griff or cerbera
Discussion
thinking of coming back to tvr ownership after a few years away.
but cant decide on a griff 500 or a cerbera {any engine]
my thoughts are the griff may be the better investment long term {and cost less to run} but would I use the cerbera more and therefore get more fun out of it
your thoughts
but cant decide on a griff 500 or a cerbera {any engine]
my thoughts are the griff may be the better investment long term {and cost less to run} but would I use the cerbera more and therefore get more fun out of it
your thoughts
tuscrv8 said:
but cant decide on a griff 500 or a cerbera {any engine]
my thoughts are the griff may be the better investment long term {and cost less to run} but would I use the cerbera more and therefore get more fun out of it
Personally I don't think either one will depreciate any and a good ajp may appreciate as much as the griff. I am biased as I have a griff but I still watch the classifieds and really fancy modding and saving an old cerb! Try them both and decide roof on or off. Either one will keep you happy!my thoughts are the griff may be the better investment long term {and cost less to run} but would I use the cerbera more and therefore get more fun out of it
roseytvr said:
Personally I don't think either one will depreciate any and a good ajp may appreciate as much as the griff. I am biased as I have a griff but I still watch the classifieds and really fancy modding and saving an old cerb! Try them both and decide roof on or off. Either one will keep you happy!
Wise words - you can pick up a Cerbera cheap currently but I think that will change in the future.I would say the Cerb would be used more in our climate but I am biased as I had a Cerb as a daily for a few years and currently only use my Griff on sunny days. The Cerb will cost more to maintain but the sound of overrun on a decatted AJP is worth it.
I'm currently "saving" (trying to anyhow) a Cerbera which I plan on using through winter whilst my Griff is tucked up waiting for summer.
Have you driven either yet?
The Cerbera is quite tight feeling inside and can be hard work to drive for long distances in my opinion. I love mine but it depends what you want it for. I went the Cerbera route due in no small part to it being the only thing I could think of which offered that sort of driving experience but which could carry the wife and children for the odd day-out as a family rather than on my tod. You're always aware of the roll cage a few inches in front of and beside you at forehead level in the Cerb.
A Griff will almost certainly be the better investment, if only because they should bleed you less during ownership. Cars make poor investments unless you're speculating on classics worth 10 times as much, so just try both and see what fits.
The Cerbera is quite tight feeling inside and can be hard work to drive for long distances in my opinion. I love mine but it depends what you want it for. I went the Cerbera route due in no small part to it being the only thing I could think of which offered that sort of driving experience but which could carry the wife and children for the odd day-out as a family rather than on my tod. You're always aware of the roll cage a few inches in front of and beside you at forehead level in the Cerb.
A Griff will almost certainly be the better investment, if only because they should bleed you less during ownership. Cars make poor investments unless you're speculating on classics worth 10 times as much, so just try both and see what fits.
I have a Griff 500 and a Cerb 4.5. Both are great cars but very different. The Cerb looks different to anything else on the roads, it sounds amazing (both on tick over, accelerating and popping and banging on the overrun) and is a real headturner. The interior is completely different to that of any other car :futuristic, though a little claustrophobic. The Griff in my opinion has the best rear end looks of any TVR and is great for a drive out in the sun with the targa panel off. Less of a headturner than the Cerb but the burble from its sleeved RV8 gets people winding down their windows to listen. I think both models will hold their values well : prices on both seem to be holding.
If I had to go down to 1 TVR I would probably keep the Griff : I trust it more to get me where I want to go, the running costs are less and I probably enjoy driving it more than I do the Cerb.
If I had to go down to 1 TVR I would probably keep the Griff : I trust it more to get me where I want to go, the running costs are less and I probably enjoy driving it more than I do the Cerb.
Edited by TVR OWL on Tuesday 10th September 10:16
Gazzab said:
I would use a griff more than a Cerb as its easier to 'pop' out in and use as a normal car. The Cerb is so much more racey and an event. IMHO
^The Cerbera begs to be ragged, in fact it only really starts to make sense as a package when you're over 5krpm with your foot to the floor
. It isn't much fun in traffic (like most racing cars 
). Long journeys are no problem for me, quite the opposite, but then I'm not powerfully built. Only issue comfort-wise is where to rest your left foot and does feel cramped with the window up, ie when it's raining. All IMO of course, some people use them as daily drivers but I find it a bit "extreme" for that.TVR OWL said:
I have a Griff 500 and a Cerb 4.5. Both are great cars but very different. The Cerb looks different to anything else on the roads, it sounds amazing (both on tick over, accelerating and popping and banging on the overrun) and is a real headturner. The interior is completely different to that of any other car :futuristic, though a little claustrophobic. The Griff in my opinion has the best rear end looks of any TVR and is great for a drive out in the sun with the targa panel off. Less of a headturner than the Cerb but the burble from its sleeved RV8 gets people winding down their windows to listen. I think both models will hold their values well : prices on both seem to be holding.
If I had to go down to 1 TVR I would probably keep the Griff : I trust it more to get me where I want to go, the running costs are less and I probably enjoy driving it more than I do the Cerb.
Owl says it all.If I had to go down to 1 TVR I would probably keep the Griff : I trust it more to get me where I want to go, the running costs are less and I probably enjoy driving it more than I do the Cerb.
If I would have to decide between Griff and Cerb,
would be a very difficult decision.
The Griffith is a delight in its way.
But the Cerb is an event to drive and a real headturner.
Maybe go for a 4.2 Cerb and add a Chimaera as well.
Or go for the best: a late Cerbera 4.5
I've had both and the griff is more 'fun' as in its feels faster and is much more of a hot-rod
its a bit more accessible than the cerb in that it slides at lower speeds and is cheaper to run and repair
however the cerb is a better car - better handling, faster and good for long journeys and my 4.2 cerb was about the same on fuel economy as my 4.3 Griff depsite there being about 80 bhp between them.
If I had to choose just one I take the cerb just because I'd use it more as its the more practical of the two
but drive them both and then decide what suits your needs best
they're both great and are arguably the best cars TVR ever made
its a bit more accessible than the cerb in that it slides at lower speeds and is cheaper to run and repair
however the cerb is a better car - better handling, faster and good for long journeys and my 4.2 cerb was about the same on fuel economy as my 4.3 Griff depsite there being about 80 bhp between them.
If I had to choose just one I take the cerb just because I'd use it more as its the more practical of the two
but drive them both and then decide what suits your needs best
they're both great and are arguably the best cars TVR ever made
Loved the arse on my T350 but no way near as much as my Griff, especially the holed rear section on the T350 as i always thought it to be the cars weak point!
RE the OP its a hard choice but i would go with the Griff just for ease of use,cost of running and most of all open topped motoring
RE the OP its a hard choice but i would go with the Griff just for ease of use,cost of running and most of all open topped motoring
As for pace....I am 100% confident that my 4.5 Red Rose (with added diff and gearbox changes) is massively faster than my old 450 Chim, handles much better, is more of an event etc... But the Chimp (a griff in disguise) was much more accessible, the power was lazier (which is good much of the time) etc...
7 TVR said:
Loved the arse on my T350 but no way near as much as my Griff, especially the holed rear section on the T350 as i always thought it to be the cars weak point!
RE the OP its a hard choice but i would go with the Griff just for ease of use,cost of running and most of all
open topped motoring
I have all three and I call the Griff lovingly "fat arse" the Cerb has got a lovely behind but just love the T350 and its holes RE the OP its a hard choice but i would go with the Griff just for ease of use,cost of running and most of all
open topped motoring
It's a real tough call because they are very different cars. In my experience the Cerbera probably isn't a daily driver, though I know guys that do use them the RV8 is a better choice for more regular running.
I love the Cerbera it's such an event every time you go out - in a very positive way. But for me if it had to be just one TVR I'd probably keep the Chimaera.
I love the Cerbera it's such an event every time you go out - in a very positive way. But for me if it had to be just one TVR I'd probably keep the Chimaera.
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