Best handling / Dream TVR
Best handling / Dream TVR
Author
Discussion

piquet

Original Poster:

671 posts

286 months

Tuesday 18th January 2011
quotequote all
guys

after 10 years of thinking about, then being scared by the the banzai sp6, last spring i finally took the plunge and bought myself a tvr, i bought a late series 1 tuscan S with the 4.3 upgrade, i've spent the last 6 months driving it, generally being terrified but loving the noise and the sheer fun of it, but being disappointed with the handling.

it went off just after christmas to the boys and green star sports cars in blackpool, who as well as servicing it for me set it up correctly and wow does it make a difference and i am over the moon. With the sale of my present business i have a chunk of cash and am looking at upgrading the question is to what?

What i'm looking for is the best handling tvr they made, i'm not talking about a track day car, just for day to day fast road use, the obvious options are

1) Sagaris
2) Series 2 tuscan
3) stay with what i have
4) anything else

When i bought the tuscan, the roof off option was a must, but i find i use it less and less, so not being open topped is fine

Whatever i buy i plan to use, rather then store and polish.

Obviously staying with my own car is the cheapest option, the only downside is it remains twitching over the bumps ( although so much better then before it went away) which limits how hard you can push it, I guess ultimately it's the fact that it doesn't inspire confidence on the back roads. The other thing is much as a i love the pod and as much as it is a design classic, fundamentally the reason cars have the standard speedo and tachometer was it is so easy to use

Now the Sagaris is claimed to be the best handling tvr out there, but is that just on a track? I've also read great things about the improved handling of the series 2 tuscans, but would have to find a series 3 with the wavy dashboard

I'm interested people opinions, especially with the handling

pk

2mad

180 posts

208 months

Tuesday 18th January 2011
quotequote all
I think the sagaris is properly the best handling car out of the factory followed by the tamora/t350 .

bobd

973 posts

249 months

Tuesday 18th January 2011
quotequote all
2mad said:
I think the sagaris is properly the best handling car out of the factory followed by the tamora/t350 .
Agreed

jammy_basturd

29,778 posts

241 months

Tuesday 18th January 2011
quotequote all
Depending on your budget, if you leave £2k over after purchase and get some Nitrons and have it all properly set up then you'll have a better handling car than any factory car anyway.

But I agree with the above two posts, from what I've read the Sagaris is probably the best base.

Chopper01

105 posts

197 months

Tuesday 18th January 2011
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Tamora/T350 are superb handling. Get yourself a T350T and have the best of both...

tvrtuscans

1,009 posts

240 months

Tuesday 18th January 2011
quotequote all
Sagaris every day of the week....... I had a Mk 1 Tuscan S....great car, but Sagaris trumps it in spades.

Ironballs

363 posts

204 months

Tuesday 18th January 2011
quotequote all
I had the pleasure of test driving an Evora last year with a man from Lotus sat next to me giving the appropriate urging on and it has to be said that the handling of that car was light years on from my Tamora - and I thought the Tamora was good. I think it's the B-road bump compliance that does it.

That said, the Lotus does not have shiny aluminium controls and a socking great speed 6 lump sat up front.

When I have the spare cash though, the Tam will be getting a nitron type upgrade

Mark A S

2,100 posts

217 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
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I have driven a Chimera, Cerbera, Sagaris and of course my Tuscan. All wonderful cars, but, I would say if your looking to greatly improve there performance over a typical bumpy Back road, then no TVR IMO, will ever be significantly better than they are now.
Yes, Decent shocks and well set up Geo certainly make a difference, the limiting factor with all of the above, is the lack of suspension travel, which unless a major re design is undertaken will never be cured.

My advice would be accept that on bumpy Roads, your never compete with Evo’s, hot hatches etc, but when the roads smooth out and flow, your eat them for breakfast smile

Chris71

21,549 posts

271 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
quotequote all
Mark A S said:
My advice would be accept that on bumpy Roads, your never compete with Evo’s, hot hatches etc, but when the roads smooth out and flow, your eat them for breakfast smile
I suspect you'd have to be driving pretty hard in a Chim to keep pace with a well specced Evo on smooth B-roads. It'd be fun trying though. smile

DonkeyApple

69,781 posts

198 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
quotequote all
I would hazard that a Sag is only trumped by a T440 in regards to handling.

T350s are extremely good.

But why not just spend some money on sorting the Tuscan? That must be a better route.

fredd1e

783 posts

249 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
quotequote all
TVR altered spring /damping rates over the years with last iteration being a retro fittable Bilstien based damper spring developed originally for the tuscan II S (model /version believed to be correct) this has hugely stiffer rear springs to what was originally fitted to Harvey Bailey suspended 1st vintage speed 6 tuscans and slightly stiffer fronts.
The spring rates arent in the sag teritory so still keep a good level of GT abililty which is enhanced by the billies having a lot more low speed compliance compared to H-B dampers.

Mark_S_24

405 posts

205 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
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wasn't there a thread about getting some spacers on the front and it transformed the handelling?
has the Op done this?

Mark

GT TVR

1,627 posts

311 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
quotequote all
Tuscan 2 S is in the same league as a Sag when you uprate the dampers/springs (Nitrons/Eibachs). Maybe a fully sorted Sag is a little bit better but there is not much in it.
Mine is set up a bit softer and it really handles well over rougher B roads; it can easily keep up with my Mini Cooper Works in these conditions. Probably when the roads get very rough the Works handles the bumps better (indeed more suspension travel) but on average rough B roads the Tuscan 2 S is faster.

Edited by GT TVR on Wednesday 19th January 15:25

Gazzab

21,638 posts

311 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
quotequote all
Mark_S_24 said:
wasn't there a thread about getting some spacers on the front and it transformed the handelling?
has the Op done this?

Mark
Is there any proper evidence that this works or is it seat of the pants feedback / mass hysteria?

Mark_S_24

405 posts

205 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
quotequote all
Gazzab said:
Mark_S_24 said:
wasn't there a thread about getting some spacers on the front and it transformed the handelling?
has the Op done this?

Mark
Is there any proper evidence that this works or is it seat of the pants feedback / mass hysteria?
Have a read http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=5&t=867382&mid=176297&nmt=Almost sold my Tuscan due to poor handling! Fixed for £20!

Gazzab

21,638 posts

311 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
quotequote all
Mark_S_24 said:
Gazzab said:
Mark_S_24 said:
wasn't there a thread about getting some spacers on the front and it transformed the handelling?
has the Op done this?

Mark
Is there any proper evidence that this works or is it seat of the pants feedback / mass hysteria?
Have a read http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=5&t=867382&mid=176297&nmt=Almost sold my Tuscan due to poor handling! Fixed for £20!
OK nothing imperical in that from what I can see. But if they are happy that it feels better then thats great.

dvs_dave

9,040 posts

254 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
quotequote all
Gazzab said:
Mark_S_24 said:
Gazzab said:
Mark_S_24 said:
wasn't there a thread about getting some spacers on the front and it transformed the handelling?
has the Op done this?

Mark
Is there any proper evidence that this works or is it seat of the pants feedback / mass hysteria?
Have a read http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=5&t=867382&mid=176297&nmt=Almost sold my Tuscan due to poor handling! Fixed for £20!
OK nothing imperical in that from what I can see. But if they are happy that it feels better then thats great.
How do you suggest it's imperically measured? Other than from direct hands on experience with my own car the before/after difference is very noticably for the better. smile

slimtater

1,035 posts

199 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
quotequote all
I have a T350C with Ohlins and it has been properly set up. This combinations is excellent and you really have to do both (quality upgrade/set up) but I haven't deviated from the original tyre sizing / spacing as there must have been some research to determine the best combo?

Gazzab

21,638 posts

311 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
quotequote all
dvs_dave said:
Gazzab said:
Mark_S_24 said:
Gazzab said:
Mark_S_24 said:
wasn't there a thread about getting some spacers on the front and it transformed the handelling?
has the Op done this?

Mark
Is there any proper evidence that this works or is it seat of the pants feedback / mass hysteria?
Have a read http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=5&t=867382&mid=176297&nmt=Almost sold my Tuscan due to poor handling! Fixed for £20!
OK nothing imperical in that from what I can see. But if they are happy that it feels better then thats great.
How do you suggest it's imperically measured? Other than from direct hands on experience with my own car the before/after difference is very noticably for the better. smile
As far as I know the recent evo tyre tests have shown an interesting comparison between the drivers preferred tyres based on 'feel' and the actual best tyres based on testing to achieve imperical evidence. Hey I dont have a tuscan or spacers but I sometimes feel my car handles better after a good wash or that it accelerates better when the sun is shining. I guess these arent objective but subjective.

Druid

1,312 posts

210 months

Wednesday 19th January 2011
quotequote all
Hark! Do I hear the spelling police on their way. getmecoat