TVR Owners?

[brillomaster]

of those my money would be on an M6 convertible - perfect as a weekend car, oodles of power, long distance comfort and touring capability, convertible for when the suns out and its got a V10 engine, way cooler than a V12.

 

To be honest if you aren't keen on the lightweight philosophy (lotus, VX220, Noble) then all the other cars listed will likely have high servicing and repair costs - but with a £25k budget, you could spend £15k on a minter of a TVR and still have a £10k fund for repairs.

[JetSet]

To be honest if you aren't keen on the lightweight philosophy (lotus, VX220, Noble) then all the other cars listed will likely have high servicing and repair costs - but with a £25k budget, you could spend £15k on a minter of a TVR and still have a £10k fund for repairs.

 

Good advice. When I changed jobs in 1969 I soon learned that one of the guys I worked with owned a Lotus Elite of 1962 vintage. I was pretty impressed as he was only about 28. When I got to talk to him he told me that he'd owned it for 4 years but it was broken and had been for about 3 years. The Coventry Climax engine had gone bang and he simply couldn't afford to get it fixed. Fast forward to 2007 and I bumped into him at a company reunion, he still has the car and it still needs an engine . I also know of a guy who broke down in France on the way back from Le Mans back in 2011. His Maserati still hasn't been fixed as the cost of repairs is horrendous (you could get a 2 year old 370Z for what it's going to cost )

 

 

Pete

Edited April 24, 2014 by JetSet

[jjt]

For me, I think one of the reasons that I enjoy owning and driving the Zed so much is that, unlike some previous cars that I've owned, I'm not waiting for it to break down on me every time I drive it

[andyvvc]

Regarding the TVR: mechanical issues aside (a well looked after TVR will be perfectly ok im sure)..... what happens when you lose control and slam into a tree even at relavtively low speed? Take a look on the net, there are some sites that show the chassis of the Tuscan etc. It's essentially a 1980s tubular steel frame. With fibre glass bodypanels. And thats it. No air bags. No ABS. No traction control. No stability control. No crumple zones. No impact/slam panels. As a drivers car a modern TVR is it's the pinnacle of everything that a 'Drivers car' should be. Responsive. Alive. Demanding. Engaging. They are the perfect Sports Car until you get it wrong....and you will. The problem is, when you DO get it wrong they offer nothing in the way of driver/passenger safety.

 

Best suited to a race-track, not the unpredictable UK weather and road conditions IMO.

 

370z.... now that's a good mix of power, looks, and 5* safety compared to a TVR. And i think the 370 is decidedly cheaper than a decent Tuscan too!

[andyvvc]

£25K is a good budget Commander and you've highlighted some interesting cars as choices.

 

What about a 996 Turbo? Would be amazing if you could find an X50 version, which is 450bhp from recollection, might be a bit over your budget to be fair. What about a Ferrari Mondial T, same engine as the 348, chassis is supposed to be terrific and is, from what I've read, a great handling car, although not super quick, it is a Ferrari and seemingly very solid.

 

You could of course go for the 370Z, we know this is a great car or a DB7 V12, another car I have been tempted with, they still look lovely I think and it is an Aston (Commander to Mrs Commander: "Darling, shall we take the Aston today...." - sounds nice) . The other option is something like the SL55 AMG, but I know that they can seem a bit boring (the SL55 is pretty good fun!).

 

Or if it really is a weekend car then go for the TVR and with the spare change get a little TR6 as well - Bingo!

 

Can't recommend a 996T. Awful cars. *ahem*