TVR Sagaris

The TVR Sagaris is a sports car designed and built by the British manufacturer TVR in their factory in Lancashire.

The Sagaris made its debut at the MPH03 Auto Show in 2003. The pre-production model was then shown at the 2004 Birmingham Motorshow. In 2005 the production model was released for public sale at TVR dealerships around the world. Based on the TVR T350,^[1] the Sagaris was designed with endurance racing in mind. Several design features of the production model lend themselves to TVR's intentions to use the car for such racing. The multitude of air vents, intake openings and other features on the bodywork allow the car to be driven for extended periods of time on race tracks with no modifications required for cooling and ventilation. The final production model came with several variations from the pre-production show models e.g. the vents on the wings are filled in, different wing mirrors, location of the fuel filler and bonnet hinges. There are other subtle differences as well.

As with all modern TVRs the Sagaris ignores the European Union guideline that all new cars should be fitted with ABS and at least front airbags because Peter Wheeler believed that such devices promote overconfidence and risk the life of a driver in the event of a rollover, which TVRs are engineered to resist.^[2] It also eschews electronic driver's aids (such as traction control or electronic stability control).
The car's name comes from the sagaris, the Greek name of a lightweight battle-axe used by the Scythians which was feared for its ability to penetrate the armor of their enemies. The car was designed by Graham Browne and Lee Hodgetts.
In 2008, TVR unveiled the Sagaris 2, which was designed to replace the original Sagaris. In the prototype revealed, there were minor changes to the car including a revised rear fascia and exhaust system, and modifications to the interior.^[3]
The 2010 film The Heavy features a black TVR Sagaris driven by Gary Stretch.

Specifications

Engine

• Engine: TVR Speed Six engine, Straight-6


• Displacement: 4.0L (3996 cc)


• Power Output: 380 bhp (283 kW; 385 PS) @ 7,000–7,500 rpm


• Torque Output: 349 ft·lbf (473 N·m) @ 5,000 rpm


• Bore/stoke: 96.0/92.0 mm


• Compression ratio: 12.2:1


• Valvetrain setup: 4 valves per cylinder, Dual Overhead Cam


• Camshaft Duration: inlet 264, exhaust 264 standard

Transmission

• Transmission: 5-speed manual

Suspension

• Front: Independent, double wishbones, coil-over gas dampers, sway bars


• Rear: Independent, double wishbones, coil-over gas dampers, sway bars

Brakes

• Front: 322 mm (12.7 in) ventilated disc brakes


• Rear: 298 mm (11.7 in) ventilated disc brakes

Wheels

• Wheels: 18 x 8.5 in aluminum alloy Spider wheels


• Tires: 255/35 R18

Chassis/body

• Body Panels: Glass Reinforced Plastic


• Weight: 2371 lb (1078 kg)


• Length: 4,057 mm (159.7 in)


• Width: 1,770 mm (69.7 in)


• Height: 1,175 mm (46.3 in)

Performance

• Top speed: 185 mph (298 km/h)


• 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h). 3.7 seconds^[4]


• 60-0 mph: 2.9 seconds

TVR Cerbera

The TVR Cerbera is a sports car manufactured by TVR between 1996 and 2003. The name is derived from Cerberus the three-headed beast of Greek legend that guarded the entrance of Hades.
The TVR Cerbera was the third car manufactured by TVR under the leadership of Peter Wheeler (the first was the Griffith and the second was the Chimaera). The car represented three firsts for the Wheeler-led company:

• The first hard-top—the Griffith and the Chimaera were both convertibles


• The first 2+2—TVRs were traditionally two-seaters


• The first to be driven by TVR's own engines—historically, TVR had purchased engines from mainstream manufacturers like Rover, Ford and Triumph

The prototype was introduced at the 1994 Birmingham Motor Show.

Prior to the Cerbera, TVR had purchased V8 engines from Rover and then tuned them for their own use. When Rover was purchased by BMW, Peter Wheeler didn't want to risk problems should the Germans decide to stop manufacturing the engine. In response, he engaged the services of race engineer Al Melling to design a V8 engine that TVR could manufacture in-house and even potentially offer for sale to other car-makers. In an interview for the television programme Top Gear, Wheeler explained "Basically, we designed the engine as a race engine. It was my idea at the time that if we wanted to expand, we ought to make something that we could sell to other people. We've ended up with a 75-degree V8 with a flat-plane crank. The bottom-half of the engine to the heads is exactly as you would see in a current Formula One engine."
Wheeler was quoted at the time of the car's launch as saying that the combination of light weight and high power was too much for a road car, a quote which ensured much free publicity in the press. Enthusiasts still argue about whether this was a typical example of Wheeler's legendary frankness, or an equally typical example of his PR chief Ben Samuelson's knack for saving on advertising costs by creating a story.

The result was dubbed the "Speed Eight" (official designation 'AJP8') after Al Melling, John Ravenscroft and Peter Wheeler, a 4.2 L V8 producing 360 horsepower (268 kW). A larger version of the engine was later offered that displaced 4.5 litres and output rose to 420 horsepower (310 kW). This larger engine was also fitted with a crankshaft that was made of steel for added strength and reliability. The smaller motor allowed the Cerbera to still achieve up to 185 mph (297 km/h).
The AJP8 has one of the highest specific outputs of any naturally aspirated V8 in the automotive world at 83.3 hp/litre for the 4.2 and 93.3 hp/litre for the 4.5. Later models of the 4.5 litre engine were given the option of being to the 'Red Rose' specification, which increased its output to 440 bhp (97.7 hp/litre) when fuelled with super-unleaded (high octane) and the driver pushed the unmarked button on the dashboard which altered the engine mapping to suit.
In some cases, real-world outputs for production V8s (4.5 in particular) were down from TVRs quoted output. Some of these have seen some form of modification (ECU, induction, exhaust etc.) to bring the power back up to the factory quoted output.
One of the attractions of the V8 Cerberas for many owners was the loud backfire produced on over-run, particularly at low speeds. In fact this was the result of an argument at the factory between one of TVR's executives and the engineers mapping the engine. The engineers wanted to map out this "irregularity" to improve fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions, whilst the executive insisted it was exactly the kind of thing owners would like. In the end a compromise was reached in which the popping and banging remained on the 4.5 L cars.
The engine is also unusually compact for a V8. According to TVR, the total weight of the finished engine is 121 kilograms (267 lb).
With the success of the Speed Eight program, Wheeler also undertook the design of a "Speed Six" engine to complement it. This engine also made its debut in the Cerbera. Unlike the Speed Eight, the new engine is 4.0 litre inline slant six (I6) design. It also differs from the V8 in having four valves per cylinder to the Speed Eight's two.

The car

The car itself was designed from the start as a four-seater. The rear seats are smaller than the front, a design commonly referred to as a "2+2". However, the interior is designed so that the passenger seat can slide farther forward than the driver's seat. This allows more room for the person sitting behind the front passenger. TVR have referred to this as a "3+1" design.
TVR maintained its tradition of building cars that were not only exceptionally powerful but also very light for their size and power output. The Cerbera's weight was quoted by TVR at 1100 kilograms, although customers claimed the weight varied between 1,060 kg (2,337 lb) and 1,200 kg (2,646 lb).
The dashboard was designed especially for the Cerbera and uses a two-spar steering wheel as opposed to the typical three-spar previously found in most TVRs. The reason for this is that minor instruments are located on a small panel below the steering wheel and a third spar in the wheel would have made them difficult to read.
Like all TVRs of the Peter Wheeler era, the Cerbera had a long-travel throttle to compensate for the lack of electronic traction-control and very sharp steering. The V8 powered cars were two turns from lock to lock and the Speed Six car was 2.4 turns. This made it easier for experienced drivers to maintain or regain control of the car in the event of a loss of traction but some less experienced drivers complained that it made the cars feel "twitchy" and more responsive than they would otherwise have preferred.
In 2000, TVR changed the styling of the car slightly by modifying the headlights to more closely resemble those seen in the TVR Tuscan. The "facelift" features were available with all three engine configurations. In addition, the cars equipped with the 4.5 liter engine were offered with the "lightweight" option, reducing the overall weight through the use of lighter body panels and a slightly reworked interior.

The Last Cerbera

In August 2006, TVR held an online auction for what it billed as "The Last Cerbera". According to thelastcerbera.com, the website that TVR created especially for the auction, TVR's owner and chairman, Nikolay Smolensky (spelled "Nikolai Smolenski" on thelastcerbera.com site), brought the design out of retirement for one more unit as an homage to the "beautiful but brutish bygone British sports car." The "last Cerbera" was a 4.5 LW right-hand drive car in Pepper white with Prussian blue leather interior trim. The auction failed to meet its reserve price but TVR still decided to sell the car to the high bidder. The final bid was under £45,000 to which 5% plus 17.5% VAT would be added.^{[citation needed]} This car is currently for sale at Racing Green Cars in Ash Vale

Performance

Speed Six 4.0L model

• Engine type: straight-6 DOHC 24v


• Power: 350 hp (261 kW; 355 PS)


• 0-60 mph: 4.4 seconds


• Top speed: 180 mph (290 km/h)


• Torque: 330 lb·ft (447 N·m)

4.2L model

• Engine type: V8 OHC 16v


• Power: 360 hp (268 kW; 365 PS)


• Torque: 320 lb·ft (434 N·m) at 4500 rpm


• Redline: 7000 rpm


• 0-60 mph: 4.2 seconds


• 1/4 mile time 12.4 seconds


• Top speed: 185 mph (297 km/h)

4.5L model

• Engine type: 4475cc V8 OHC 16v


• Power: 420 hp (313 kW; 426 PS) at 6750 rpm


• Torque: 380 lb·ft (515 N·m) at 4500 rpm


• Redline: 7000 rpm


• 0-60 mph: 3.9 seconds


• Top speed: 195 mph (313,7 km/h)

TVR Tuscan Speed 6

The TVR Tuscan is a sports car manufactured by TVR.

Engine

Five different inline six engine options were offered to customers. Four of these were variants of the 4.0 L Speed Six making different amounts of power and torque, depending on the trim level selected. The last was a 3.6 L Speed Six which produced the same amount of power as the lowest-level 4.0 L engine, although slightly less torque.

• Bore and stroke: 96 mm (3.8 in) by 92 mm (3.6 in) (4.0 L) or 96 mm (3.8 in) by 83 mm (3.3 in) (3.6 L)
• Power and torque:

• 3.6L Mk1: 350 BHP, 290 ft.lbf
• 4.0L Mk1: 360 hp, 310 ft.lbf
• 4.0L Mk1 Red Rose: 380 BHP, 310 ft.lbf
• 4.0L Mk1 S (pre-2003): 390 BHP, 310 ft.lbf
• 4.0L Mk1 S (post-2003): 400 BHP, 315 ft.lbf
• 4.0L Mk2 (post-2005): 380 hp, 310 ft.lbf
• 4.0L Mk2 S (post-2005): 400 BHP, 315 ft.lbf
• 4.0L Mk2 Convertible (post-2005): 380 hp, 310 ft.lbf

Chassis

Even though there have been numerous tweaks to the Tuscan's chassis and suspension, the overall size and appearance of the variants remain virtually identical apart from minor aerodynamic aids to the S model in the form of an undertray in the front and a small boot-lid spoiler on the rear.
In October 2005 the "Mk 2" version of the Tuscan was introduced, though in reality this was just a minor facelift. The modifications were restricted to cosmetic changes to the front and rear lights, the dashboard, and the spoilers on the S model plus some minor changes to the chassis to improve the handling. At the same time, a new variant a full soft top was introduced alongside the original targa version.

Performance

• 0-30 mph: 1.73 s
• 0-60 mph: 3.68 s
• 0-100 mph: 8.08 s
• 100-0 mph: 4.15 s

It is worth noting that these test results were achieved in a post-2003 Tuscan S without traction-control or anti-lock brakes. TVR's design philosophy holds that such features do not improve either the performance or safety of their vehicles and thus they are not so equipped. TVR rejects the notion that these features, along with airbags, are "safety devices" and believes that, based on testing and experience, their cars are safer without these things than with them.^[1]