Every so often, I manage to convince myself that TVRs are not worth the hassle and that there are many more sensible alternatives to aspire to. But then I go to my local car meet and it all goes out of the window; seeing their curves, outrageous shapes and hearing those thunderous engines makes me want a TVR more than anything else. This recently came up in a conversation with Russell Larcombe who subsequently offered me the passenger seat in his purple Sagaris for a run to the Chatsworth House TVR gathering.
I arrived at the starting point where around 20 or so TVRs would be driving in convoy. The Tivs were rolling in one by one. You certainly hear a TVR before seeing it, and in various bright and two toned colours, they lit up the parking area like fireworks. Soon enough, we began the journey.
This was my first ride in a TVR and what’s instantly noticeable is that even the most trivial aspects of the car are a novelty. For instance, whereas almost every car in the world has ticking indicators, the Sagaris beeps. There is nothing so mundane as a door handle in a modern TVR, there are three identical unlabeled buttons on the dashboard, one of which opens the door (just pray that you don’t hit it at high speeds). The rev counter and speedometer needles turn in opposite directions. All of this was before I had even heard that guttural burble that becomes a roar above 2500 rpm.
As our group thundered towards Derbyshire, the Tivs were visible in the rear view mirror, spread out on the motorway like vibrant skittles. You really don’t need to go fast to appreciate the Sag- with it’s asymmetrical shape and sideways exhausts, it really is an event at any speed. Due to the low sitting cockpit, 70 mph feels like 100.
To compare with a Nissan GTR, both take you to immense speeds but the GTR does so in comfort. Only it’s torque and whistling turbos give you a sense of the rapidness- the Nissan surges forward in a single swift motion.
On the other hand, that glorious Speed Six howl is clearly heard in the cockpit, with every vibration felt. The bonnet shakes and rattles, almost as if the engine is trying to escape.
The two are entirely different beasts; the Nissan being a precise touch screen keyboard and the TVR a mechanical typewriter. That isn’t to say the Tiv outdated, as effortlessly rising revs followed by a smooth gear change shows it is anything but.
After a couple of hours on motorways and sublime country roads, we arrived at Chatsworth House. The Sag was parked in the top row with the others, and I spent the next few hours ogling, photographing and drooling over TVRs of all generations.
Needless to say, today was fantastic and a huge thanks to Russ for the ride which made me feel like a ten year old in a purple car. As I type this, I can still hear the Sag’s crackle and pop on the overruns ringing in my ears.
As for my Tiv addiction? Well, today for me was like throwing an opium addict into a poppy field. Immense. I know that I must have a TVR, in all of its quirky, characterful glory. I simply must. Young drivers’ insurance rates be damned, my first car will be one built in Blackpool.
Fayaz
First Published: 28/04/13
Location: Pistonheads.com, Sprint Magazine
