TVR, small shed in Blackpool, designed and made their own engines which as an automotive engineer I always found just badass. These guys went their own way in every possible sense. Truly a proper British car company.
I worked at a service station around the millennium and we had a customer who used to leave his Cerbera on the forecourt regularly. Not out of choice, it would either refuse to run or lock him out, but it did look pretty from the cash desk.
My dad's friend previously owned a TVR cerbera 4.5. It truly sparked my love for cars and TVRs when I got a passenger ride in that beast at around 10 years old.
My analogous story was around 1970, and my dad taking us over 100mph in a green fibreglass bodied TVR Tuscan. It was short, very noisy, the cabin reeked of raw petrol, the dash edge was sharp metal with a strip of rubber door seal jammed over it & it had no seat belts. I loved every moment in it. As we swung back into our front driveway, without moving his head, dad said, “Don’t tell your mother”. And of course I didn’t.
That Aston you described as a Virage, was actually a Vantage, 5.3 V8 twin supercharged 550 bhp, 550 lbs ft of torque, 185 mph, 0-60 4.6 secs, Jeremy once described it as a rolls with attitude, Autocar had them listed at £177,000 back in 93, later end of run cars were upped in power and torque to 600 each, they thought over 200 mph and 0-60 under 4 secs, but I don't think they were tested, that is one car I would love to see James test on here, if anyone has one I'd love to see it on here
Thank you JayEmm, I really enjoyed this review. I bought my first TVR this year in February and ended up getting a V8 Cerbera I always lusted after one exactly as you say from the Clarkson video. After watching that Clarkson video at the age of about 12 I asked my dad to get me a TVR Cerbera poster to replace the 911 turbo one I had on my wall. I definitely did not buy a perfect example but decided to ignore all the bad stories and get one for a keeper, best decision ever, smiles per miles in this car have been better than anything else I have ever had and over 5k miles since February. I live in the peak district so most of the roads are A and B roads I enjoy it on and most modern sports cars i just feel are to wide for these roads but the Cerbera just places nice. Anyways thank you again as this is by far by favourite review you have ever done and I was a sub 5k subscriber of yours.
I remember that video well. Everyone was left open mouthed when this mad looking thing that many had never heard of absolutely destroyed some of the fastest cars on the planet.
@@chethemerc7841 i saw it too ,and have one it was love at first sight and remenber in the show they walking in the factory that they were assembled, in the yard there were panels for the cerebra on the floor for a lot of years and they didn´t had any rotten section
A sorted-Cerbera with Peak District roads to drive on, is a thing of dreams. More feel than a 911 and an even greater sense of occasion. Britain trumps Germany, everyday.
A Purple 4.5 TVR Cerbera was the first fast car I drove. Bonkers for being 22 years old. Much tyre smoke, Amazing noise and vibration. What an event! Compared to my Golf GTI this was like a spaceship inside.
The Clarkson video is what made me fall in love with TVR as a little boy, as soon as I left school I went to work at a TVR dealer and spent about 15 years working on and driving them and they are still my absolute favourite. There was always a 4.5 Cerbera in crystal topaz that came in regularly which was my early favourite then moved onto a Griffith 500 SE as my all time favourite. The cars just give you a fizz in your stomach when you drive them and had the pleasure to drive so many of them in my time so far.
I always loved the Cerbera. In fact the company I work for supplied TVR with the foam headrests in the Griffith, Chimeara and Cerbera. I would drop them off in my car and visit most weeks. In fact the buyer there used to take me round the factory and it really was like just going round a big shed with fibreglass dust everywhere!! I even saw the Speed 12 before the press did. Great memories.
I have done a trip to Le Mans Classic and my TVR Cerbera 4.5 is a dream, comfy, powerfull, never missed a bit, perfection. Even the owner of a Ferrari F8 and the Ferrari dealer in a 296 GTS (New demonstrator one) (we have done together more than 100 miles was impress by the TVR Cerbera acceleration and performance when we have been fuel up together at the gas station. These car are absolutely bonkers if you try to extract all their potential, but are completely usable and practical, you can easily commute, i bring my children to school, go shopping, and when sorting (when look after and service correctly) very reliable. The engine (4.5 AJP V8 for mine) is a piece of art, thanks to Al Melling genius, very souple, lot of torque and absolutely ferociously revvy and powerfull. these engines revv like no other. i can compare this car with the savageness and sense of occasion that a Ferrari F40 can produce ( that i had fortunate enough to drive regularly, so i'm able to compare) but with the practicality. Wow what a car and parts of history, definitely a keeper for me. it's under my skin, No other Supercar can produce so much performance / sense of occasion / practicality and versatility (don't forget it is a useable 4 seater as useable as a 911) at that price target.
Couldn’t you buy a 4.5 for your collection and feature the realities of owning one. There must be interest in that? Great road tests, keep em coming Jay! Thanks for the knowledge too.
Every trip is an awesome experience. I've travelled in the back of mine twice: once half a mile to the pub, & once for 5 laps of Castle Combe at road pace, not race. I think I may be the only person over 10 years old that daft...every other rear seat passenger has declined any offers to repeat the experience. The heating/cooling takes practice, but does work pretty effectively once you've got the hang of it - you have two fan controls, one hot, one cold, push to engage, turn to adjust - switch the snowflake on for air con, without it the heat soak from the engine will overwhelm the cabin. For cold make sure the hot is fully off. The indicator should self cancel but...you have to push it in the same direction to manual cancel, not click it the opposite way. Suspension set up is crucial, as is checking the fluids etc regularly...as is a very patient partner... I fully agree, they reward perseverance, they are fantastic - there is nothing like it.
One day I was at work with my Cerbera and had a call from my mother. She was with 2 colleagues and the car they were in had broken down. That's the only time I drove mine with 4 adults - it was a tight squeeze. My two daughters were very happy in the back though.
I first learned about TVR when the Grand Turismo game came out. TVR makes some fantastically odd looking cars and i like them! They just don't look like anything on the road. When being unique is done right 💪
Had three TVR’s, the last being a Griffith 500. Had always loved the Cerbera and test drove one but in all honesty I preferred the Griffith out of the two and stuck with that. Still a huge fan of all TVR’s from that era, all great looking cars. Great video, thanks.
Once got a ride in a 4.7 litre version on the coastal roads of NI. The chap was a proper wheelman and I have never been so horrifically scared in a car, before or since. The acceleration, the noise, the rawness and the handling just shocked me. The only thing I have ever experienced since then that even comes close, was an F40.
The Cerbera is one of my all time favorite cars. Those massive doors and windows, making it pillarless in an unconventional way, that interior, the fact it weighs like ~1100kg. What a unit!
Yep, those massive doors (and a passenger seat that always sits forward of the drivers seat) means that kids can get in and out of the back as if it were a 3 door. Ahead of its time in more ways than just the service worksheet.
Peter Wheeler was 6'6" and one of the few people I remember that was taller than Clarkson. At 6'4" myself I've always liked TVR because I'd actually fit. Great review, as usual.
I remember around 15 years ago, I was in Bourton on the water and stumbled across a garage called "legends" the young teenager in me was salivating as in the showroom they were selling all sorts of classic Lamborghini's, they had Jos Verstappens f1 car from a particular year (wanna say 95) and various other things. I went round the back and under a cover they had a little gem that I will never forget seeing. It was a TVR Cerbera speed 12 in red. I believe the very car I saw was the one that will show up when search that car on Google ( might be the only one they ever actually made). Absolute monster of a car and remains one of my favourites to this day
A friend of mine had a Tuscan S with an even more bonkers interior. It was purple and gold. It almost too audacious for Prince! The bonnet release was the most hilarious feature. 4 nuts and 2 clips. Because the owner was not considered to be a necessary component of the maintenance schedule.
The 4.5 Red rose that I drove many years ago was a bit scary over 8/10ths. I really do believe it has the advertised hp of between 420 and 440. Still think it looks best with the mk1 headlights though! I have a short video of the cerb on my channel, emptying 3rd gear and ending up at 200kph, in an area "not suited for those speeds"
I owned T64 SSX, a 4.5 AJP8 in beautiful Rolex Blue from 2013 through 2016. I absolutely loved that car. I only parted ways with it because the arse fell out of the oil industry and it was lose a car or lose a house.
I'd love to see a back-to-back comparison with a similar era Viper - both handmade, both mega engined, both missing driver aids, both fiberglass bodied coupes on stiff steel chassis, both quite good at sous-videing the occupants...
Nice review. I had a 97p 4.2 which I collected from new from the factory. Kept for a year and did 10k miles in it. They were hard work. Tempestuous relationship is a good way of describing it. Still think car looks amazing but it never felt that fast due to lack of torque low down, it always smelt inside really strongly of glue and the a/c never worked so you boiled to death. And it broke down - a lot. Was at the dealer 7 times in that year. It's fine as a third car or something but it will test your patience.
Just wanted to say that I've really enjoyed seeing your channel grow over the years, Jay. I first started watching and instantly respected you for calling out the atrocious McLaren service on behalf of your friend. I'd also like to thank you for not following UA-cam trends of putting in cryptic taglines as the titles of your videos and instead just putting up exactly what they're about, the cars they feature, in plain English, and without the need to capitalise words to grab people's attention. hats off, sir.
Some trivia for you: I`ve had two of these... A 4.0 straight 6 (with a factory development engine that would wheelspin in 4th gear) and a late 2003 V8 4.2, which like many of the 4.2 models, actually had a 4.5L bottom end with a 4.2 top end which gave a better throttle response...This was purely because they had a surplus of 4.5 engines as told to me by Paul & Heath, the ex - factory mechanics who own X works TVR Specialists near Blackpool. The later cars were a must, because the earlier ones were like looking out of a pill box -I have seen tanks with wider screens... The later ones were much better and were well sorted... 02 -04 were the ones to have. My 2nd one handled really well, and both went like stink.. Paul serviced my cars at the factory, and I knew others at the factory (and was friends with Peter Wheeler himself) I can confirm the car Clarkson showcased was indeed far from standard. I know the guy who ended up with that engine who was also a TVR employee, and yes to call it 'non standard' was an understatement..
Having owned and loved a Chimaera 450 I wanted to move on to the 'full bespoke' TVR experience - as awesome as the Chim is, I love the fact the Cerb onwards were much less 'parts bin' - from the interior trim and switches to the engines, it blows me away what TVR managed to achieve in-house. I went for a Tuscan, but very nearly went for a Cerb. There are times I wish I had gone Cerbie - I much prefer the more classical (and readable) dials, and I'd love to try the V8. Unfortu ately now they have reached an age where export to the States is an option I suspect the prices will shoot up to a point where I won't be able to scratch that itch without parting with the Tuscan, and that's waaaay too much of a wrench to consider.
I’m American and have always fancied a Cerbera, although a long shot about importing one. Reason being, if a TVR is a sketchy proposition on home turf, it definitely would be here, with no parts or mechanics experienced with the make/model… I suspect this reality would dissuade many from importing one. That and awareness of TVR in North America is relatively low.
@@mr.butterworth All very relevant considerations. All I can say is that from being active in TVR forums and on social media I see a trend developing of these cars crossing the ocean. I suspect the Tuscan will see even more interest when it comes of age in a few years. I hope a good support network develops over there - it would be brilliant for them the be enjoyed more widely.
Should add an update. Discussing this very video on a TVR Facebook group led to someone sharing a link to a very nice 4.2 Cerb for sale... I did some half-arsed man maths, realised it was 'now or never', and now the Cerb sits next to the Tuscan looking all brooding and menacing. Definitely a case of Beauty and the Beast. Very different cars, sufficiently different to make owning both worthwhile (if not necessarily sensible) but they definitely share the same DNA. The Tuscan is very hyper and agile/twitchy, the Cerb is much more planted and feels more substantial. Not necessarily the case for all Cerbs/Tuscans - the Cerb has some fancy Ohlins suspension and my Tuscan needs a geo setup and suspension update, but I expect once all that is done the Tuscan will still feel more outright 'sporty' while the Cerb will be a more of a bruiser-cruiser.
This car has been, and always will be my ultimate dream, its like Kelly Brook, garage music or an Omega Seamaster.....not perfect, not the critics choice, but to those of us who grew up in the 90s they've forged a love that will last a lifetime
I've had two cerberas now. Second one I bough had a pond in the footwell when I picked it up. I reupholstered the carpet (literally with grey carpet from carpetrite) I had to rewire the ECU to the crankshaft sensor to get it to fire up and had to do all the electrics in the car... Buuuut, I got so much fun out of it and it went up in value. Bought sight unseen for £5k and sold for £15000. Bought my DB9 with the money!! Awesome car silver with sports exhausts, black spider alloys and red interior. Steve
It's not a Virage it's a Vantage, very different beast, I remember going around Millbrook in one on it's pre delivery test (as a passenger) not something I will ever forget !!
This thing will never age for me, #1 car. Close to buying one over the years, and will one day. But the bargains always scare me thinking somethings up, better priced ones I know soon it will hurt some day soon. It's quite a commitment running an old car with a rare or one off engine from a company that no longer exists, especially when you have a mortgage. That indicator buzzer needs replacing though, reminds me of a secondary school electronics project. Being a TVR it probably was the same block style buzzer.
12:52 "you will actually get 2 adults in over there" - actually, the front adult can fit in quite comfortably. If you want a rear passenger in there, the front passenger must wear their knees as earrings. The rear passenger will then fit. With 4 litres of vaseline. And a plunger. And if you amputate their legs. And head.
I carry a multimeter, tool kit, jack and fire extinguisher in my 4.5. I’ve never had to use any of them. I’m pretty sure if I took them out karma would hit me though.
TVRs are awesome. It's the closest thing you can get to experiencing a supercar on a budget IMO. Yeah, stuff like BMW M3s are fast, but they are just regular road cars with a big engine.
M3 is magnificent, especially the e46. But you are correct, nothing like as special as a Cerbera. Not that the Cerbera could keep up with one on a twisty set of roads, that is unless you can drive like Chris Harris. But then that’s the charm of the TVR, it inspires you to improve your driving ability and not just your mechanical skill 😂
If I could it would be a Cerbera I'd buy. Not a fan of soft tops and the lines make it a thing of beauty to me. Great review, something to start the day off well.
Same here, I really don't like the facelifted headlights. The LM Edition of the Cerbera from the very first Gran Turismo is what made me fall in love with the car. Then I had a listen of its real life sound and since then it's one of my all time favorite cars. For me, a flatplane V8 will always sound better than a crossplane V8 (however, I do like the sound of a Koenigsegg V8 that's in CCXs or Ageras). Fun fact: the widely known and loved BMW M3 GTR from Need For Speed Most Wanted and Carbon actually uses the sound from a V8 Cerbera in those games.
Truly stunning car. And never sold out to the Germans or Japanese. I remember going to a motor show being held in Norbreck Castle hotel in Blackpool back around 1975 and looking at TVR's and loads of other auto stuff. We were told the factory was just a few streets away and went for a walk around. Nobody bothered us while we drooled over the cars !
Nice to see you featuring one of these cars on your channel. I had a colleague in Madrid who owned one of these. His daily drive was a Subaru Impreza so you can tell he was a petrol head. Sadly, I never got a ride in it as he had it up on axle stands in his garage as he was re-doing the powder coating on the chassis, but he used to take it up to Le Mans for the 24 Hours. He moved on to Boston (Massachusetts not Lincolnshire) and must have wowed the locals with such an unusual car.
Did he take it with him or was this very recent? US has a stupid 25 year old import rule that excludes anything under 25 years that wasn't originally certified for US sale from importation. You can get a 1-year exemption where the car then has to be proven to have been shipped out of country or destroyed and they're not on the Show and Display exemption list, either, which allows specific vehicles of technical or historic interest that can't be reasonably brought up to US compliance (including crash testing) to be driven under 2500 miles annually. Main reason I ask is that I love these cars, live near Boston, and would hope to see it!
@@mitchkelleher7972 I think he took it with him but this was a few years ago and he has now moved on from Boston so I'm afraid you won't get a chance to see it . I lost touch with him when he was posted to Boston and am not sure where he is now. He may have even retired from the Diplomatic Service by now so it may be hard to track him down
Thanks for a great reminder! I've previously been lucky to own 2 x 4.5 LW's. The first was exactly the same as the one in the video, same colour, 2000 car with facelift lights. Fantastic car, super reliable and very fast when you consider the lack of driver aids. Unfortunately it got written off in a non-fault, and it's replacement, in silver, broke down once a month for 6 months. Fernhurst bought it back from me with the rationale that 'there can't be much else to go wrong' (they were great BTW).
One thing I remember about the AJP engines - they were notoriously cold blooded. As they were basically racing engines slightly detuned for the road, they were remarkably easy to starve of oil until they were fully up to temperature. Once at temp, they were bulletproof, but if you were a fan of the big throttle blip on startup, well, you'd likely need a rebuild sooner than you'd like, as the main bearings ate themselves (often taking the crank with them). As for the general reliability of TVR's, from the factory they were inconsistent at best. If you got a good one (and were sympathetic to the AJP's foibles), they would run happily for years with only regular maintenance. Get a bad one, and it was like they looked at the LOTUS* acronym, and said "hold my Beer". Thankfully, the aftermarket has developed fixes for most of TVR's problems. Buy a good car from a specialist, and you'll have a safe-ish, (mostly) reliable car - although the electrical system can still be a bit random, the perils of finding a reliable earth on a fiberglass car are... Fun, shall we say. The truly unfortunate thing with TVR's, is that the only way to truly fix ALL the issues is to totally dismantle the car, pull EVERYTHING apart, including pulling the wiring harness, and rebuild the thing from scratch, replacing every electrical connector with a modern, more reliable version, rebuilding every switch with modern internals, doing all the engine mods needed for reliability, sorting & properly sealing the chassis, new suspension, etc, etc. As the saying goes, "'Ain't nobody got the time (or money) for THAT!"... *;- Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious.
I rode in my friend's 4.5 around Bedford, very interesting car / engine. Re stiffness not sure if you noticed, but it has an integral roll cage which is the main contributing factor. Also met the designer of the Cerbera at Caffeine & Machine, whilst there in said Cerbera....he was well chuffed to meet an owner.
I’m biased as I love Tvr and would never want to be without one. Nothing else for price comes close for enjoyment All the lads I know who own or have owned multiple cars say the Cerb is the most mental and enjoyable of all the TVr models. I’ve never driven one but a passenger ride in one made my 5 litre Chimaera feel tame
exactly that, i have both a TVR Cerbera and a TVR Chimaera 500 that by the way is a wonderfull car too but in a different way. powerfull, engine noise, convertible and so on
I lived in Surrey from 1971 - 1976 and my father had two different TVR 2500M models during that period. At the time, they were pretty exotic rides and I have fond memories of them.
I'm a proud owner of a 4.2 If the Break lights aren't working Check the reverse lights and hazards light If they're also are not working You will find the wire to the reverse switch sensor on the gearbox it pass the near side exhaust The heat from the exhaust shorts the wire out blowing the fuels Love the video by the way
Totally get it and remember it very well. I bought that Clarkson video when I was 14 back in early '97. The music takes me right back in front of the tv. I was amazed at the cerbera & had never heard of it. No internet for me back then & in order to follow it, it meant buying car magazines. Loved it ever since the race & even more so now, how curvy & elegant cars from the 90's were. The last magazine I bought was in '03 & it featured the red rose edition- blistering...
Mine really scared the crap out of me. I was wary of the performance and although I drove it I kept things sensible and had few scary moments apart from one moment in the wet, when the cars started fishtailing, which I got out of by gently accelerating! On trip back from Yorkshire to London, I started to lose power and thought "Here we go, this is going to be an expensive experience!", it was at that moment I started turning off the A1 and at that stage I heard an almighty bang and the engine siezed bringin the car to a sudden halt (car behind me nearly ran into the back of me). That was disconcerting and just as I was getting over that experience the engine bay burst into flames and the amount of heat from the engine in front of me was quite frightening. I realized that it was time to leave the car and practically screamed "Get out of the f**** car now!" I felt the panic inside of me and realized I needed to "get a grip" and went into a checklist, 1. Seatbelt - Get the seatbelt off 2. Press the open doors button - At this stage nothing happenned and I started to get a bit nervous. 3. I tried the button again - just in case I was flapping and again nothing it was time for Plan B,C,D Next I leaned forward for the manual release of the doors by the ankles and as I leaned over, I stared at the steel door nob, nominating as a candidate to smash the windows open. I glanced to my left and the girlfriend had her side open, there was an exit available and it was time to get out of the vehicule from the easiest exit. I turned around to my 6 year old stepson on the backseat (his mother has already left the car), in the calmest voice I asked him if he had his seatbelt off! He confirmed he had and I calmly took hold of him and threw him through the open door, figuring that a few scratches was better than being burnt to death! Finally I left the vehicle, by the time the fire bridgade arrived it was a piece of molten fibre glass and metal on the side of the road. I loved my TVR, but I didn't get another one when the insurance paid out!
Awesome video. Great car. Always loved how these were all individual interiors. Definitely should have had someone at TVR saying no and focusing on those small touches. Cost cutting always leaves to hollowing of the marrow.
My mate was a city broker back in the day. He bought a P Reg one in bright yellow!. We took it to Le Mans in the summer with his mate in a new XJR Jag. Suffice to say we all started off wanting to go shotgun in the Cerbera...by the end I'd day 1 none of us wanted to go in it. We boiled alive and became deaf....but what a great trip. It looked the business but was totally impractical.
TVR has always been my dream car. Unfortunately I have never been able to afford one! But I will keep dreaming about a crazy, wonderful sounding TVR! 👍
12:57 Ah, the multimeter in the boot. A definite sign of a 100% reliable electrical system
Is it the spirit of lucas?.
TVR, small shed in Blackpool, designed and made their own engines which as an automotive engineer I always found just badass. These guys went their own way in every possible sense. Truly a proper British car company.
I worked at a service station around the millennium and we had a customer who used to leave his Cerbera on the forecourt regularly. Not out of choice, it would either refuse to run or lock him out, but it did look pretty from the cash desk.
What was his name? Mr Bean?
Just like Alfa Romeos. At least when (not if) it breaks down you can sit and admire it's beautiful body lines for hours while you await recovery.
i want to import a tvr one day, but moments like this make me rethink my decision. same goes for morgan, lotus and jaguar
@@黒キツネ-九零二一零 I don't think Morgan and lotus have the same issues as these. Consider a Caterham with an engine you can live with. They came with many.
Things not yo say to mclaren owners.
"Its nice they made it looks so fast even when its not moving, so then you can at least imagine"
My dad's friend previously owned a TVR cerbera 4.5. It truly sparked my love for cars and TVRs when I got a passenger ride in that beast at around 10 years old.
You were a lucky boy
My analogous story was around 1970, and my dad taking us over 100mph in a green fibreglass bodied TVR Tuscan.
It was short, very noisy, the cabin reeked of raw petrol, the dash edge was sharp metal with a strip of rubber door seal jammed over it & it had no seat belts.
I loved every moment in it. As we swung back into our front driveway, without moving his head, dad said, “Don’t tell your mother”. And of course I didn’t.
That Aston you described as a Virage, was actually a Vantage, 5.3 V8 twin supercharged 550 bhp, 550 lbs ft of torque, 185 mph, 0-60 4.6 secs, Jeremy once described it as a rolls with attitude, Autocar had them listed at £177,000 back in 93, later end of run cars were upped in power and torque to 600 each, they thought over 200 mph and 0-60 under 4 secs, but I don't think they were tested, that is one car I would love to see James test on here, if anyone has one I'd love to see it on here
The V600 vantage is beautiful. They are around 200 to 500,000 now.
My favorite car to
The 600 was only ever a service dept conversion, all production cars were 550
agree 100%. JayEmm needs to get his hands on that period Aston Martins
A proper Aston
That F40 doing what looked like 27mph is fantastic.
Any Peter Wheeler era TVR is just a magnificent crazy super sports car!
Thank you JayEmm, I really enjoyed this review. I bought my first TVR this year in February and ended up getting a V8 Cerbera I always lusted after one exactly as you say from the Clarkson video. After watching that Clarkson video at the age of about 12 I asked my dad to get me a TVR Cerbera poster to replace the 911 turbo one I had on my wall. I definitely did not buy a perfect example but decided to ignore all the bad stories and get one for a keeper, best decision ever, smiles per miles in this car have been better than anything else I have ever had and over 5k miles since February. I live in the peak district so most of the roads are A and B roads I enjoy it on and most modern sports cars i just feel are to wide for these roads but the Cerbera just places nice. Anyways thank you again as this is by far by favourite review you have ever done and I was a sub 5k subscriber of yours.
I remember that video well. Everyone was left open mouthed when this mad looking thing that many had never heard of absolutely destroyed some of the fastest cars on the planet.
@@chethemerc7841 i saw it too ,and have one it was love at first sight and remenber in the show they walking in the factory that they were assembled, in the yard there were panels for the cerebra on the floor for a lot of years and they didn´t had any rotten section
A sorted-Cerbera with Peak District roads to drive on, is a thing of dreams. More feel than a 911 and an even greater sense of occasion. Britain trumps Germany, everyday.
Nicely put - if you might be interested in starring in a driving video on your Cerbera, give me a shout 😎
A Purple 4.5 TVR Cerbera was the first fast car I drove. Bonkers for being 22 years old. Much tyre smoke, Amazing noise and vibration. What an event! Compared to my Golf GTI this was like a spaceship inside.
The Clarkson video is what made me fall in love with TVR as a little boy, as soon as I left school I went to work at a TVR dealer and spent about 15 years working on and driving them and they are still my absolute favourite.
There was always a 4.5 Cerbera in crystal topaz that came in regularly which was my early favourite then moved onto a Griffith 500 SE as my all time favourite. The cars just give you a fizz in your stomach when you drive them and had the pleasure to drive so many of them in my time so far.
Jammy git. 😉
I always loved the Cerbera. In fact the company I work for supplied TVR with the foam headrests in the Griffith, Chimeara and Cerbera. I would drop them off in my car and visit most weeks. In fact the buyer there used to take me round the factory and it really was like just going round a big shed with fibreglass dust everywhere!! I even saw the Speed 12 before the press did. Great memories.
My god those wheels are tasty.
Then you've never tasted a well balanced woman before
I have done a trip to Le Mans Classic and my TVR Cerbera 4.5 is a dream, comfy, powerfull, never missed a bit, perfection. Even the owner of a Ferrari F8 and the Ferrari dealer in a 296 GTS (New demonstrator one) (we have done together more than 100 miles was impress by the TVR Cerbera acceleration and performance when we have been fuel up together at the gas station.
These car are absolutely bonkers if you try to extract all their potential, but are completely usable and practical, you can easily commute, i bring my children to school, go shopping, and when sorting (when look after and service correctly) very reliable.
The engine (4.5 AJP V8 for mine) is a piece of art, thanks to Al Melling genius, very souple, lot of torque and absolutely ferociously revvy and powerfull. these engines revv like no other. i can compare this car with the savageness and sense of occasion that a Ferrari F40 can produce ( that i had fortunate enough to drive regularly, so i'm able to compare) but with the practicality.
Wow what a car and parts of history, definitely a keeper for me. it's under my skin, No other Supercar can produce so much performance / sense of occasion / practicality and versatility (don't forget it is a useable 4 seater as useable as a 911) at that price target.
Couldn’t you buy a 4.5 for your collection and feature the realities of owning one. There must be interest in that? Great road tests, keep em coming Jay! Thanks for the knowledge too.
Every trip is an awesome experience. I've travelled in the back of mine twice: once half a mile to the pub, & once for 5 laps of Castle Combe at road pace, not race. I think I may be the only person over 10 years old that daft...every other rear seat passenger has declined any offers to repeat the experience. The heating/cooling takes practice, but does work pretty effectively once you've got the hang of it - you have two fan controls, one hot, one cold, push to engage, turn to adjust - switch the snowflake on for air con, without it the heat soak from the engine will overwhelm the cabin. For cold make sure the hot is fully off. The indicator should self cancel but...you have to push it in the same direction to manual cancel, not click it the opposite way. Suspension set up is crucial, as is checking the fluids etc regularly...as is a very patient partner... I fully agree, they reward perseverance, they are fantastic - there is nothing like it.
One day I was at work with my Cerbera and had a call from my mother. She was with 2 colleagues and the car they were in had broken down. That's the only time I drove mine with 4 adults - it was a tight squeeze. My two daughters were very happy in the back though.
I first learned about TVR when the Grand Turismo game came out. TVR makes some fantastically odd looking cars and i like them! They just don't look like anything on the road. When being unique is done right 💪
Had three TVR’s, the last being a Griffith 500. Had always loved the Cerbera and test drove one but in all honesty I preferred the Griffith out of the two and stuck with that. Still a huge fan of all TVR’s from that era, all great looking cars. Great video, thanks.
I’ve seen a black one of these driving around Dublin a few times. The sound is savage. Makes an AMG V8 sound like a Prius
Once got a ride in a 4.7 litre version on the coastal roads of NI. The chap was a proper wheelman and I have never been so horrifically scared in a car, before or since. The acceleration, the noise, the rawness and the handling just shocked me. The only thing I have ever experienced since then that even comes close, was an F40.
The Cerbera is one of my all time favorite cars. Those massive doors and windows, making it pillarless in an unconventional way, that interior, the fact it weighs like ~1100kg. What a unit!
agreed
Yep, those massive doors (and a passenger seat that always sits forward of the drivers seat) means that kids can get in and out of the back as if it were a 3 door. Ahead of its time in more ways than just the service worksheet.
Owned mine 16 years now. It's doubled in value over those years.
Looks perfect in that colour with those newer wheels. What a car!
The facelift is absolutely gorgeous.
Peter Wheeler was 6'6" and one of the few people I remember that was taller than Clarkson. At 6'4" myself I've always liked TVR because I'd actually fit. Great review, as usual.
I remember around 15 years ago, I was in Bourton on the water and stumbled across a garage called "legends" the young teenager in me was salivating as in the showroom they were selling all sorts of classic Lamborghini's, they had Jos Verstappens f1 car from a particular year (wanna say 95) and various other things. I went round the back and under a cover they had a little gem that I will never forget seeing. It was a TVR Cerbera speed 12 in red. I believe the very car I saw was the one that will show up when search that car on Google ( might be the only one they ever actually made). Absolute monster of a car and remains one of my favourites to this day
I was lucky enough to own a Cerbera 4.5 then a Cerbera 4.5 Red Rose, both from new. Totally utterly loved them.
I love the Cerbera. I remember seeing be at the Birmingham Motorshow in yellow with a purple interior which left an impression on a very young me.
This car is old as me, literally, and what a roar it makes, a beast indeed.
I owned one of these for 15+ years and 70000 miles, it was a truly epic car.
A friend of mine had a Tuscan S with an even more bonkers interior. It was purple and gold. It almost too audacious for Prince! The bonnet release was the most hilarious feature. 4 nuts and 2 clips. Because the owner was not considered to be a necessary component of the maintenance schedule.
The 4.5 Red rose that I drove many years ago was a bit scary over 8/10ths. I really do believe it has the advertised hp of between 420 and 440. Still think it looks best with the mk1 headlights though! I have a short video of the cerb on my channel, emptying 3rd gear and ending up at 200kph, in an area "not suited for those speeds"
I owned T64 SSX, a 4.5 AJP8 in beautiful Rolex Blue from 2013 through 2016. I absolutely loved that car. I only parted ways with it because the arse fell out of the oil industry and it was lose a car or lose a house.
I'd love to see a back-to-back comparison with a similar era Viper - both handmade, both mega engined, both missing driver aids, both fiberglass bodied coupes on stiff steel chassis, both quite good at sous-videing the occupants...
A chap I know has a Cerbera with 442bhp at the wheels. It sounds and looks awesome!
Nice review. I had a 97p 4.2 which I collected from new from the factory. Kept for a year and did 10k miles in it. They were hard work. Tempestuous relationship is a good way of describing it. Still think car looks amazing but it never felt that fast due to lack of torque low down, it always smelt inside really strongly of glue and the a/c never worked so you boiled to death. And it broke down - a lot. Was at the dealer 7 times in that year. It's fine as a third car or something but it will test your patience.
That flat crank makes it sound - dare I say it - Italian. Good review Jay.
Always had a soft spot for these, still looks amazing to this day
Thx for the review JayEmm. I've always liked the Cerbera's styling, both inside & out. The engine/performance goes without saying.
If my six numbers came up, this and the Griffith would be on the top of my shopping list, glorious cars! 👍
People called Robert. Love it. I'm a Blackpool boy named Robert. But have a history in WRC
Just wanted to say that I've really enjoyed seeing your channel grow over the years, Jay. I first started watching and instantly respected you for calling out the atrocious McLaren service on behalf of your friend. I'd also like to thank you for not following UA-cam trends of putting in cryptic taglines as the titles of your videos and instead just putting up exactly what they're about, the cars they feature, in plain English, and without the need to capitalise words to grab people's attention. hats off, sir.
that sound is absolutely phenomenal, its a real tragedy this engine didnt get to power more cars
Ah yes memories... still got my Clarkson VHS and the Cerbera will always be an iconic car for me.
Had a passenger ride in one years and years ago. Something I’ve never forgotten
Some trivia for you:
I`ve had two of these... A 4.0 straight 6 (with a factory development engine that would wheelspin in 4th gear) and a late 2003 V8 4.2, which like many of the 4.2 models, actually had a 4.5L bottom end with a 4.2 top end which gave a better throttle response...This was purely because they had a surplus of 4.5 engines as told to me by Paul & Heath, the ex - factory mechanics who own X works TVR Specialists near Blackpool.
The later cars were a must, because the earlier ones were like looking out of a pill box -I have seen tanks with wider screens...
The later ones were much better and were well sorted... 02 -04 were the ones to have.
My 2nd one handled really well, and both went like stink..
Paul serviced my cars at the factory, and I knew others at the factory (and was friends with Peter Wheeler himself) I can confirm the car Clarkson showcased was indeed far from standard.
I know the guy who ended up with that engine who was also a TVR employee, and yes to call it 'non standard' was an understatement..
Having owned and loved a Chimaera 450 I wanted to move on to the 'full bespoke' TVR experience - as awesome as the Chim is, I love the fact the Cerb onwards were much less 'parts bin' - from the interior trim and switches to the engines, it blows me away what TVR managed to achieve in-house. I went for a Tuscan, but very nearly went for a Cerb. There are times I wish I had gone Cerbie - I much prefer the more classical (and readable) dials, and I'd love to try the V8. Unfortu ately now they have reached an age where export to the States is an option I suspect the prices will shoot up to a point where I won't be able to scratch that itch without parting with the Tuscan, and that's waaaay too much of a wrench to consider.
I’m American and have always fancied a Cerbera, although a long shot about importing one. Reason being, if a TVR is a sketchy proposition on home turf, it definitely would be here, with no parts or mechanics experienced with the make/model… I suspect this reality would dissuade many from importing one. That and awareness of TVR in North America is relatively low.
@@mr.butterworth All very relevant considerations. All I can say is that from being active in TVR forums and on social media I see a trend developing of these cars crossing the ocean. I suspect the Tuscan will see even more interest when it comes of age in a few years. I hope a good support network develops over there - it would be brilliant for them the be enjoyed more widely.
Should add an update. Discussing this very video on a TVR Facebook group led to someone sharing a link to a very nice 4.2 Cerb for sale... I did some half-arsed man maths, realised it was 'now or never', and now the Cerb sits next to the Tuscan looking all brooding and menacing. Definitely a case of Beauty and the Beast. Very different cars, sufficiently different to make owning both worthwhile (if not necessarily sensible) but they definitely share the same DNA. The Tuscan is very hyper and agile/twitchy, the Cerb is much more planted and feels more substantial. Not necessarily the case for all Cerbs/Tuscans - the Cerb has some fancy Ohlins suspension and my Tuscan needs a geo setup and suspension update, but I expect once all that is done the Tuscan will still feel more outright 'sporty' while the Cerb will be a more of a bruiser-cruiser.
Honnestly one of the best shapes to come out of the UK, beautiful thing.
This car has been, and always will be my ultimate dream, its like Kelly Brook, garage music or an Omega Seamaster.....not perfect, not the critics choice, but to those of us who grew up in the 90s they've forged a love that will last a lifetime
I've had two cerberas now. Second one I bough had a pond in the footwell when I picked it up. I reupholstered the carpet (literally with grey carpet from carpetrite) I had to rewire the ECU to the crankshaft sensor to get it to fire up and had to do all the electrics in the car... Buuuut, I got so much fun out of it and it went up in value. Bought sight unseen for £5k and sold for £15000. Bought my DB9 with the money!! Awesome car silver with sports exhausts, black spider alloys and red interior. Steve
It's not a Virage it's a Vantage, very different beast, I remember going around Millbrook in one on it's pre delivery test (as a passenger) not something I will ever forget !!
This thing will never age for me, #1 car. Close to buying one over the years, and will one day. But the bargains always scare me thinking somethings up, better priced ones I know soon it will hurt some day soon. It's quite a commitment running an old car with a rare or one off engine from a company that no longer exists, especially when you have a mortgage.
That indicator buzzer needs replacing though, reminds me of a secondary school electronics project. Being a TVR it probably was the same block style buzzer.
12:52 "you will actually get 2 adults in over there" - actually, the front adult can fit in quite comfortably.
If you want a rear passenger in there, the front passenger must wear their knees as earrings.
The rear passenger will then fit.
With 4 litres of vaseline.
And a plunger.
And if you amputate their legs.
And head.
Nice howl from the Cerbera - that definitely gets my juices flowing!
“Compared to his Chimera…” you mean to tell me this guys got 2 TVR’s? Brave soul.
I carry a multimeter, tool kit, jack and fire extinguisher in my 4.5. I’ve never had to use any of them. I’m pretty sure if I took them out karma would hit me though.
Great review, well researched and agreeable. I have the 4.5 Cerb and she's nuts! Highly recommend
This is one of ma favorite cars of all time.
It looks and sounds so good. Just the right amount of madness. I hope I can try one someday.
It was a Vantage in the Clarkson Vid. 😁
TVRs are awesome. It's the closest thing you can get to experiencing a supercar on a budget IMO. Yeah, stuff like BMW M3s are fast, but they are just regular road cars with a big engine.
M3 is magnificent, especially the e46. But you are correct, nothing like as special as a Cerbera. Not that the Cerbera could keep up with one on a twisty set of roads, that is unless you can drive like Chris Harris. But then that’s the charm of the TVR, it inspires you to improve your driving ability and not just your mechanical skill 😂
When I was a teenager I had a big poster of one of these on my bedroom wall, it's still as glorious as ever!
Straight pipes make it a different animal !
Still a monster to this day loved mine ❤❤
If I could it would be a Cerbera I'd buy. Not a fan of soft tops and the lines make it a thing of beauty to me. Great review, something to start the day off well.
Had a cerbera from virtually new and as I remember the indicators don’t self cancel.
Love the Cerbera. TVR made cars like nobody else.
That silhuette and roofline is sooo pretty! Thanks for this.
My favourite car in the original Gran Turismo, though I always preferred the round headlight look.
Same here, I really don't like the facelifted headlights. The LM Edition of the Cerbera from the very first Gran Turismo is what made me fall in love with the car. Then I had a listen of its real life sound and since then it's one of my all time favorite cars. For me, a flatplane V8 will always sound better than a crossplane V8 (however, I do like the sound of a Koenigsegg V8 that's in CCXs or Ageras).
Fun fact: the widely known and loved BMW M3 GTR from Need For Speed Most Wanted and Carbon actually uses the sound from a V8 Cerbera in those games.
The Cerbera has been one of my favorite cars ever since I first saw it in gran turismo 1. Great video, what a car!
Truly stunning car. And never sold out to the Germans or Japanese.
I remember going to a motor show being held in Norbreck Castle hotel in Blackpool back around 1975 and looking at TVR's and loads of other auto stuff. We were told the factory was just a few streets away and went for a walk around. Nobody bothered us while we drooled over the cars !
But it was once bought by a Russian billionaire.
The sound these cars make are absolutely awesome
Nice to see you featuring one of these cars on your channel. I had a colleague in Madrid who owned one of these. His daily drive was a Subaru Impreza so you can tell he was a petrol head. Sadly, I never got a ride in it as he had it up on axle stands in his garage as he was re-doing the powder coating on the chassis, but he used to take it up to Le Mans for the 24 Hours. He moved on to Boston (Massachusetts not Lincolnshire) and must have wowed the locals with such an unusual car.
Did he take it with him or was this very recent? US has a stupid 25 year old import rule that excludes anything under 25 years that wasn't originally certified for US sale from importation. You can get a 1-year exemption where the car then has to be proven to have been shipped out of country or destroyed and they're not on the Show and Display exemption list, either, which allows specific vehicles of technical or historic interest that can't be reasonably brought up to US compliance (including crash testing) to be driven under 2500 miles annually. Main reason I ask is that I love these cars, live near Boston, and would hope to see it!
@@mitchkelleher7972 I think he took it with him but this was a few years ago and he has now moved on from Boston so I'm afraid you won't get a chance to see it . I lost touch with him when he was posted to Boston and am not sure where he is now. He may have even retired from the Diplomatic Service by now so it may be hard to track him down
When all my mates had posters of a Countach or F40.... I had only a purple Cerbera Speed Six poster. Love a good Trevor!
Thanks for a great reminder!
I've previously been lucky to own 2 x 4.5 LW's. The first was exactly the same as the one in the video, same colour, 2000 car with facelift lights. Fantastic car, super reliable and very fast when you consider the lack of driver aids. Unfortunately it got written off in a non-fault, and it's replacement, in silver, broke down once a month for 6 months. Fernhurst bought it back from me with the rationale that 'there can't be much else to go wrong' (they were great BTW).
One thing I remember about the AJP engines - they were notoriously cold blooded. As they were basically racing engines slightly detuned for the road, they were remarkably easy to starve of oil until they were fully up to temperature. Once at temp, they were bulletproof, but if you were a fan of the big throttle blip on startup, well, you'd likely need a rebuild sooner than you'd like, as the main bearings ate themselves (often taking the crank with them).
As for the general reliability of TVR's, from the factory they were inconsistent at best. If you got a good one (and were sympathetic to the AJP's foibles), they would run happily for years with only regular maintenance. Get a bad one, and it was like they looked at the LOTUS* acronym, and said "hold my Beer". Thankfully, the aftermarket has developed fixes for most of TVR's problems. Buy a good car from a specialist, and you'll have a safe-ish, (mostly) reliable car - although the electrical system can still be a bit random, the perils of finding a reliable earth on a fiberglass car are... Fun, shall we say.
The truly unfortunate thing with TVR's, is that the only way to truly fix ALL the issues is to totally dismantle the car, pull EVERYTHING apart, including pulling the wiring harness, and rebuild the thing from scratch, replacing every electrical connector with a modern, more reliable version, rebuilding every switch with modern internals, doing all the engine mods needed for reliability, sorting & properly sealing the chassis, new suspension, etc, etc. As the saying goes, "'Ain't nobody got the time (or money) for THAT!"...
*;- Lots Of Trouble, Usually Serious.
I rode in my friend's 4.5 around Bedford, very interesting car / engine.
Re stiffness not sure if you noticed, but it has an integral roll cage which is the main contributing factor.
Also met the designer of the Cerbera at Caffeine & Machine, whilst there in said Cerbera....he was well chuffed to meet an owner.
I’m biased as I love Tvr and would never want to be without one. Nothing else for price comes close for enjoyment
All the lads I know who own or have owned multiple cars say the Cerb is the most mental and enjoyable of all the TVr models. I’ve never driven one but a passenger ride in one made my 5 litre Chimaera feel tame
exactly that, i have both a TVR Cerbera and a TVR Chimaera 500 that by the way is a wonderfull car too but in a different way. powerfull, engine noise, convertible and so on
I lived in Surrey from 1971 - 1976 and my father had two different TVR 2500M models during that period. At the time, they were pretty exotic rides and I have fond memories of them.
Engine has a really nice sound
I had that Clarkson VHS and that cheap synth music used to drive me mad. But those Clarkson vids were great.
I'm a proud owner of a 4.2
If the Break lights aren't working Check the reverse lights and hazards light If they're also are not working You will find the wire to the reverse switch sensor on the gearbox it pass the near side exhaust The heat from the exhaust shorts the wire out blowing the fuels
Love the video by the way
I've got one of those, 2003, 4.2 with 4.5 block. Everything you describe is correct. 18-20 mpg btw.
That cut to the F40, pure class, A8 work Sir
Totally get it and remember it very well. I bought that Clarkson video when I was 14 back in early '97. The music takes me right back in front of the tv. I was amazed at the cerbera & had never heard of it. No internet for me back then & in order to follow it, it meant buying car magazines. Loved it ever since the race & even more so now, how curvy & elegant cars from the 90's were. The last magazine I bought was in '03 & it featured the red rose edition- blistering...
I'm American and one of my dreams is to visit the UK and drive a TVR. Something about them really butters my biscuit.
TVR interiors are works of art imo
Been my favourite car for 26 years. I’d do anything for a go in a 4.5. Absolutely love them
The car that gave Most Wanted M3 GTR's it's sound :)
Mine really scared the crap out of me. I was wary of the performance and although I drove it I kept things sensible and had few scary moments apart from one moment in the wet, when the cars started fishtailing, which I got out of by gently accelerating!
On trip back from Yorkshire to London, I started to lose power and thought "Here we go, this is going to be an expensive experience!", it was at that moment I started turning off the A1 and at that stage I heard an almighty bang and the engine siezed bringin the car to a sudden halt (car behind me nearly ran into the back of me). That was disconcerting and just as I was getting over that experience the engine bay burst into flames and the amount of heat from the engine in front of me was quite frightening.
I realized that it was time to leave the car and practically screamed "Get out of the f**** car now!" I felt the panic inside of me and realized I needed to "get a grip" and went into a checklist,
1. Seatbelt - Get the seatbelt off
2. Press the open doors button - At this stage nothing happenned and I started to get a bit nervous.
3. I tried the button again - just in case I was flapping and again nothing it was time for Plan B,C,D
Next I leaned forward for the manual release of the doors by the ankles and as I leaned over, I stared at the steel door nob, nominating as a candidate to smash the windows open. I glanced to my left and the girlfriend had her side open, there was an exit available and it was time to get out of the vehicule from the easiest exit.
I turned around to my 6 year old stepson on the backseat (his mother has already left the car), in the calmest voice I asked him if he had his seatbelt off! He confirmed he had and I calmly took hold of him and threw him through the open door, figuring that a few scratches was better than being burnt to death! Finally I left the vehicle, by the time the fire bridgade arrived it was a piece of molten fibre glass and metal on the side of the road.
I loved my TVR, but I didn't get another one when the insurance paid out!
Awesome video. Great car. Always loved how these were all individual interiors. Definitely should have had someone at TVR saying no and focusing on those small touches. Cost cutting always leaves to hollowing of the marrow.
Clarkson unleashed on cars, classic 👍
One of my all time favourite cars. Only I would get one with the older simpler headlights. Love these irate v8 cars.
Good review and I think an accurate one. I love my Cerbera, best thing to make me smile holding on for dear life :)
Love the fact there was a volt meter in the boot for when the electrics are playing up. Which knowing TVR will probably be often....
I bought the Clarkson video for my brother. Such an amazing drag race! Always wanted a Cerbera after that.
My mum had a 4.2 in 'Chianti' . Prior to that she had 2 Chimera's, a 4ltr and then a 5ltr! Fond memories of polishing the stainless exhausts
The V8 Cerbera has been my dream car for a while now. There's really nothing else like it out there.
That sound makes me feel........... triumphant.
Super Trevor, lovely spec. The "My 1st TVR"
Gran Turismo 1 and 2 memories coming thick and fast with this one.
Ha, I owned a TVR 30 years ago and even then most services were 4 figures. Loved it
The angle between the engine banks is definitely 75 degrees, as shown by Al Melling presenting the original drawings.
My mate was a city broker back in the day. He bought a P Reg one in bright yellow!. We took it to Le Mans in the summer with his mate in a new XJR Jag. Suffice to say we all started off wanting to go shotgun in the Cerbera...by the end I'd day 1 none of us wanted to go in it. We boiled alive and became deaf....but what a great trip. It looked the business but was totally impractical.
TVR has always been my dream car. Unfortunately I have never been able to afford one! But I will keep dreaming about a crazy, wonderful sounding TVR! 👍