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The TVR Griffith Might Just Happen After All
Announced with great celebrations at Goodwood Revival back in 2017, the same year TVR celebrated its 70th birthday, the reborn Griffith sports car gradually fell into a cone of shadow after a series of delays and it got to a point where it completely went off radar for the past two years.
Put in front of this sizzle and no steak situation, we, just like you, thought the project was dumped. Apparently, that is not the case as a new loan keeps TVR on track to delivering the second-gen Griffith.
Own A Piece Of British Le Mans History With This TVR T400R
TVR is known as one of those wacky British manufacturers that, bolstered by a feverish can-do attitude, has been putting out stupendous sports cars for decades. Most of the TVRs that’ve come out since the ’90s are weird, somewhat unreliable, impractical, and that’s why we love them. We love the Tuscan, the Cerbera, the T350, the Chimaera, and the Sagaris all the same and today we’re focusing on the one that last raced at Le Mans, the Tuscan or, as it was called in its latter years, the T440.
As a small manufacturer, TVR never could hope to pump out dozens and dozens of race cars like Porsche and, as such, only six Tuscan-based GT cars were ever made and the first chassis, number 1227, debuted way back in 2001 and had a long and storied career with a final appearance at Le Mans in ’05 followed by a full European Le Mans Series season in ’06. And now you can buy it from the man who’s had it since it was brand-spanking-new.
A Company Known as Grex Is Now Selling the TVR Sagaris As a Kit Car
If you aren’t privy to the British insanity that is TVR, I’ll be happy to inform you. Founded in 1946 in Blackpool, TVR is an independent boutique sports car manufacturer known for creating aggressive, driver-centric RWD sports machines with a penchant for ass-out antics. TVR’s are simple, brutal machines, devoid of any assists or driver aids whatsoever, maximizing driver engagement at all costs. ABS? Learn to threshold brake. Traction control? It’s called your right foot. Air bags? Well, just don’t crash. These things are utterly mad, but unfortunately, we here in the U.S. never got a crack at ‘em. Until now.
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TVR Returns To Racing After More than a Decade
Revived by British businessman Les Edgar after decades of struggle, TVR launched in 2017 its first brand-new vehicle in 13 years. Given the company’s current condition, the second-generation Griffith will remain its sole model for a while, but TVR isn’t wasting time and is expanding its presence by returning to endurance motorsport. In an announcement made earlier this week, TVR revealed that it has teamed up with Rebellion Racing for the 2018-2019 super season of the FIA World Endurance Championship. TVR will compete in the LMP1 category, alongside five other teams, including Toyota Gazoo Racing. Rebellion Racing TVR will make its track debut during the WEC Prologue event at Circuit Paul Ricard on 6 April, marking the company’s return to motorsport for the first time in more than a decade.
TVR Teases New Le Mans Challenger; Debut On April 5
British sports car maker TVR is gearing up to offer a brand-new lineup of street machines by next year, and to coincide with the release, the company is also looking to step back into the world of motorsport with some fresh competition at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The brand teased its new endurance challenger in a recent social media post depicting a heavily pixelated image of the forthcoming racer.
TVR head honcho Les Edgar has said in the past that the company will view Le Mans as “front and center” in terms of priorities, and given the company’s return to the limelight, a venue like the Circuit de la Sarthe seems like a fantastic choice for TVR to make its grand reentrance.
TVR last ran at Le Mans 13 years ago in 2005, represented by the Tuscan R. The company is currently in the process of creating a new Griffith street car, which is due out by the end of the year.
There are currently no official details on the new Le Mans racer as of yet, but it looks as though TVR will compete in the LMP1 class running a Rebellion R13. What’s more, there’s speculation that Gordon Murray, a British designer best known for his work in Formula One and the legendary McLaren F1 road machine, will have a hand in the creation of the new TVR racer. Murray also had a hand in the new Griffith.
Tune in tomorrow for the full rundown.
TVR Gets Huge Investment From An Unlikely Source
The Welsh government has investing £500,000 ($690,000) to TVR, acquiring a three-percent stake in the British automaker. The government is also sending a £2 million loan to the company and purchased the Ebbw Vale production facility where TVR plan to produce its current and future models, including the recently launched Griffith sports coupé.
Les Edgar Is Pleased Enough With The TVR Griffith To Drop Some Expletives
As an employee, there’s no better feeling in the world than seeing your boss crack a smile or pat you on the back, recognizing you for a job well done. The team behind TVR and the just-launched Griffith sports car may not have been in the vicinity of CEO Les Edgar when he took the sports car out for a spin, but judging by his reaction in driving the sports car, I’d say he approves enough of how the Griffith turned out. He threw expletives left and right out of sheer excitement.
Such was his reaction when he was captured behind the wheel of the Griffith shortly after the sports car made its debut at the Goodwood Revival a few weeks ago. I don’t know the circumstances behind him driving the Griffith, but I do know that when he tickled the gas pedal and summoned the car’s 5.0-liter V-8 engine to come to life, the 500-horsepower more than obliged, eliciting a hearty curse word and a somewhat shocked look on the face of Edgar. The TVR boss’ excitement didn’t end there either as Edgar let out and dropped an excited F-bomb as he and his companion were making their way back to the Gordon Murray Design office.
It certainly looks like Edgar had a good time experiencing the Griffith in all its glory, and why wouldn’t he? By all accounts, the Griffith looks to be, at the very least, a proper sports car. It has a hearty V-8 engine that packs 500 horsepower, all of which goes to the rear wheels courtesy of a purist-loving six-speed manual transmission. No wonder Edgar had a look of surprise on his face when he floored the sports car. He probably didn’t expect it to be as good as it turned out. We’d be cursing with excitement, too, if we were in his position.
2018 TVR Griffith
Well, Folks, the day is here. TVR has shocked the world by debuting the new TVR Griffith at the Goodwood Revival. One of the most anticipated cars of the year, the Griffith has a lot to live up to, but luckily the team responsible for this piece of rolling artwork has managed to deliver a car that resides well above our expectations and should send marques like Aston Martin and Jaguar running for the hills. Featuring a look that reminds me of an FD-gen Mazda RX-7 on steroids, the Griffith features a stunning design, a 50:50 weight distribution, a Cosworth-enhanced V-8 that’s good for at least 400 ponies, and a Magnum XL gearbox that can handle as much as 700 pound-feet of torque. It’s beautiful iStream architecture provided by none other than Gordan Murray, paired with that beautiful carbon composite body means we’re talking about a car that isn’t only exceptionally light but exceptionally strong as well and could very well push TVR beyond being the brand it once was as it steps into the ring with the big boys for the first time in nearly two decades.
The car was presented for the very first time in Launched Edition spec, a model that will go for £90,000 or about $119,000 a current exchange rates. It boasts a full leather interior to go with custom wheels, a special paint selection, and a bespoke infotainment system. A good number of these have likely already been spoken for so if you’re hoping to get one of the first models that rolls off the line, you might want to get with TVR quickly as once they are spoken for, that’s it. Production is slated to start sometime in late 2018 with a total of 500 Launch Edition models on the bill. After that, you’ll be stuck with the standard production model, which will likely go for a bit more once in production and ready to hit the streets. So, with that in mind, we should start seeing the Griffith on the street in the next couple of years, so let’s talk more about this stunning masterpiece and see just what it brings to the table.
Continue reading to learn more about the 2018 TVR Griffith.
The TVR T37 Sports Car Will Get A Manual Transmission, Or So This Teaser Shows
It’s been almost 20 years since TVR launched a sports car. Think about how long that’s been. A generation’s worth of gearheads know TVR as nothing but a fragment of days gone by, not realizing that one point in time, it was the creator of some of the most exciting British sports cars to hit the streets. Since the launch of the Tuscan in 1999, TVR has trudged through the mud of mediocrity, collapsing into administration in 2006 through numerous ownership changes. Fast forward to this year and things are finally looking up for TVR as it’s on course to present its first production sports car in 18 years. The car still doesn’t have an official name (it’s codenamed “T37”), but if recent teaser photos are any indication, the name can come later. What’s important is the car is set to make its debut at the Goodwood Revival this coming September.
TVR has released a number of revealing information about the car, but in true automotive fashion, it’s kept most of the details under wraps, opting to release a handful of teasers of the model, including this one featuring the sports car’s manual transmission. It’s admittedly not much to go by in the way of deciphering the car’s design, but the revelation of it coming with a manual transmission means that customers will have to make good use of their driving skills if they hope to drive the car up to its full potential.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
TVR to unveil its new sports car at Goodwood Revival
Recently revived, British sports car firm TVR has confirmed that its first vehicle in almost two decades will be unveiled at the 2017 Goodwood Revival in September. Developed under codename T37, in conjunction with Gordon Murray Design, TVR’s first new design since 1999 promises tremendous performance and a pure British design. TVR will become the first manufacturer to globally launch a new vehicle at the Goodwood Revival.
Not a lot is known about the T37 at this point, but TVR said the coupe will tip the scales at only 1,200 kg (2,645 pounds) and hit 60 mph in "less than four seconds." Its top speed is estimated at 200 mph, a mark that very few supercars can reach. The sports car will also get its juice from a custom-made, 5.0-liter V-8 developed by Cosworth. With a power-to-weight ratio of 400 horsepower per tonne, the TVR should come with almost 500 horses on tap.
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TVR’s Trademark Of Griffith Could Point To A New Sports Car
It’s been a while since TVR has made waves in the auto industry. Actually, it’s been more than a decade since the company has had a car in the market. Fans of the brand have waited long enough to see the return of the TVR nameplate, and if a new report proves to be true, all that waiting may finally come to an end. Remember the TVR Griffith produced from 1991 to 2002? Well, it’s been 25 years since the sports car debuted, but recent trademarks of the Griffith name could point us to new model taking shape, one that will make use the famous nameplate.
Granted, the company’s new ownership group, TVR Automotive Ltd., has been coy about its plans for the car, but sources told Autocar that there’s growing momentum within the company to return to the auto scene. What better way to do it then than to unveil a sports car that will take the name of one of the company’s most decorated models. Other possibilities remain though, including the option of using an entirely different brand name altogether with new models in the fold. Trademarks aside, the new TVR sports car is expected to make its debut sooner than later, possibly as early as September this year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. No matter how these decisions shake out, it’s good to see TVR back in the auto scene. It’s been a while.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
TVR To Open Production Facility In Wales
TVR’s pursuit to once again become relevant in the auto industry took a major step forward when the company announced it had secured a deal with the Welsh government to have its new production facility in Wales. The facility, which is scheduled to open in 2018, is located right next to the Circuit of Wales. Construction for the facility is expected to commence in April 2016.
This development is big news for TVR, which has been slowly building its name back up again after a Les Edgar-led consortium bought the company back in 2013 from Russian ownership with the sole objective of bringing it back to relevancy. Much has been made about ownership’s plans for the company, including a “Launch Edition” sports car that will be penned by master designer Gordon Murray. The yet-to-be-named sports car will also make history as the first car to be build using Murray’s iStream Carbon assembly process.
But before jumping too far into the future, the development of the production facility where the car will be built remains the top priority for TVR. Edgar has made it known in the past that the facility would need access to a racing circuit in order to build the kind of high-performance sports cars its incredibly loyal fan base has been waiting for since the Sagaris broke into the sports car scene back in 2005.
A site beside the Circuit of Wales definitely checks off that requirement even though the precise location of the factory is still being discussed. A separate announcement is expected to be made in the coming weeks. According to AutoCar, the company has whittled down its options to two sites, specifically “a greenfield location beside the circuit that would need an all-new factory, and an existing building nearby.”
Another part of the deal with the Welsh government calls for TVR to make an investment of £30 million ($42.6 million) over the next five years and the requirement to create at least 150 employment opportunities in the surrounding area.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
TVR Drops More Details On Its Upcoming Sports Car
British automaker TVR hasn’t been around the automotive scene for a decade now, but news has spread that the company is prepared to make a dramatic return with a new sports car that’s going to redefine the sports car game. Those are admittedly big words, especially coming from a company that has had its fair share of financial problems in the past. But, if TVR chairman Les Edgar is to believed, it’s a dawn of a new age for the once proud British marque, and the company is preparing to turn the industry upside down with its first offering, a fastback sportscar codenamed “T37”.
TVR has actually released a few details about the T37 in the past. Most recently in December 2015, it was announced that the car will receive an optional carbon fiber chassis that will be created using Gordon Murray’s iStream Carbon assembly process. Apparently, TVR isn’t just stopping with the T37’s chassis because the company has just announced that a limited number of “Launch Edition” units will feature carbon construction as standard. Essentially, that means that the T37 will have a stand-alone tub and shell that will also be made from carbon fiber composite. Subsequent models, aka the “regular” T37s, will also be available to receive the same carbon fiber treatment, albeit as an optional package.
The prevalent use of carbon fiber for a sports car isn’t entirely new, but TVR is upping the ante by essentially building the T37 mainly out of the lightweight material. The company is able to do that because of the involvement of Murray and his iStream Carbon assembly process. This partnership, together with TVR’s other partner, Cosworth, is bringing so much needed buzz back into the British sports car brand. It’s definitely exciting times over there at TVR, but as they say in the business, only time will tell if the T37 will live up to all the hype it’s been getting.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
It’s no secret that British firm TVR is working on its first new sports car since the Tuscan and Sagaris were discontinued in 2006, but details as to what it will bring to the table have been rather scarce up until now. However, after months of silence and hard work, TVR has released more details about its upcoming vehicle.
Arguably the biggest news is that TVR has finally settled for a design language. Although the final styling has yet to be chosen, TVR says that it’s all down to a number of concepts that differ only in relatively small detail. As far as the actual design goes, the rendering made by Piston Heads suggests that the new model will stay true to TVR’s DNA, sporting the usual long hood, fastback tail, and short overhangs. Upon closer inspection, elements such as the headlamps and the sloping roofline are similar to the Sagaris. Sweet!
As for engineering, the Brits have confirmed that the new sports car will receive a carbon-fiber chassis as a no cost option. The technology was developed by Gordon Murray, who previously designed the iconic McLaren F1, and showcased as the iStream Carbon at the Tokyo Motor Show in November.
As for the engine, TVR chairman Les Edgar said the company fired up an early version of it V-8 engine at Cosworth’s Northampton facility. Tested on a dyno that simulated a lap of Le Mans, the engine returned "very respectable" results. An update on final body styling, production details, performance figures, and pricing will follow in early 2016. According to previous rumors, the new sports car should debut sometime in 2017.
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Legendary British sports car builder TVR has huge plans for its highly anticipated re-entry into the sports car market. Not only has it set the date — 2017 — for its eventual return, but now it appears that the Gordon Murray-designed sports car will be getting a
tuned, all-alloy, Ford "Coyote" V-8 engine.
Yup, it’s the same powerplant that motivates the Ford Mustang GT.
If it wasn’t clear before that TVR’s new management isn’t shooting for the stars with the brand’s return to the spotlight, news of the engine’s incredible grunt is going to drive up the anticipation of the car’s arrival even more. According to Autocar, the said engine will be used on every version of the new TVR sports car. We previously learned that the yet-to-be-named sports car will receive numerous iterations over the course of its life. In addition to the standard version, there will also be an extra-performance road car, a track-day car, Tuscan series racer, and a Le Mans race car.
But the big news here is the "Coyote" V-8 engine. TVR and Cosworth have been coy on giving too many details about this supposedly brute of a mill but it’s understood that it will carry a base output of about 450 horsepower while still having enough room to be tuned to exceed 500 horsepower. Each of these engines will be hand-assembled.
That’s setting tremendously high expectations for an engine that will be at the heart of TVR’s return to the market. TVR does have a long history with Ford so it’s safe to assume that the two are working together to get as much as they can out of the latter’s Coyote V-8s. The early returns have been encouraging, if not downright scary. But there’s still time to work out the kinks because the car isn’t scheduled to be released until 2017.
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It’s a good sign for the reputation of a car company when it can sell out an entire year’s production run on a new model before they have even started building it. But that is exactly what TVR has managed to do, and it’s all the more impressive since TVR hasn’t really built any cars in several years. But TVR is now under new ownership (again) and a new car has been announced for 2017.
Details surrounding this new car are vague, and all we really know is that it’s intended to be a TVR in the traditional sense. We know that means design work by Gordon Murray, (an F1 engineer, and McLaren designer), and a naturally aspirated V-8 from Cosworth. That all sounds great, and since it’s a TVR it will also be insanely loud and possibly explode every so often. But it is bound to be an wild and exciting car, and a partnership with Murray and Cosworth definitely adds to that. That’s probably why they’ve all sold out already.
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TVR is coming back, and because of the immensely positive public reaction to that fantastic news, the company is now accepting deposits for its first new car in over 10 years, due in 2017. Excitement over TVR’s return reached fever pitch last month when it was announced that 1993 McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray would be involved with chassis development and Cosworth would be supplying a new V-8 engine. It was the equivalent of announcing a new band with Jimmy Page on guitar, Stevie Winwood on vocals and Neil Peart on drums.
"We’ve been totally blown away by the reaction to the new car,” said Operations Director of TVR John Chasey in a recent press release. “Our phone lines and online enquiry system went into meltdown when the news was announced, and we decided that we must begin to bring a structure to the enquiries and build a delivery pipeline well in advance of production. Volumes in year one will be limited as we ramp up production, so this allows us to reward those individuals prepared to make a financial commitment at this early stage."
Prospective owners can put down a £5,000 on a new TVR starting on July 7th, and CEO Les Edgar recently told Autocar that hundreds of people have already done so. Additionally, the company is offering a limited number of £2,500 deposits to long-time TVR Car Club members. No new information was released on the car itself, but TVR has previously said we’ll get our first look in late 2015.
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It’s time to get excited about TVR again. The legendary builder of British sports cars with a mean-streak announced it would be re-entering the market with a brand new car in 2017. But it gets even better. The new car is being developed in collaboration with lead McLaren F1 designer and former Formula 1 engineer Gordon Murray, and engines will come in the form of an atmospheric V-8 from Cosworth. After that, TVR plans to add three additional models by 2025.
The new car, which has already seen a year of development, will be what a TVR should be. That means a two-seater with a big engine up front, driving the rear wheels through a manual transmission. We’ll get an official first look at the car later in 2015, but TVR says it will feature composite ground-effect aerodynamics and a chassis built using Murray’s iStream car production technology. Pricing will be consistent with the company’s previous offerings, which would probably make the Jaguar F-Type its most obvious rival in the current market.
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A few days ago, TVR placed a teaser image on its official webpage announcing what appeared to be a possible revival of the brand. Today, the teaser image changed and it says: "The distant rumble of rumors has turned to thunder and TVR is back in Britain!"
Along with this teaser image, Les Edgar - the marque’s incoming director - has offered new details in an official interview with Top Gear. Edgar said he purchased the TVR name from the former Russian owner, Nikolai Smolenski, and now has plans for the sports car brand. He also promised that the new TVR "won’t make the mistakes that have been made in the past."
Edgar is best known for developing video games and reintroducing Aston Martin to GT racing, so you can say he has plenty of knowledge to pull off this revival. As a result, the TVR name will be kept in the automotive sphere. "We bought TVR for what it is, and we don’t want to dilute that. We want to build on the DNA, and that’s unlikely to apply to anything but cars."
More details on this revival will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
Click past the jump to read more about the TVR Sagaris - the last model built under previous ownership.
In 2011, rumors were flowing that TVR was preparing for a comeback, but we haven’t heard anything since then. Well, at least not until today, when TVR placed a sort of teaser image on its official webpage. It’s true the teaser doesn’t outright mention a comeback, but that "Never say never" promise is pretty leading.
To be completely honest with you, this change of mood is quite surprising, considering that TVR said on its official page last month that it won’t develop any new model and that all it will support "the owners of TVR sports cars by ensuring supply of spares and the development of alternative drivetrains."
In 2012, TVR owner, Nikolai Smolensky, said that developing a new model won’t be financially viable for the company and sent the company into bankruptcy.
If the above image is, in fact, a teaser of a return, we can’t help but wonder what could have changed in the mean time? Maybe we will find out soon, so stay tuned!
Click past the jump to read a short TVR history.
Prior to his death, ex-TVR owner, Peter Wheeler, decided that despite the fact that he no longer owned TVR, he still had the fire to build wild and crazy cars. From that fire began the project that he dubbed the Scamander, which is named after the Greek river god. This amphibious machine came to life just before Wheeler’s death, but it was a very rough machine that still needed a lot of work to be perfect.
After his death, Wheeler’s wife and a group of engineers completed Wheeler’s project and made it into something that Wheeler would have been proud of. This RRV, as Wheeler called it, has a V-6 turbocharged engine that cranks out about 300 horsepower and is said to hit 60 mph in eight seconds. To boot, it has an impeller on its rear end for propulsion in the wet stuff. This impeller certainly beats the rear wheel-mounts paddles that were on the original prototype Scamander.
Image note: The images provided are of the concept version of the Scamander.
TVR hasn’t brought anything new to the market since 2006, but rumors have flourished in the past couple of years stating that the company was preparing for a comeback with a Corvette-engined roadster. Until now those rumors were just the flapping of gums, but it looks like the British manufacturer is headed back to the market with models from their old line-up.
TVR has announced they will be starting to build Sagaris, Tuscan, Tuscan MK II, Cerbera, Chimaera, and Griffith models to individuals’ specifications. All of the cars will be powered by a new 6.2 liter V8 engine with an output of 426 HP and 420 lb/ft of torque. The engine will be mated to an enforced 5 gear gearbox at a fixed price.
TVR has also promised that the Tuscan MK II Convertible set to be reborn will be the fastest factory convertible. It will be capable of hitting a top speed of 187mph with an open top.