TVR Chimaera 400

...it was that I rediscovered TVR – at first I thought ‘Nah, they’re unreliable right?’ But I did like the idea of a British car and since I can’t afford an Aston Martin (yet), I investigated and discovered that the reliability issues tend to be over played and that the vast majority of owners reports that I read, actually praised the cars in glowing terms. Of course there were minor niggles along the way but just what you’d expect from a hand built ...
...the rear of the current TVR pack (albeit still in front of everything else on the road except sports-bikes and exotica like the Maclaren F1 and Ferrari F50!)

The Chimaera takes it's name from the mythical beast with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a serpent, though the car itself is considerably better looking.

My research discovered the following:

It’s powered by a Rover V8 4 liter ... more

I like fast stuff and I like going fast. Its true, I can’t deny it….. 163mph on my bike, 200.3 mph in freefall, 35knots on a windsurfer in a gale and 135mph in a hire car somewhere in Scotland…. Just a few of the idiotic adventures I’ve survived so far….. but this is another chapter completely!

Recently my old shed (1988 Ford Escort 1.3 Estate) was slowly dieing & needed lots of welding to get through its MOT. I decided that it was once again time to buy something fast and pointless (It’s 4 years since I bought my Yamaha R6) But what precisely? There are lots of performance cars on the market to choose from but I wanted something a little bit special, something that was subtle yet overstated, something with credibility and that certain ‘je ne sais quois’.
Now lets see….. ok, I fancy a convertible,….. 2 seats obviously…. But it must, under no circumstances, be mistaken for a hairdressers car! The MX5’s and MR2’s of this world were instantly dismissed, along with the BMW Z3 & Z4 (I’m not a Beemer sort of person) and the Merc SLK 320 (me? In a Mercedes? Not my style). The Lotus Elise was a brief contender but lacks sex appeal. The Audi TT and Porsche Boxster look nice but I see lots on the road and I’m not one to run with the pack…….Honda S2000? Hmm, no thanks….. So what then? US exotica like the AC Cobra were not really viable….and whilst other slightly different yet highly desirable machinery floated through my petrol soaked mind…..Jaguar, Ferraris, Lambo’s, Maserati, Noble, even Bentley,… all were struck off the list instantly, for none would be able to get into my driveway (a narrow road and sloping pavement means very little ground clearance & an awkward approach – my mate has a Mitzi FTO which scrapes the front spoiler even when backing in!)

So it was that I rediscovered TVR – at first I thought ‘Nah, they’re unreliable right?’ But I did like the idea of a British car and since I can’t afford an Aston Martin (yet), I investigated and discovered that the reliability issues tend to be over played and that the vast majority of owners reports that I read, actually praised the cars in glowing terms. Of course there were minor niggles along the way but just what you’d expect from a hand built performance car. Also, the general impression I got was that the stuff that went wrong was usually fairly minor and once it was corrected the same fault didn’t reoccur. A used car over 5 years old should therefore have had all the little problems sorted by now. The engine is the same as the one in the old Land Rovers so there are very few problems with that reported. The more I read about TVR, the more the feeling came across me that ‘This was the make for me!” But which one?

There were reports of ‘ferocious handling’ and ‘brutal acceleration’. The words ‘unforgiving’, ‘twitchy’ and ‘not for the inexperienced’ cropped up regularly. Obviously this just made me want one even more! At this point I had a moment of clarity and decided to go for the bottom of the range Chimaera 400. This was obviously the sensible option since it only puts out around 260BHP through the back 2 hoops, and with a 0-60mph time of nearly 5 seconds is bringing up the rear of the current TVR pack (albeit still in front of everything else on the road except sports-bikes and exotica like the Maclaren F1 and Ferrari F50!)

The Chimaera takes it's name from the mythical beast with the head of a lion, the body of a goat and the tail of a serpent, though the car itself is considerably better looking.

My research discovered the following:

It’s powered by a Rover V8 4 liter engine making from 240 - 275BHP (depending on which review you read)
0-60mph under 5secs
Top Speed 160mph +

Seamless steel tubular chassis epoxy coated for corrosion protection
Length 4015mm
Width 1865mm (inc mirrors)
Height 1215mm
Wheelbase 2286mm
Weight 1060kg

Insurance Group 20
Fuel consumption 20-28mpg
(This is not a planet friendly car, if you have a problem with that may I suggest you get a bicycle? When you rev it up the space-time continuum quivers in anticipation!)

I spent a couple of months scouring local dealerships and the internet for used Chims that were within my limited budget of 10K – 15K. Eventually I found a red 96 not too far away so went over to District Garage in Northwich to have a look round. The staff were friendly and gave me plenty of time to inspect everything without being at all pushy. When I asked if I could book a test drive they simply handed me the keys and 5 minutes later I was being chased down some great country roads by a random bloke in a Cobra! What a laugh! I test drove several other TVR’s over the next fortnight but this was the best of the bunch and after a little haggling and a part-ex for the old Escort, I picked it up for 14.5K 34,500 miles FSH and looking good.

The driving experience is something else. If you aren’t used to powerful machinery it’ll blow you away! This is the closest thing to a bike I’ve ever driven for sheer acceleration and grin factor 10!
Right from the first moment that you press the magic button to let yourself in (no clunky door handles – they would spoil the gorgeous curves) you just know this is gonna be special. Settle into the leather seats that cocoon you, stretch your legs out in front to reach the loud pedal and fire the V8 into a burbling, barely contained menace. Just take a moment and listen to that noise…….. It’s the sound of a barbarian horde getting ready to rape and pillage, and its YOU that’s in control! (Well, it’s me actually…) Whether or not you decide to give the beast its head is down to the size of your gonads! It’s a remarkably well behaved thing in town, turning heads as the low rumble of the V8 glides past. But once out of the metropolis, a determined shove of the right foot will have you up past 120mph and the engine roaring with pleasure in no time flat. Keep it pressed into the thick carpet and the horizon suddenly gets a lot closer, your vision narrows and time appears to stand still. The ride feels solid even though the suspension is softer than the others in the TVR range and there is oodles of feedback through the steering wheel. Ease off the throttle and the burbling of a powerful engine on the overrun will have you grinning like a loon – at least it does with me haha.
See an obstacle (sorry, I mean another motorist) up ahead and even though you may have to chug along for a while, the moment a gap appears,….you’re gone! Massive amounts of torque throughout the rev range makes overtakes a joy to execute. Traffic Light Grand Prix? Only bikes and other TVR’s will worry you! Park it outside the pub and experience the ‘Robbie Williams’ effect – all the girls want to be with you and all the guys want to be you!

The dashboard is a lesson to the purveyors of plastic that a stylish interior is always possible from a simple age old British recipe: Take the full set of simple analogue dials, apply them across a sweeping piece of tree trunk (walnut) and dress with brushed aluminium controls. Most of the buttons and controls operate smoothly and feel solid. Best of all it has an excellent heating system. This was a car that must have been designed in the winter. It’ll pump out a full roasting of hot air, just right for those mad roofless frosty mornings. And when you stop (finally) and gaze out over that beautiful front end you’ll see the view distorted by a heat haze rising through the sculpted vents in the bonnet. Like a wild animal resting after a full-blooded chase, snorting heavily through its nostrils!

When it comes to exiting the vehicle a twist knob on the central tunnel is utilized since there are no door handles on the inside either. A few of the dash buttons and vents have a plasticy feel to them but I’ll be replacing them soon with aluminium. The electric window controls are tucked out of sight but are easily operated from either seat. The steering wheel is height adjustable but as no one else but me will be driving it, that’ll stay put. The CD player is good but the radio reception is rubbish.I’m not sure where the aerial is yet, but then again I haven’t wanted to drown out the V8 yet, and probably never will!

With the hood up, the ride is not overly noisy and with it down you just don’t care! Rear visibility is a bit of a problem with the hood down so I find I need to raise myself a few inches on my elbow to do a thorough check behind when stationery. Taller drivers will probably have no problem here, I’m only 5 foot 7 and I like to slouch. The hood is dropped easily in a matter of moments and stores in the boot with space for a couple of decent bags. You can also remove the hard top centre piece alone and leave a ‘Targa’ look with the rear hood raised. Re-erecting the roof is a breeze with 2 people but needs a modicum of coordination if attempted solo. The centre piece needs to be held in place while you reach inside through an open window to pull the rear strut into its locking position. Repeat this on the other side and you’re ready for rain. I’ve driven this car in the wet several times and have found no evidence of leakage although I haven’t been out for a long trip in a downpour yet so we’ll see how waterproof it really is this winter I reckon.

The only other little niggle I have is that the hand brake is a little awkward to operate as it is located on top of the transmission tunnel over towards the passenger seat.

To sum up, this is the car I’ve been looking forward to owning since I could tell the difference between classy and clunker. I didn’t actually realize it was the TVR I wanted until I saw it, but then it all made sense! A great engine, great noise, gorgeous looks and the kudos of a proper Brit sports-car all combine to give me a grin so wide that if it got any bigger the top of my head would fall off. If it could pull wheelies as well, I’d sell my bike!

So if you like sports-cars, you should at least test drive one. If you can afford one, look around carefully, do your homework and buy one from a dealer to ensure you don’t get a nightmare and I’m sure you won’t be dissatisfied. If you’ve got a family, probably best to forget it eh? Renault do a very practical people carrier, and don’t forget to wave as I disappear into the sunset haha!

As a long time mate of mine pointed out when I said I thought I might be turning into a petrol-head… “You’ve always been a petrol-head, you just never had enough money before!”

True words……

 

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