TVR's Finest Hour? Is The TVR Griffith 500 The Perfect British Sports Car?
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- Опубліковано 3 жов 2024
- In today's video we are looking at a 1990s hero car - the TVR Griffith. Available in many guises, the 500 was the top dog, with a claimed 340hp pushing along only about a tonne of car. Meaning that in its day, this was a serious performer with Ferrari baiting power at half the price. Decades on though, and these are still available at sensible money - are they worth buying, or best left on VHS?
#TVR #Griffith
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Love the Griffith, I wrote to TVR back in 97 just telling them how much I loved there cars they very kindly wrote me back with brochures postcards and keyrings, l was a very happy 16 year old
What a cool thing for them to do. Had they lived on, you'd likely have become a loyal customer for life, and the good will from that story would have won them even more customers. I wish more companies were like this.
Love it, come on TVR be good to see the new one on the road. My mate owned a few TVR’s personally loved the chimera 500, perfect sound
Oh man that's awesome. I'm an American and the Griffith 500 is one of my dream cars. So disappointing we couldn't have TVR's over here for stupid reasons. Ive only seen two in life, and 80's 280i very young, and a Tuscan back in 2006/2007. Will alway love em. What's sad is I mention to other people tvr, and they're like what's that, never hear of em! And they have collections of British sports, but don't know TVR!!!!
That's so cool
That’s cool.
It’s really hard to describe just how spectacular this car looked when it was launched back in the early 90’s. It was so clean, completely devoid of any fussy detailing and so beautifully proportioned. With a 5 litre V8 and a spectacular interior, it was hard to imagine how TVR did it for the launch price.
...or to quote PW on the launch show stand 'if you really want one, buy it now - you will never see it again at this price...' - Indeed, I later paid his offer price for a 3 yr old (albeit 3k miles) car - He initially sold them at 'cost' to create production / evolution revenue
The value for money element was an essential part of the appeal - the fact that it was the best looking and sounding car in creation at the time helped, ...oh, yes...that and the near single figure acceleration to 100 :)
I have a Chimaera. Differences between it and the Griffith are:
- most Chimaeras are either 4 litre or 4.5 litre (mine is 4.5) there were fewer 5 litre Chimaeras made but when they are the engine is the same as the one in the griff. For griff, most are 5 litre as that was the only spec. Early cars were 4.0 and 4.3 (again, the only spec at the time).
- Boot on the Chimaera is bigger. It's the more 'GT' configuration of the chassis
- Suspension is sprung slightly stiffer on the griff to match the GT versus sportscar separation
- Interior is a bit different but not by much. The Chimaera's interior was designed after the Griff's so I guess they took cues from their first attempt in the griff.
- Body style obviously different
The rest is basically the same although there are minor electrical and mechanical differences.
Thanks. I too needed know same. Always wanted know
I believe what you said on differences is correct. The Griff was exclusively a 500 from about 1994 which is where I think they get their reputation from - most Chimaeras were 400s I believe. Anther difference is the smaller engined early cars had 240mm front brakes vs the 260mm on the 5 litre cars - I think later cars all had the bigger brake spec.
I love my Griff (1996 500, owned since early 2014) - been waiting for JayEmm to do a feature on one of these for ages! A mate has a 400 Chimaera with a supercharger and it's nuts.
isn't the Chimaera wider as well?
@@siggy_7459 my Griff 500 is a 93 a really early one. Rover LT gearbox dyno'd at 306 bhp with main cat
Don't forget the BV's!
Fabulous car. My dad had a 4.3 back in the day followed by a one-off 4.2 Chimaera. In January 1997 TVR built him a Cerbera. As the then works racing driver for TVR he was good friends with the chairman at the time, Peter Wheeler and the car was fitted with all the trick kit available. He once let me drive it to Bristol for a weekend away with mates. At the time I was 21 years old and was driving a 39hp Cinquecento. The Cerbera had a solid 420hp+ and would hit 180 before the Fiat got to 60. I was worried I'd not know how to handle it and have an accident and my dad said something that rings true still today. "It'll out-brake, out-turn and out-grip just about anything else on the road so if you crash it, chances are you were doing something stupid". I now own that very Cerbera that was once my dad's and I absolutely love it. Super special because of its prototype nature (it's actually a 4.5GT - they only built about 9 of them before deciding not to productionise them). Every now and then it'll let you know that it's not quite tame, just to keep you on your toes, but you've got to provoke them like hell, be a complete nozzle behind the wheel or very unlucky to bend one.
Great story!
Been waiting for this one!! "Owning a TVR is like owning a bear. All your friends will think its great, but one day it will try and kill you" (apologies to JC).
@Colin Gregson Oh yes. Still have a Chimaera 500. We have shared a number of arse clenching moments.
I drove a Chimaera 4 weeks ago in 28C so pretty hot all day and into the night. Didn't get hot. But maybe it does when idling? In heavy traffic. Check the gear box oil is correctly filled. There are plenty of comments saying this hot gear knob is an issue.
Jesus Christ was indeed a very wise man.
Great video, I ran one for 13 years, more mileage less issues, bought at 22k and sold at 90k, I still miss it.
I first remember seeing a Griffith at a motor show many years ago. I was blown away by the styling and thought here at last is a true spiritual successor to the E Type.
I'm amazed to read that it's smaller than my MX5.
Perhaps a Griffith should go on my bucket list?
I saw my first Griffith about 1964 here in Toledo, Ohio, USA... had no idea what they were before that...
I have waited for a good quality Griff 500 review since I could spell UA-cam. Thank you James 🙏
So glad you have finally been able to review a griffth. Love these cars I'm glad you love the griffith even with all it's flaws. Proper car from another time
This is "The Car"!
Sooner or later it will be "garage mate" with my Exige.
James,thanks for this emotional video 🏆
Yes! Yes! Yes! Dreams can come true.....I’ve waited so long for you to a video on the Griffith 😍😍😍
He just wants your money to buy his ridiculous cars. Wake up !
I love the Griffith. My mate back in the early 90's progressed from a Ford Capri 2.8i to one of these - I remember being blown away at the acceleration....fantastic machine. Great video, thank you.
Nicknamed the Widow maker lol!
Zero to 60 is 4 sec. They are super light weight. Easy to brake as well for the same reason. Good track day cars!!
So so pleased you liked the Griff. I love mine. The driving experience is just so enjoyable. I can see me keeping mine for a long long time.
TVR's are such fun, so much personality!👍
My old man had an early 4 litre and took it to Italy, he had to put a wet bar towel over the gearknob to change gear it got so hot!
Another one of those cars from my childhood in Gran turismo 1. There, I learnt it was tail happy beyond belief, much more than any other standard car in the game, I think? Not sure how that tracks to the real world one, but it was a lot of fun in the game. Always had a soft spot for it since then.
I read this as I heard Jay say its wheelbase is shorter than a Miata's, so yeah, I'd be very ginger with the throttle in corners, hehe
I've never driven a Griffith but did own a 4.5 (AJP8, not Rover) Cerbera and have driven the Chimaera 500 which is basically the same as the Griffith. It's hard to describe them to drivers without a common language somewhere. They all have limited slip differentials and if you just wang the loud pedal then yes, it will be sideways very quickly. In real life though, there is so much more sensory input to the driver from the car. You can feel everything. Those who aren't very good or who are just not confident find all the feedback intimidating - sometimes severely so. A TVR does not flatter your ego. It's all there though. If you're a perceptive sort it's *almost* difficult not to have a very good sense for where the limits are at any given time and you can drive at 7 or 8/10ths with confidence. Getting the extreme out of them takes a lot of practise in a safe environment. If you stop paying attention to the car and get complacent with it, it will remind you what you're driving. The car demands respect and in exchange it rewards good driver technique. The better you try to be, the more it rewards you back.
@@jamieduff1981 Sounds pretty great. Thanks.
it was basically undriveable in GT. Just get the GTO :)
@@lesvosace602 Cant skip the licence test, though. At least, thats what I think it was if I remember correctly.
Had one 25 years go, LOVED trips to Le Mans and general fun, missed it, so looked for another and bought this exact car two weeks ago, it is chuffing lush!
That noise is why it was always TVR over Lotus for me.
Chimera was meant to be the touring car - bigger boot and softer suspension. Griffith was meant to be the sportscar. Chassis are identical excepting the suspension specifications.
These can make the perfect sports / touring / weekend car. Not exactly perfect on track, but if you drive it that hard on the road you deserve to fall off! Also not so bad to crash in as you think.
Those who fell off the road were entirely responsible and had to blame the car to excuse their own faults. Definitely amongst the very best £/fun ratio in classic "cardom" and when properly sorted supremely reliable and a real driver's car, which is surely the point of a classic sports car.
Sitting in hospital watching this with head phones on , love love love the sound of tvr , and it’s British and it looks so good! , the last shot of you driving off nearly done my ear drums in hahaha👍🏻👍🏻
I owned one of these, bought new from Kerridges. In the same colour. 25K trouble-free miles until he & I met with a mishap on the A12 (not my fault). I'd dispute the bit about killing the driver - front & back were completely wiped out, but both doors opened, the cabin being more or less intact, & I walked away undamaged. Best brakes of any car I've owned. Oh, and 25mpg!
The sound of this car is amazing
I've had allot of different performance cars, but there resides a Griffith 500 in my garage, I can't ever see if leaving. Raw unadulterated driving pleasure. Best review of the car I have seen, subscribed.
Beautiful car!
My friend had one. Besides that engine/exhaust music, the thing I loved the most is that the rear number plate is backlit! So neat :)
Is that you MB? Former Food Dude? It's Paul P here. I have a TVR Griffith!
ILLEGAL IN OZ !
@@kencharlesworth6873 Shame... An MOTers nightmare in the UK. But was legal if it was legible and illuminated when required.
@@psychopsycho3 I'm not MB, no, unfortunately. My mate had a Griffith 500 and fond memories to go with it. I could only catch him on roundabouts in my MX5 :p
I remember being in my MkI Golf gti and rolling up behind one of these. Turned off the Alpine and rolled down the windows. Just loved hearing the sound of that 5 litre V8. It roared off and I was gunning my golf just to hear the TVR.
It’s very much like the Bullitt soundtrack from the chase scene.
Would give my wife’s right arm to have a 500
I've had my precat Griffith for 24 years now and even after all that time I still turn around to look at it in awe when I walk away. I recently wrote a piece about it for Sprint the TVR club magazine and concluded it thus:
It’s interesting to ponder what it is that makes these cars so special and what is the essence of the appeal of TVR. For me there are several elements to this but the fact they are British is undeniably important. They also have a handcrafted feel with acres of walnut and leather and it strikes me that only the British really manage to create that sense of opulent luxury that characterises Jaguar, Jensen, Aston Martin, Lotus, Range Rover, Austin Healey and TVR. Step into any Ferrari or Porsche and you will be confronted by a plastic dashboard and instrument binnacle, step into a TVR and your forward view will be sumptuously adorned in burr walnut veneer, aluminium switchgear and acres of leather and wool carpet. If you’re lucky enough to be driving a post 1990’s TVR the shapes around you will curve and swoop in tandem with the gorgeous lines of the body sculpting. Perhaps such results cannot be achieved by a CAD program and require human hands to sculpt organic shapes in clay and foam just as TVR always did.
Starting the engine is always an event in itself, particularly in any of the TVR V8s which fire up and rumble like a Merlin engined Spitfire and evoke a bygone age where heroic fighter pilots duelled with their counterparts in the skies over Dover. Your nostrils will be assailed by the smells of internal combustion, of hot racing oil and leather just like the grand prix heroes of a bygone age were. You glance around and can almost see Stirling Moss roaring down the main straight at Goodwood in the Aston DBR1, past a line of hay bales and old Duckhams oil drums. Echoes of the past and of glory and drama on long lost motor racing circuits fill the air. Finally there’s the driving experience, that feeling of flying by the seat of the pants, the sheer rawness of the drive with none of the refinement or aids of a modern BMW M3, Toyota Supra or Jaguar F type. The steering feels alive, indeed the whole car feels alive and there’s an instantaneous wall of torque available in any gear at any speed that hurls you at the horizon with rapidly increasing velocity to a soundtrack that is unforgettable. This is a muscular car with the stance and power of a panther, it’s intimidating, but oh so very rewarding on the right road when your senses are lost in the moment and can just relish the sheer joy of driving a car such as this.
Finally there’s the fact that TVRs have always been reasonably affordable. This was never a car for the Ascot set, it’s not Pimms and polo but rock ‘n roll and northern soul, blue jeans and gritty cobbled streets. TVRs are supercars for the everyman, they’re achievable but they can outperform the aristocratic thoroughbreds from Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari at a fraction of the cost. Everyone loves an underdog and TVR were the underdog that conquered the world with the Griffith. Nothing so pure of line, so focused in design, so elegantly and purely styled has ever followed it. Like Concorde it remains incomparable and unassailable, a strange fusion of great beauty and savage power, a symphony of muscle and curves and speed.
snap! + 2 yrs - Regrettably, the last decade waiting in storage for me to lavish more love and attention... I have always adored it and even years before I bought mine, followed one from event to event in the same 4.3, Candy Apple + Magnolia spec, utterly besotted.... :) - I just hope that I can restore her to roadworthy soon and have enough ability and years to enjoy again.... ps was fortunate to have chatted to several of TVR's key players at the factory and at race tracks - all gents and characters...particularly the lovely laconic PW,,,,,,,,I miss you guys
Can't say anymore !!. Got a Chim cause the wife likes to pack the kitchen sink in when we tour !!. Mine had a total chassis refurb by James Agger. Been all around UK in it never let me down except when I left my lights on for 2 hours at Gisburough !. Partially flattened the battery and got the usual click !!. Sorted it care of Startrescue told the guy to stick the positive on the battery terminal (located in the passenger footwell) and the negative on the alternator bracket in the engine bay. He needed a negative extension lead but took my advice and it fired up preventing a potential fire due to a short in such a confined location !!.
The thing is if you put even a moderately powerful engine in something this light it will have brutal acceleration, couple that to no stability aids and the perception is that it is even more so.
Basically TVR’s are old school sports cars for the kind of person that thought that Formula 1 got soft after the 1970’s and that the only problem with the E-Type was that it wasn’t fast enough (when in reality it was brakes & lights that were the main complaints!).
Of course to this person the ultimate TVR is the Speed 12, a car that was a brutal as can be expected of something with close to 900bhp, an aluminium chassis and a fibreglass body.
Yes. Very nice. Can never have too many TVR's
I may have two 😉
@@chargeheadsuk which 2 do you have?
Have a 4.5 Chim since new 1999. Was taken for a test drive by Brundle TVR in Norfolk out of the blue on a random day out and hooked. So out of character for me but I bought one. 22 years on and it is almost a part of the family, used for occasional trips and sometimes into Europe. 3 boys mean it is pretty useless but now and then I get to blow the cobwebs away and put the foot down. Have never regretted it and as time goes by value it more and more. I salute you Peter Wheeler, as the old adage says, slow in, fast out......
I took delivery of my 4.5 Chim in August 1998 and it remains a part of our family to this day. It has been a delight to own and has been endlessly pampered. They are to be treasured as we will not see their like again. I take heart in hearing your story that I am not alone.
This is one of those cars that you hear and you think "I bet tvr made you prove your chest was hairy before they sold you one". Absolute animal of a car, pure british brute. Want one. Love the scud by the way, Congratulations James, A well deserved treat for a genuine car guy. May your collection be vast and glorious sir.
I believe the rover v8 started as a buick 289ci small block. No use for them but was great for our less substantial needs lol.
I owed a 500 amd it’s such an event. Very little like it on the road today.
Beautiful engine sound and none of the piped-in sound on speakers found today. Plus love the engine turned aluminium dashboard and the analogue dials.
I bought a Chimaera recently as a bit of a stop gap but I like it even more than I expected. You do smile every time you drive it and it’s a head turner. The handling is great and the engine sound is sumptuous.
Must be one of the greatest engines of all time,tough,durable,reliable,plentiful parts supply and tunable,a real G.M. jewel.
Rover (and the TVR supplier) changed it a lot from the GM original, so don't get too cocky.
I knew I recognized that registration plate !! I actually drove/hired this exact Griff back in 2009 when a central London car-hire company had it available within their stable ! I had it for 3 days and I drove it all the way out to Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales and enjoyed it immensely all throughout the Brecon Beacons region... I shot loads of in-car video as well so this has been a total treat to see/hear that magnificent beast once again :) ( I see that the original wood dash has been replaced with this engine turned one) So happy it still lives and is driven !!
Love TVR I grew up with my Dad owning one. He also raced for them in the 90s. I have a great pic of car on fire and him upside down in the air. Save to say he was on and moved onto Formula Boss championship and won 🏆
the thoroughbred edition of the Griff was perhaps the earlier 4.3.
No power steering, no CAT (so no illegal deleting) + more dynamic engine spec / balance (original TVR engine builder says 4.3 is the best choice / his favourite) Having driven all of them, I would have to agree. - I got very close to buying one with 4 twin choke webbers, however N. London dealer let me down...
To hear a 4.3 start up and idle in a quiet environment is a memorable experience which should have most folk grinning from ear to ear - from then on, it only gets better :)
To pass under a bridge, top down at hi rpm....Every time, you look in your mirrors for a wayward early F1 car about to pass......
This was Tiff Needles scariest car, he said ages ago. Oh, the engine sound!. Simply fabulous!.
surely, that would be the F1 Mac..
I have a LHD 500 but it's still not finished after a full chassis resto, can't wait
Definitely a gran turismo hero😍♥️
As a child of the 70s, I like the Tasmin best from TVR, can’t get enough wedge styling!
Still one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
Probably my favourite tvr and the one I’d have for sure. Amazing sound like a snarling beast!
My uncle had one of these; it died at Knockhill one day with me in the passenger seat. He’d taken a kerb too aggressively, the car thought it was going to roll over and killed the fuel supply to the engine 😅
It wasn’t ‘B16 YEL’ by any chance?
@@michaelfaulkner3743 it was!
@@that.guy11very small world. I was in your uncles car at Knockhill in 1999 and the same thing happen, it cut out after going over the kerb. Has he still got the car?
@@michaelfaulkner3743 small world indeed! The Griffith is long gone now, replaced by a string of 911s including a GT3 or two
Roasted hot gear lever knob. Just lovely. Lovely. Character. Amazing. So much cool. What the world needs in this age of EV this sUv that. Thanks James.
May be, the first UK heated cup holder was missed out on........or a pocket to keep the Yorkshire pudding warm.
Seriously, it doesn't get much better than this. 5 litre V8, huge torque, awesome sound track. Timeless looks- clean, uncluttered smooth lines- unlike the later TVR cars- which went too extreme in my opinion. The Griffith is an analogue car- no nanny state driver 'aids,' to interfere with the drive. Simple as a house brick. Beast of a car!
Engine note of a TVR is always something else. Thanks for that fantastic intro. Sounded great on my IEMs
You had me at the intro! 🚙💨
Salut Jay, petit commentaire en français pour vous dire que vous avez des abonnés partout! Ces TVR, mon dieu qu'est-ce qu'elles font envie surtout dans la période automobile aseptisée qu'on vit aujourd'hui... Je meurs d'envie d'en acheter une, mais leur réputation en terme de fiabilité fait quand même beaucoup hésiter... Merci pour la vidéo! "Great job!" comme disait Mansell à ses mécanos après une victoire😁. Et merci les Britishs de savoir faire de telles voitures!...
They are not impossible to maintain.
They are simple cars that use a lot of off the shelf components that would have been available in Europe too. Lots of Ford Sierra & Opel Vectra / Ascona bits.
Now some of these donor parts are becoming obsolete but the club is fantastic.
The engine was originally a 215 c.i. Buick engine designed by GM for the Skylark and Rover bought the rights to it.
Long way from 215 to 289, gonna have to find out how much of that was bore and how much was stroke.
The Buick 215" aluminum V8 actually started about 1950 and appeared in Harley Earl designed Buick concept cars of early 1950's... that's why it has rocker arm shafts instead of the stamped steel individual rockers (a Pontiac design) seen in 1955 and up engines... there was also the iron V6 version in early 1960's and onward... With WWII over, military demand for aluminum plummeted and aluminum makers tried to convince auto makers to go with aluminum engines. There was even an aluminum Chrysler Slant 6 engine for about 6 months. Of course, back then, there were a lot of Brit engineers around with experience making things of aluminum... and they perfected this aluminum V8 that had expensive 50% casting failure rate in the USA... I have this engine in my '75 MG Midget... the engine it should have came with...
Great review and such awesome cars. Thought I recognised this numberplate, it was on a Griff I hired back in 2002 when I got married…😁
Wonderful sound! Only the Ginetta G33 sounds better. Could you review one of those?
Roasted hot gear lever knob. Just lovely. Lovely. Character. Amazing. So much cool. What the world needs in this age of EV this sUv that. Thanks James. Zero idea smaller than the Mx5.
Remember one of these starting up in Meadowhall car park back in the 90s. Set off all the car alarms. Loved it.
Brilliant. Absolutely remember the the ‘toothpaste green’ press car that got all the attention back in the day.Wanted one then, want one now.
I must say, much more interesting than watching supercar reviews. A real rough diamond. Let's have more
I watch all your videos. I like your shirts, the cars, the filming style and the outro music.
Thanks J, enjoyed this a lot!
Love the sound this car makes!!!❤
One of my dream cars, that sound is just bliss.
2:10 That happens to most of us. It's called "aging." I know I very much prefer more comfortable cars these days than I did 20+ years ago.
me too, arthritis an all, but...the Griff stays (just hope I can get in and out ok when I get her fixed up!) :)
Proper car !
I enjoyed that
Tvrs best fun cars ever for me I’ll never be without one. Love the Griff looks, I have a Chimaera 500 snd it’s a car that just gives me a buzz every time I take it out
Thanks for making my decision of my dream (potentially) attainable sports car just that little bit more difficult!
Love a good v8 growl.
Rover V8's sound awesome.
I remember walking out of primary school and one of these was parked outside. That was the day I became a 'car lover'
What you do in your private life is nobody’s business…😅
..that Countach!! moment :) ;)
As a twenty something back in the 90s driving around in my Fiesta XR2, this was my dream car.
Well done, brilliant review. Really matched how I feel when driving my Griff 500 (I'm also called Nick!). I adore it. I thought your comments were spot on and, pleasingly, more upbeat than I was expecting! :)
Seen one last week up close really awesome sounding thing a real purist car. When electric cars take over it's going to be terrible 😪😷
Great car. I did a treasure hunt in s Griff 500 in the rain once. Makes you feel alive.
I bought Nigel Mansells sports cars demo @ 3 weeks old in 1996 Griff 500 same colour as that , Loved it . sold after 2 years for a S1 e-type.
Any chance you could upload another video without any mention of dying please? I’m trying to convince my wife I can have one….
You will only die if you can't drive 😉
Owned two of these, early 4.0litre then a 500. Both were brilliant. I was besotted with them after reading Performance Car magazine article shortly after release. Back then there was nothing else that looked so good. Such a clean design. A few years later I bought one, trading up from a TVR S3 (again a great car). I think if I was looking now I would hunt out the rarer 4.3 Big Valve or maybe one of the last 500 LE’s.
4.3 is King, incidentally, when I asked the original TVR engine builder if it was worthwhile fitting 'big valves'....he paused, then, shall we say, intimated that the BV were no different!!
@@davidstuart4915 wouldn’t surprise me 😂
@@davidstuart4915 I agree about the 4.3BV.
I've loved the Griffith since Performance Car test edit vs the Viper and crowned it the winner.
I love the shape, those curves are gorgeous. The lovely woofly V8 with serious power, for the day, in a lightweight chassis with lurvly leather interior.
What's not to like!!
I owned a 4ltr Pre-Cat for 18 years (some videos on YT) absolutely brilliant car. Being a pre-cat sounds the best and no issues with regards to emissions at the MOT. Not as fast as the other engine spec Griffiths but still a fantastic drive
the 4.3 pre-cat combines the best sound and best performance :)
Lovely car, I have very fond memories of my Griffith 500 (reg number P6 TVR). One thing I don't like on the one in the video is the exhaust. It doesn't sound anywhere near as good as the original one.
The interiors made them special.
0:07 Aaaaaah that snarl from the good old V8 🤩
Thank you!!! Still my favourite car of all time, from my favourite company (terrible as they were) and I don’t even like convertibles!! Loved the review and affirmed my need for one very badly!!
I owned my Griffith 4.3 (no cat, no pas) for 19 years after owning : S3 280S, V8S, 350i and a 400SE. The Griffith is so well rounded with just the right amount of power for its chassis. The 500 is more weildy and the Chimera softer, the Griff having a rawer edge to driving experience. My car was well used with trips from Scotland to the Continent and driven round Zolder and Nurburgring. I've driven Porches but the TVR is far more fun and less frantic than Ferraris. The Cerbera, Tamora and Tuscan are meteoric but the best of the bunch is the T350, not to mention the outlandish Sagaris.
I now run a Mercedes-Benz SL550 and love it to bits, as it's so versatile. I did change the rear silencers to straight-through, so it sounds more like a TVR...
Been a fan of TVR since the mid 90s, when I lived in Germany. Such looks and sound! Sucks they aren't that common across the pond.
It's half a metre shorter than my 981, that's mad. Sounds incredible too. This was one of my dream cars growing up.
I had a 4.3 non-cat in blue and cream in the late 90s. I used it as a daily driver across the Cotswolds from Cropredy to Chippenham...those were the days! 7.30 on a misty summers morning and little traffic. You did have to concentrate however or it would have you in a ditch in no time
A great review. I really enjoyed that. The Chmaera and Griff share the same chassis. The main difference is softer spring settings in the Chimaera.
Plus the much bigger boot (for the golf clubs) on the Chim, of course. 😉
Chris Harris said the Chimaera was the Austin Healey 3000 of our generation.
TVR is my favourite brand, yes not very sensible I know. I prefer the wedge shaped era TVRs and the Tuscan does have a place in my heart too.
I'm building an electric wedge 😉⚡😭
@@chargeheadsuk howdy ;)
Could you possibly get to drive an XCS Fusion Cobra ? It'd be a great comparison with the alternative manufacturer's offering you already tested, mostly because of the trick suspension of the former.
This sounds like a 928 but looks like more fun.. I'm not sure what to compare it to. Impressive.
Also, this and the new car pickup video in the same day. It's quite a day Jay - thank you, we are not worthy.
And the 928 is the German Camaro/Firebird...
I was looking for this review last week! Nice to see it now hahaha
Beautiful car.
My favorite tvr of all time so classy in a crazy kinda way? Hmm something so appealing about theses machine the well prepared underdog of supercars smh along with its noise we will never hear machines this good ever again.
I sold my chimera about 10 years ago,I still miss it and people still remember it.
I had a ride in a Europa of about this vintage when I was about nine. It was a yellow one. I'd never imagined at that age a car could be so low to the ground.
OK, a request then !. Would you do another full road review of the Ferrari Roma, but in Britain and on non-olive oil slick roads 😄
First came across this car in Gran Turismo 1 or 2 and loved it! 😀🤘 .
Listen to that beast. I’d never get out of that car!
Great review as always. Brilliant cars
I didn't realize that Gordon Murray designed the revival Griffin that was announced in 2017. I realize the Rover/Buick V8 was a very popular engine but I don't know why they didn't look into using the LS engine from GM when it came time to replace them. They're also aluminum, relatively small, power dense, and certainly would have been perfect because of the massive aftermarket support the LS has. It would have been like a lighter right hand drive hand made British made Corvette. Even the first generation LS6 from the very first 2001 C5 Z06 made 385hp, later on they made 405hp. The best thing about the LS platform is if you can fit one you can pretty much fit all. I could only imagine how much fun a LS3 with CNC heads slightly milled to bump compression to 11.5, ported Fast 102mm intake manifold, camshaft, headers, exhaust, and tune easily making 520-550hp at the tires with plenty of power everywhere. Especially if they used the dry sump LS3 and 6 speed manual transaxle from a C6 Grand Sport. If the chassis could handle it I bet it would be a monster.
I bought a Griff 500 brand new in 1998 and ran it for 3 years and 41k miles. Had a few issues, but it never left me stranded. I de-catted mine, but didn't like it. It was too loud, the noise was not nice, and it stank. So I put it back to standard. The handling was actually very well sorted and it was good on track. The brakes were excellent too.
Yep, the pre-CATs are the best, particularly the 4.3 :)
Such a cool car!! I remember the first time I saw a TVR in the first Gran Turismo. As an American I had never heard of TVR and remember thinking how sweet that little car was....
For 25K or even 30K it would be tough to pass up a well sorted one if you could find it.
First saw a TVR Griffith about 1964 here in Toledo, Ohio, USA at local British new cars dealer...
Best tvr in my opinion! Look's and sound, it's got it all !!