Only gone and done it!
Discussion
So we are now a 2 TVR Household! Been years in the waiting but last night picked up a lovely 1999 4.5 Rolex Blue one, Looks rather nice parking in the garage next to the Chimaera. I am a very happy bunny!
Thanks to Dave, the previous owner for looking after it so well for me. At work currently but pics to follow later!
Thanks to Dave, the previous owner for looking after it so well for me. At work currently but pics to follow later!
.Mark said:
So we are now a 2 TVR Household! Been years in the waiting but last night picked up a lovely 1999 4.5 Rolex Blue one, Looks rather nice parking in the garage next to the Chimaera. I am a very happy bunny!
Thanks to Dave, the previous owner for looking after it so well for me. At work currently but pics to follow later!
You got a Cerb, Mark?Thanks to Dave, the previous owner for looking after it so well for me. At work currently but pics to follow later!
Barreti said:
Just out of curiosity, do you know where the colour name Rolex Blue come from?
In all the stuff I've seen about Rolex watches both old and new, their colour scheme seems to be a kind of frog green.
My GMT-master has the blue and red bezel and the blue matches numerous TIVs ! In all the stuff I've seen about Rolex watches both old and new, their colour scheme seems to be a kind of frog green.
Don said:
Beautiful.
I absolutely LOVE how they pop and bang when you lift off...
Cheers Don,I absolutely LOVE how they pop and bang when you lift off...
This one is lovely, got the obligatory sports zorst and different cats, apparently the standard TVR ones are 400 cell ceramic, this has 200 cell metal so is a little more free flowing with a deeper note.
I wrote this for our local IAM magazine after trying PHer "whatever"'s wonderful car. I'd be interested to see how much you agree with or relate to once you've got used to your fantastic new toy:
I got a LOT of interest at meetings from it: people were quite fascinated.
DonInAnIAMMag said:
Recently I was fortunate enough to try out a sports car I had previously only admired from a distance – a beautiful green TVR Cerbera 4.5. For those that aren’t intimately familiar with the Blackpool brand this is their one and only four seater coupe. The car is equipped with a 4.5 litre “AJP” V8 engine built in-house that develops over 400bhp. Given the car weights less than 1200kg I can confirm that it is not underpowered! It costs not far shy of £50K new but used examples are now available in the mid £20Ks.
It’s an odd combination, this car. It’s the most powerful road car TVR have made, even the latest Sagaris is only its equal, but it’s also the family man’s TVR. The family will need to be Mum, Dad and no more than two very young bundles of joy in the tiny rear area – which only TVR could actually have the audacity to call “seats” – but it is the only TVR to date to accommodate more than two passengers.
Entering the car is the start of very special occasion. You press a tiny white electric button cleverly hidden at the base of the door mirror. The long, long window winds down a couple of inches and the equally long door pops open and pushes itself away from the body of the car. Since the entire body work is made from GRP (fibreglass to you and me) it is extremely light – and the door is no exception. As with all TVRs it feels strange to push the feather-light door back and get in.
Once the door closes, however, the sheer exotic wonder of the experience really begins to hit home. The seat butts up against a transmission tunnel that runs right through the centre of the car – right up near elbow height. The dash sweeps closely around the driver. The steering wheel is an amazing delight – with all the major controls in board of it. You thumb a button on the wheel and you have main beam, thumb it again and you are back to dip. The indicator stalk is a beautiful aluminium item – but works on the same principles – push once to indicate, push again in the same direction to cancel! This takes a little getting used to!
Firing the car up requires some wizardry under the dash but then, whilst a warning buzzer sounds, one reaches out and pushes the starter button with a trembling finger…and the beast bursts into life! The engine note when cold is quite odd – a sort of clattering sound, which deepens into a rasping bark with a little heat…no doubt characteristic of the near race engine just inches away from the driver under the long bonnet.
Pulling away requires discipline – although the car has surprisingly little torque at low revs and you feel as if you could stall it. Once warmed through and above 1.2K revs the car will pull and pull and pull in any gear at any time, though.
And so – out onto my favourite test route, taking roads around Kingsclere, the A339, the A34 and Basingstoke’s ring roads. Something of everything to test its mettle.
The car seriously impressed. Its rather well built for a TVR – the controls are light and surprisingly sophisticated to use. I hadn’t expected such a low volume vehicle to be, well, so good. The ride, admittedly on uprated shock absorbers, was good, the rattles few, the gearshift swift and positive. The steering would be a shock to some – as it is massively direct. Genuinely there is no real need to feed the wheel – lock to lock being achieved without any great crossing of the arms – almost like a Caterham. Despite this the car isn’t overly nervous or “pointy” – quite an achievement. The real surprise though is the virtually instantaneous throttle response. There is no smoothing out of the engines natural characteristics being done by the ECU on this car. Nope – you have to control revs yourself with your right foot. This means that even on up changes it is necessary to match revs to road speed before engaging the next gear.
Of course, on down changes, it is even more important – as the massive torque of the engine would otherwise brake the (rear) drive wheels to a standstill. IAM readers will, of course, appreciate the importance of using the System – but with the Cerbera it becomes vital – as once slowing has been achieved, matching revs is crucial to both a smooth drive – and safety! The alternative, race-bred, approach of using the heel and toe technique to match revs on downshifts under braking is also well catered to by a pedal arrangement that features a wide brake pedal positioned well over to the right, and immediately adjacent to the accelerator.
A test drive report would, of course, be incomplete without mentioning the almost unbelievable performance of the car. In any gear, at virtually any revs the car will react to the slightest pressure of the right foot and accelerate in a way that, until you have experienced it, you will simply not believe possible. This translates to an overtaking ability that is simply breathtaking. The performance is intoxicating but one’s enthusiasm is tempered by the knowledge that this car is not equipped with either ABS or any form of traction control. One immediately realises that should one take liberties one will be punished cruelly.
Can I recommend the car to IAM members? Well, most certainly, yes! It’s simply stunning. But, to go with deep enough pockets to maintain it properly, owners will need the driving skills, and restraint to keep it where it belongs – on the road.
Understand there is a little poetic licence and I'm speaking to an audience of readers intimately familiar with the System Of Car Control.It’s an odd combination, this car. It’s the most powerful road car TVR have made, even the latest Sagaris is only its equal, but it’s also the family man’s TVR. The family will need to be Mum, Dad and no more than two very young bundles of joy in the tiny rear area – which only TVR could actually have the audacity to call “seats” – but it is the only TVR to date to accommodate more than two passengers.
Entering the car is the start of very special occasion. You press a tiny white electric button cleverly hidden at the base of the door mirror. The long, long window winds down a couple of inches and the equally long door pops open and pushes itself away from the body of the car. Since the entire body work is made from GRP (fibreglass to you and me) it is extremely light – and the door is no exception. As with all TVRs it feels strange to push the feather-light door back and get in.
Once the door closes, however, the sheer exotic wonder of the experience really begins to hit home. The seat butts up against a transmission tunnel that runs right through the centre of the car – right up near elbow height. The dash sweeps closely around the driver. The steering wheel is an amazing delight – with all the major controls in board of it. You thumb a button on the wheel and you have main beam, thumb it again and you are back to dip. The indicator stalk is a beautiful aluminium item – but works on the same principles – push once to indicate, push again in the same direction to cancel! This takes a little getting used to!
Firing the car up requires some wizardry under the dash but then, whilst a warning buzzer sounds, one reaches out and pushes the starter button with a trembling finger…and the beast bursts into life! The engine note when cold is quite odd – a sort of clattering sound, which deepens into a rasping bark with a little heat…no doubt characteristic of the near race engine just inches away from the driver under the long bonnet.
Pulling away requires discipline – although the car has surprisingly little torque at low revs and you feel as if you could stall it. Once warmed through and above 1.2K revs the car will pull and pull and pull in any gear at any time, though.
And so – out onto my favourite test route, taking roads around Kingsclere, the A339, the A34 and Basingstoke’s ring roads. Something of everything to test its mettle.
The car seriously impressed. Its rather well built for a TVR – the controls are light and surprisingly sophisticated to use. I hadn’t expected such a low volume vehicle to be, well, so good. The ride, admittedly on uprated shock absorbers, was good, the rattles few, the gearshift swift and positive. The steering would be a shock to some – as it is massively direct. Genuinely there is no real need to feed the wheel – lock to lock being achieved without any great crossing of the arms – almost like a Caterham. Despite this the car isn’t overly nervous or “pointy” – quite an achievement. The real surprise though is the virtually instantaneous throttle response. There is no smoothing out of the engines natural characteristics being done by the ECU on this car. Nope – you have to control revs yourself with your right foot. This means that even on up changes it is necessary to match revs to road speed before engaging the next gear.
Of course, on down changes, it is even more important – as the massive torque of the engine would otherwise brake the (rear) drive wheels to a standstill. IAM readers will, of course, appreciate the importance of using the System – but with the Cerbera it becomes vital – as once slowing has been achieved, matching revs is crucial to both a smooth drive – and safety! The alternative, race-bred, approach of using the heel and toe technique to match revs on downshifts under braking is also well catered to by a pedal arrangement that features a wide brake pedal positioned well over to the right, and immediately adjacent to the accelerator.
A test drive report would, of course, be incomplete without mentioning the almost unbelievable performance of the car. In any gear, at virtually any revs the car will react to the slightest pressure of the right foot and accelerate in a way that, until you have experienced it, you will simply not believe possible. This translates to an overtaking ability that is simply breathtaking. The performance is intoxicating but one’s enthusiasm is tempered by the knowledge that this car is not equipped with either ABS or any form of traction control. One immediately realises that should one take liberties one will be punished cruelly.
Can I recommend the car to IAM members? Well, most certainly, yes! It’s simply stunning. But, to go with deep enough pockets to maintain it properly, owners will need the driving skills, and restraint to keep it where it belongs – on the road.
I got a LOT of interest at meetings from it: people were quite fascinated.
Don said:
I wrote this for our local IAM magazine after trying PHer "whatever"'s wonderful car. I'd be interested to see how much you agree with or relate to once you've got used to your fantastic new toy:
I got a LOT of interest at meetings from it: people were quite fascinated.
Well, 3 and a bit days and a tanker-full of fuel later, my first impressions are DonInAnIAMMag said:
Lots of excellent stuff
Understand there is a little poetic licence and I'm speaking to an audience of readers intimately familiar with the System Of Car Control.I got a LOT of interest at meetings from it: people were quite fascinated.
Bloody hell what a car!Had a good long run up to Kent Friday night and a blatt around the village my mate lives at, a few shorter journey's over the weekend and we took my niece out today in it for her birthday lunch - I can confirm 3 people do fit although it was legs thrown over the tunnel for my niece in the back.
It's a joy to drive, a lot easier than imagined although clutch control and pulling away take a bit of work, but it'll come. it has a special Catalytic Converter on it and sports pipes and the noise is incredible, the barks and pops are quite intoxicating. As you said Don, the steering is spot on, perfect and inspires great confidence that you can put the car wherever you like on the road, the ride on the Nitrons is sublime and on some roads better than my company hack. And the head turning possibilities are endless - a perfect car and a great purchase.
I've still yet to be brave enough to bury the loud pedal though
I tell you, it makes the Chimaera feel very, very pedestrian.How is 'Whatever' not seen/heard from the fella for a very long time?
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