Oh God help my bank balance!

[mags]

Help me, I am just about to embark on perchasing a Cerbie, Ive sorted the finance, I just have to unload my current car. Please reasure me I''m doing the right thing?? It''s going to be a dream come true the first time I get to drive my own Cerb. Cant wait!

[trefor]

You're doing the right thing. Maybe you should tell us what you current car is.

[mags]

Its an E30 M3, I've owned it for 3 years Its a fantastic drive, but it needs to be kept above 4K to keep it on the power. Time for change

[rev-erend]

Hope you have read some of the horry stories regarding how much a Cerbera can really cost you on the owners cars section... 20k over 3.5 years was the worst that I read. Nice car, goes and handles very well but I could not afford to run one or live with its unreliability. What do I drive - Griff 500.

[angrybeats]

quote:Its a fantastic drive, but it needs to be kept above 4K to keep it on the power. Time for change

The Cerbera has to kept above 4k to keep it in the powerband, If you want low down grunt and a flat torque curve buy a Rover engine one.

[trefor]

A Speed Six doesn't though.

[mags]

Hmmmm, I haven't actually driven one yet, so there is a possibility I wont like the experience, and may not actually purchase one. I appreciate what you are saying about a flat torque curve, but my M3 is almost gutless below 2.5K (with the a/c switched on, I have to slip the clutch at 1.5K just to pull away!) and then a little better to 4K where it picks up. Surley a Cerbie is in a different leauge to this? I have driven Griff 500's, how do the engine characteristics compare? I was going to go for a Griff, but I really want the option to fit a kid in it, and the griff would have been a stepping stone to the cerbie anyway. I figure, why buy a 2 seater when I may only have to change it within the next 2 years assuming we have a nipper (hopefully)If I am going to by a TVR, its going to have to last me a good few years to get over the depreciation. Your views are appreciated Mags

[Alistair H.]

Angrybeats - Are you mad? - I have a Cerby 4.5, and "er indoors" has got an E36 M3. - The cerby has more grunt than a pot bellied vietnamese big! - The M3 is smooth and doesnt really grunt till 5K, where as cerby could pull trees out at tickover. - NO CONTEST.

[dyap]

Exactly what we did - test drove all 3 Cerberas back to back under the same conditions on the same day (wife included, ie 6 test runs in total) before committing to a 4.5. Running costs have been low in the year that we have had it (brand new) but then we would have suffered the depreciation. Can't win them all... Good luck - these things are sure fun to drive and I am sure all Cerbie owners will agree. DY Edited by dyap on Thursday 13th September 12:36

[angrybeats]

quote:Angrybeats - Are you mad? - I have a Cerby 4.5, and "er indoors" has got an E36 M3. - The cerby has more grunt than a pot bellied vietnamese big! - The M3 is smooth and doesnt really grunt till 5K, where as cerby could pull trees out at tickover. - NO CONTEST.

AJP8 spec. Displacement 4475 cc / 273.1 cu in Power 313.2 kw / 420.0 bhp @ 6750 rpm Torque 515.21 nm / 380.0 ft lbs @ 5500 rpm So you don`t think you have to rev the engine to get the power out of it then, maximum power generated at 6750rpm that probably a full 1250rpm more than the Rover engine TVR`s, Maximum torque is also generated about 2000rpm higher than the Rover engine TVR`s. To get the performance out of a Cerbera you have to rev it. There is a noticible extra omph when exceeding 5500rpm have you ever tried it?

[Alistair H.]

Angry B, just love to argue! - We are both TVR fans so lets stop wheezing, If I remember rightly the original string was from our friend the E30 M3 owner, whose 4 cylinder hairdryer did not muster any grumble till 4K. - Best let him take Preston's advice and drive a few cars. I love all TVR's so it's horses for courses. By the way my cerby is elecronically limited to 1500 RPM and 30 mph....NOT.

[angrybeats]

I think you will find the M3 does 0-100 in 12 secs so hardly a hairdryer, and I would have an M3 engine over any AJP8 anyday, I can only go on my experience, and that was an absolute nightmare.

[mags]

Angrybeats, You comments are welcome, but my M3 has cost me a small fortune in my 3y ownership also. £1100 for a gerbox re-build, £600-1K for major service etc etc. Just because its a BMW, doesn't make it reliable. I am well aware of the problems that many Cerbie owners have had, but I also know that many people do not have these problems. I am aiming to get an older car, '97-98 that will have hopefully had all these problems resolved, and has some decent mileage under its belt. But not before I have sampled them all. Mags

[Alistair H.]

Angry B - Why are you so Bolshy?? - As I have an M3 and a Cerby 4.5, I "do" know what they are capable of!! Mags - Just go out and test some cars!!

[JENKS_D]

I agree that might be the performance of the current M3 ( 0-100 in 12 secs), but if I remember correctly the E30 M3 only had about 210 bhp and 0-60 in 7 secs so would be surprised if 0-100 is less than 15/16 secs.

[angrybeats]

quote:Angry B - Why are you so Bolshy??

Just a question? where am I being Bolshy, fair enough in some other threads on the forum, but not on this one. My concern was that he thought the Cerbera has low down grunt which IMO it has not, it has to be revved over 5500rpm to get the best performance out of it, there is a noticable change in umph. [rant mode on] Oh and just for the record I`ve sold my Cerbera and have bought a new Mini Cooper and I`m also buying a westfield, my TVR experience was an absolute nightmare and I`m probably not the only one, would I recommend one, No, stick to the Chim & Griff IMO [/rant mode off]

[mags]

Well I drove a 4.5, and I was half expecting to be dissapointed. but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fantastic. I thought it was going to be a b1tch to drive in traffic, but I was totally wrong. As for the torque, bl1mey!! Some nice (and lucky) chap has just bought my beautiful M3, so over the next few months I will mostly be driving an old banger until Cerbera time in the new year!!! Cant wait!! Have to drive the SP6 and the 4.2 first though. Whoohoo Mags

[holbrooknr]

why were you expecting to be disapointed? An M3 is a nice car but when compared to a 4.5 cerby the M3 is not in the same league as far as performance is concerned

[Paul V]

quote: [rant mode on] Oh and just for the record I`ve sold my Cerbera and have bought a new Mini Cooper and I`m also buying a westfield,

New BMW one? Have you got it yet? What do you think of it, I was considering one but thought I will wait and see what the supercharged version will be like.

[faisalkhan]

Well, it's all relative. Yes, you can feel it pulling much more strongly above 4200 or so rpm, but the lesser amount of torque being put out below this rev range is MORE THAN PLENTY by most standards. So what are you going on about? As for reliability, did you have a Speed 6 engine or a V8? I think the V8s are far more reliable. I just love TVRs' combination of power, styling (interior and exterior) and unassisted driving philosophy. Regards, Faisal (2 Cerbera 4.5s, one in bits, trying to persuade the wife to go for a Chimp!)

quote: My concern was that he thought the Cerbera has low down grunt which IMO it has not, it has to be revved over 5500rpm to get the best performance out of it, there is a noticable change in umph. [rant mode on] Oh and just for the record I`ve sold my Cerbera and have bought a new Mini Cooper and I`m also buying a westfield, my TVR experience was an absolute nightmare and I`m probably not the only one, would I recommend one, No, stick to the Chim & Griff IMO [/rant mode off]