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    21 May 2018

    TVR's new Griffith is here, and these are our back catalogue favourites

    By James LisleJames Lisle
    If past TVRs are anything to go by, the new Griffith should be one hell of a car.

    With the new Griffith's appearance at the London Motor Show, we take a look at some the brand's 72-year history.

    If there’s anything you should know about TVRs, it’s that they're mental. Truly mental.

    Like most English manufacturers, TVR made some lumpy stuff in the ‘70s and ‘80s. But boy, did it change its tone in the 1990s.

    TVR Cerbera (1996-2003)

    With a face like that, you wouldn't think it'd be able to knock your block off. But it can... With a face like that, you wouldn't think it'd be able to knock your block off. But it can...

    Originally born with a 4.2-litre V8 that soon became a 4.5, the long (but light) Cerbera weighed just 1100kg.

    Combine that with an aggressive power figure of 313kW/515Nm, and it’s not surprising the Cerbera is rumoured to be one of the few cars to catch Jeremy Clarkson's attention in a straight line.

    In fact, one of the only things that could rival the performance was the Cerbera's woeful unreliability. Getting a small-production quasi-racing engine to start seven days a week isn’t really one of TVR's strong points. Who knew?

    TVR Tuscan Speed Six (1999-2006)

    • Fun fact: most TVRs didn't feature door handles. Instead, they had electronic buttons on the bottom of the door mirror. Fun fact: most TVRs didn't feature door handles. Instead, they had electronic buttons on the bottom of the door mirror.
    • It looks cool, but I doubt any of the switchgear actually works. It looks cool, but I doubt any of the switchgear actually works.

    Whereas the Cerbera was designed to petrify everyone who sat behind the wheel, the Tuscan was made to be a bit more forgiving. A bit more...

    Running a brand-new, 4.0-litre straight-six (hey, it’s almost a Falcon) that generated 298kW/427Nm, the five-speed Tuscan could do the 0-100km/h dash in just 3.7-seconds.

    Top speed is (reportedly) 306km/h, but given the fibreglass body is probably held together with spit and Kleenex, who has the cajones to find out for sure.

    The Tuscan has also been in a handful of Hollywood movies, including 'Swordfish', 'The Fast and The Furious: Tokyo Drift', and the 'Loony Tunes Back in Action' (wow!).

    TVR Sagaris (2005-2006)

    • Name one other car that has sideways exhausts, a transparent rear spoiler, or axe-attack slashes over the front wheel arches. Name one other car that has sideways exhausts, a transparent rear spoiler, or axe-attack slashes over the front wheel arches.
    • There's awesome, and then there's a TVR. There's awesome, and then there's a TVR.

    Combine the combative attitude of the Cerbera with the Tuscan's wacky design, and you’ll get the Sagaris.

    Despite having dialed up the quality control in its development, the Sagaris still carried many classic TVR faults. The cabin reportedly smelt of resin, the ergonomics were all over the place, and the reliability of the electrics were not too great, either.

    Power output for the 4.0-litre straight six (claimed to be the most powerful naturally-aspirated straight-six, ever) reached an all-time high at 303kW/473Nm and was matched to a five-speed manual that let the Sagaris demolish the 0-100km/h dash just as quickly as the Tuscan.

    Like all TVRs (apart from the upcoming Griffith), there’s no traction control, ABS, or airbags. Best not to crash it then...

    What makes you excited for the new TVR Griffith? Tell us in the comments below

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