TVR factory BHP how did they get away with it
Discussion
Just curious, however, we all know that, for example, the Chims and Griff 500's put out 270 (+ or - 10 ish) as opposed to the 320/340 quoted by the factory. This is an accepted TVR factory untruth that seems to be acknowledged and accepted.... But what about those who purchased the cars new ???? Perhaps the cars didn't get RR'd back then, although it's really not that long ago... Did no one go back to the factory and say this car doesn't do what you said it would ? Did no one go back and wave trades descriptions stuff at the TVR sales people ??? Someone must have phoned the factory and said 'where the f
s my 340 horses ????
Or maybe they didn't..... If you paid £xxxx for a car with 340 bhp and when you got it it only had 270 surely you'd be a trifle miffed ????
As I said, just curious
s my 340 horses ????Or maybe they didn't..... If you paid £xxxx for a car with 340 bhp and when you got it it only had 270 surely you'd be a trifle miffed ????
As I said, just curious
Chilliman said:
You'll get no argument from me over value per bhp, but that wasn't really my point...
In short, yes I knew and accepted the quoted BHP figures were optimistic and that the cars used for road tests were likely to be 'special' and that the average road car wouldn't be that 'special'.
Englishman said:
Chilliman said:
You'll get no argument from me over value per bhp, but that wasn't really my point...
In short, yes I knew and accepted the quoted BHP figures were optimistic and that the cars used for road tests were likely to be 'special' and that the average road car wouldn't be that 'special'.R.
Englishman said:
Most of us were well aware when we purchased that there were BHP's and TVR BHP's (as were the dealers). TVR's were, and still are, stonking value per BHP.
Lotus are similar prices and to the best of my knowledge their BHP figures are accurate. Don't get me wrong, love my TVR's but my V8 Esprit knocked out 350BHP and it was noticeably "a lot" quicker of the mark than my Tuscan 4.0 which has 380TVRHP
Might sound odd now I guess, but there was something special/unique about going to a motor show in the 70/80/90's, meeting the owner of the company and talking cars honestly without any of the marketing c**p. Everyone knew the printed figures were best (optimistic) guesses but no one cared. I'd be surprised if anyone actually complained at the time, it was just understood. The cars spoke for themselves and its very difficult to give up the habit once hooked!
My guess is that the early cars enjoyed TLC builds and some thereafter, possibly those built for "friends of the factory", press cars obviously, that kind of thing.
For example my 98 Chim 500 (pre-project) was producing about 300bhp, with a critically worn cam sprocket and clogged sump oil pickup. It's not unreasonable to expect after 13 years it would have lost a few since box fresh too.
So it might well have been about 320bhp new. Like I said, maybe the first owner had a connection with the factory, or maybe the guy/s who built my engine were the best engine crew in the works at the time.
I remember Top Gear within the last couple of years RR'd a selection of 80's/90s sports cars and the deterioration in outputs was significant (at least relative mfrs' claimed outputs).
There's no doubt from the spread of outputs out there that there are good ones and not so good ones - seems to be pot luck which you end up with.
For example my 98 Chim 500 (pre-project) was producing about 300bhp, with a critically worn cam sprocket and clogged sump oil pickup. It's not unreasonable to expect after 13 years it would have lost a few since box fresh too.
So it might well have been about 320bhp new. Like I said, maybe the first owner had a connection with the factory, or maybe the guy/s who built my engine were the best engine crew in the works at the time.
I remember Top Gear within the last couple of years RR'd a selection of 80's/90s sports cars and the deterioration in outputs was significant (at least relative mfrs' claimed outputs).
There's no doubt from the spread of outputs out there that there are good ones and not so good ones - seems to be pot luck which you end up with.
Pacman1972 said:
Lotus are similar prices and to the best of my knowledge their BHP figures are accurate. Don't get me wrong, love my TVR's but my V8 Esprit knocked out 350BHP and it was noticeably "a lot" quicker of the mark than my Tuscan 4.0 which has 380TVRHP
Interesting 
Lotus is (actually were since they dropped the Esprit) my other passion. I had a V8 Esprit, plus 4 earlier ones. Can't speak for yours but my V8 was slower on the track than my Griff 500 that I owned at the same time, but there again the Esprit brakes were rubbish compared with the TVR's so maybe that was why. Never measured the BHP of either so can't really comment based on facts except lap times.Glad to see theres a little more response to this topic since i raised the issue awhile back when it went down like a lead balloon.i quote the great man, "Alot of people flash pretend horse power figures around but when you have 360bhp in a car weighing just over a tonne, etc " look i'm as doe eyed as the next owner on here about TVR and as luck would have it,mine RR'd at 320/320 before i started the Blower project but it must be a bit of a pisser if you had say a 500 kicking out 250 fresh out of the box,can you imagine sitting at the lights with a Porseche beside you thinking i'll wipe that hairdressers eye...a bit embarassing to say the least
markreilly said:
Glad to see theres a little more response to this topic since i raised the issue awhile back when it went down like a lead balloon.i quote the great man, "Alot of people flash pretend horse power figures around but when you have 360bhp in a car weighing just over a tonne, etc " look i'm as doe eyed as the next owner on here about TVR and as luck would have it,mine RR'd at 320/320 before i started the Blower project but it must be a bit of a pisser if you had say a 500 kicking out 250 fresh out of the box,can you imagine sitting at the lights with a Porseche beside you thinking i'll wipe that hairdressers eye...a bit embarassing to say the least
You finished your SC Mark ? Tell us more !You could imagine TVR building the engine to go in the 1st Griff, and putting it in a dyno cell where it was fed water from an external pump, plugged in to the mains instead of having an alternator, having no PAS to drive... All these "losses" add up.
Not that I would accuse anyone of cheating.
Not that I would accuse anyone of cheating.
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