suspect that you may one day hanker after the fastest variant then it makes more sense to just get one from the start rather than trying to squeeze more power out some innocent 400.
I’ve had a 400 and two 500 Chimaeras and frankly the 400 sounds nice, goes decently and provides 95% of the experience. It’s probably all you really need.
However if you suspect that you may one day hanker after the fastest variant then it makes more sense to just get one from the start rather than trying to squeeze more power out some innocent 400.
I switched from a 2.9 V6 based TVR S3 to an ex sprint championship modified Chimaera 500 that was mighty quick with loads of grunt, and well set up so it handled well.
The noise and acceleration of the 500 were intoxicating.
That said, as a car to take out on the country lanes and really push, the S3 was better and more rewarding to drive. I could use every bit of its power and feel like I had driven the nuts off the S3. If I drove the 500 to the same top end of its limits, I would have either lost my license or ended up in a ditch. I did a couple of track day events in both cars and other than the straights where the S3 ran out of puff, cornering was as quick in the S3 if not quicker. I cannot remember the exact times but the S3 was only fractionally slower than the 500 round Curburough.
I am glad I went for the 500, over the 400 as I would have always wondered 'what if' and perhaps spent a lot of money upgrading it to learn that higher power figures do not always make a better car for road use.
The 400 and 450 I drove before buying the 500 were not as exciting on the test drive, but looking back would probably have made more usable road cars.
I now have a Tamora, which is in a different league to both cars and handles better than either of them, has more power and more grip, and I think is easier to drive around and use at slower speeds. Other than the turning circle of a cargo ship and rubbish front end ground clearance the Tamora is great but it was pretty much rebuilt before I got it.
If the 400 is as good in every respect other than it not being a 500, do not ignore it on that basis. Think longer-term and what you want it for rather than the immediate wow factor. If it is a car you want for driving on the road frequently with occasional track use then a 400 or 450 ought to be quick enough, loud enough and have that special sense of occasion.
Looking at what the previous owner did and spent upgrading the 500 I ended up with, I would not recommend trying to significantly increase the power of the V8 unless you have deep pockets and really need that extra power. If it still has the original air intake and exhaust system, changing those and getting the car breathing a bit better is an easy and cheap win, but going beyond that starts to cost quite a bit.
I would not get too caught up with mileage and the number of owners either if you want a car you can use regularly. A low mileage car may have not been used much as it always had issues and the previous owner fell out of love with it and parked it up. A higher mileage car can indicate that the previous owner trusted the car, used it well and hopefully kept on top of the list of jobs. Make sure it has been used frequently and well maintained and everything works.
The noise and acceleration of the 500 were intoxicating.
That said, as a car to take out on the country lanes and really push, the S3 was better and more rewarding to drive. I could use every bit of its power and feel like I had driven the nuts off the S3. If I drove the 500 to the same top end of its limits, I would have either lost my license or ended up in a ditch. I did a couple of track day events in both cars and other than the straights where the S3 ran out of puff, cornering was as quick in the S3 if not quicker. I cannot remember the exact times but the S3 was only fractionally slower than the 500 round Curburough.
I am glad I went for the 500, over the 400 as I would have always wondered 'what if' and perhaps spent a lot of money upgrading it to learn that higher power figures do not always make a better car for road use.
The 400 and 450 I drove before buying the 500 were not as exciting on the test drive, but looking back would probably have made more usable road cars.
I now have a Tamora, which is in a different league to both cars and handles better than either of them, has more power and more grip, and I think is easier to drive around and use at slower speeds. Other than the turning circle of a cargo ship and rubbish front end ground clearance the Tamora is great but it was pretty much rebuilt before I got it.
If the 400 is as good in every respect other than it not being a 500, do not ignore it on that basis. Think longer-term and what you want it for rather than the immediate wow factor. If it is a car you want for driving on the road frequently with occasional track use then a 400 or 450 ought to be quick enough, loud enough and have that special sense of occasion.
Looking at what the previous owner did and spent upgrading the 500 I ended up with, I would not recommend trying to significantly increase the power of the V8 unless you have deep pockets and really need that extra power. If it still has the original air intake and exhaust system, changing those and getting the car breathing a bit better is an easy and cheap win, but going beyond that starts to cost quite a bit.
I would not get too caught up with mileage and the number of owners either if you want a car you can use regularly. A low mileage car may have not been used much as it always had issues and the previous owner fell out of love with it and parked it up. A higher mileage car can indicate that the previous owner trusted the car, used it well and hopefully kept on top of the list of jobs. Make sure it has been used frequently and well maintained and everything works.
Deendog said:
Thanks for the input
Leaning towards 4
I’m not buying it for the last word in performance - I think they will all feel pretty old school compared to the m4
Just looking for the v8 burble and a bit of torque to blast up the odd slip road really!
Buy on condition with these cars... the 400 will feel pedestrian compared to an M4.Leaning towards 4
I’m not buying it for the last word in performance - I think they will all feel pretty old school compared to the m4
Just looking for the v8 burble and a bit of torque to blast up the odd slip road really!
My first TVR was a 97 Chim 400 and I owned it for 5 years before moving into a T350 which was night and day quicker and better handling. That had a 4.3 for the last 6 years of my ownership which made it even better - more torque, instant power etc.
However, to this day the car I miss most of the 2 is my chimaera.
By modern standards the 400 is not quick. 0-60 around 5 seconds ish. Bhp on a good one is circa 220.
But it's still quick enough. My old mechanic (Mat Smith of Downham mkt) races a 400 Chim in the TVR championship and look at how good he is against some very healthy competition before you write the 400 off.
It's an umpteen year old rover v8 and tuning is limited and expensive (exhaust and intakes make it breath a little better but don't really anything discernible in terms of power), unless you fit a supercharger there's not a lot you can do.
However, for day to day fun, touring (I did South of France, west France, plus a number of others in mine) it can't be beaten. Roof off certainly helps.
If I were to ever go back the sweet spot engine wise would be the 450 but I'd be happy with an excellant 400. They are pretty much a classic sportscar now so expect to be beaten by mundane looking hatchbacks and even SUVs. But drive it for you and not the traffic light GP and you'll love it.
Whatever you go for her that chassis checked though. Everything else is easy to work on and most parts very cheap. You got a link to the 400 on case anyone here knows it?
citizen smith said:
So the fastest car is the Cerbera but the 4.2 might still be not fast enogh so you might as well go for the whole hog 4.5.
No difference between a 4.2 and a 4.5 in standard trim to around 100mph. A properly setup 4.5 can have around 10-12% more bhp figures if thats your thing, but you wouldn't notice the difference on the road, and the biggest difference is the driver 
Deendog said:
Thanks for the input
Leaning towards 4
I’m not buying it for the last word in performance - I think they will all feel pretty old school compared to the m4
Just looking for the v8 burble and a bit of torque to blast up the odd slip road really!
The old v8 noise is something isn't it...Leaning towards 4
I’m not buying it for the last word in performance - I think they will all feel pretty old school compared to the m4
Just looking for the v8 burble and a bit of torque to blast up the odd slip road really!
I've owned a 4 litre Griff since 1996 and frankly the limiting factor to it being quicker on the road is not lack of power but ground clearance and handling! I've always found the 4 litre pretty damned fast and because it is so lairy, noisy, raw and intoxicating whatever speed you are going it just feels fast anyway! As an example 120mph in my GT86 or your BMW will feel like nothing special at all but 120mph in a Griff feels like you're on the Mulsanne straight on the ragged edge in a GT40 in 1968!! Indeed just for context a 4.0 litre Griff is about on par with a 1966 GT40 and marginally quicker to 60 and Ford were winning Le Mans with those!!! As an earlier poster said a TVR S3 is arguably even more rewarding to drive on a bumpy B road (I had one!) My GT86 is a fab drive too and has far less power than any Griff. Car makers have become obsessed with a 0-60 arms race with ludicrous 2 secs 0-60 times but seem to have largely forgotten what makes a rewarding drivers car in the first place!
There's more than enough power for safe overtaking, A/B road blasting and high speed cruising but while you're doing it the sound is just sublime going from rumbling Spitfire to racing car scream as the revs rise. In truth even a lowly 4.0 litre will outdrag the vast majority of cars on the road 0-60, 30-50, 70-90 etc, it's a wonderfully torquey engine.
As others have said buy on condition and just enjoy it!
Saxon
There's more than enough power for safe overtaking, A/B road blasting and high speed cruising but while you're doing it the sound is just sublime going from rumbling Spitfire to racing car scream as the revs rise. In truth even a lowly 4.0 litre will outdrag the vast majority of cars on the road 0-60, 30-50, 70-90 etc, it's a wonderfully torquey engine.
As others have said buy on condition and just enjoy it!
Saxon
citizen smith said:
After a brief look at your Garage -"then and now" on the Forum, I would say that your only route to happiness is a 4.5 Cerbera.
Although a 4.0 Chimaera is perfectly adequate sports car in todays modern world, I just think that you would it to be quicker, no point in modifying though.
So the fastest car is the Cerbera but the 4.2 might still be not fast enogh so you might as well go for the whole hog 4.5.
4.2s are every bit as quick as all but the very best 4.5s, in actual my first hand experience is that the 4.2s are quicker cars. One thing you are right on, it is impossible to compare a Chim to a Cerbera, they could not be any more different.Although a 4.0 Chimaera is perfectly adequate sports car in todays modern world, I just think that you would it to be quicker, no point in modifying though.
So the fastest car is the Cerbera but the 4.2 might still be not fast enogh so you might as well go for the whole hog 4.5.
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