TVR coming to America?

  • Thread starter Thread starter bengee
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ultrabeat
That doesn't seem too steep for what it is.
Still, it isn't a practical everyday car. No boot or doors for a start.
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It's just the engine on it's own that costs £18,800
 
IT IS? Wow. Maybe it is a bit steep then...
 
ExigeExcel
@Bengee-Good news about fitting a bigger engine into the Elise. Radical's new RPA V8 (2.6ltr V8, 383bhp based on Suzuki bike engines) will supposedly be able to fit into an Elise and it isn't too heavy either (95kg). I don't know whether this will need body mods or not.

Bad news the RPA V8 costs £18,800
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Only 95KG? pretty lightweight IMO. Ultrabeat IMO I think it might be worth the price BUT it depends on what you do with it EX. Go "street race with it" or Go autocrossing with it. If you were to go autocrossing and take it to the track and stuff like that you might think its worth every penny.
 
ultrabeat
That doesn't seem too steep for what it is.
Still, it isn't a practical everyday car. No boot or doors for a start.
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It does have doors! - and a (small) boot. My step bro uses his Elise S2 135R as his everyday car.
 
But perhaps not as practical as say, an Civic Type R.
 
It gets better fuel economy than a Civic Type-R, without having to coddle the engine to get it...
 
How did the Civic Type R even come up in a thread about British exotics. Well exotic to a person who rarely sees any british cars, and thought an old Vantage was sweet, even when there are some Ferraris and Lambos around the school i go to. I was born in the wrong country car wise 👎...

The Civic Type R was never meant to get good fuel economy. Its a type R meant to get the sporty people into the honda dealers and give them there money. I have a thing against FF cars and would never consider buying one. Which is not as limiting as it was a few years ago.
 
ultrabeat
But coddling the engine is fun.
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It is?

Would you buy a Ferrari 360 and drive everywhere at no more than 3500rpm?
 
ExigeExcel
Is everyone forgetting about the recent Russian take over at TVR and how the guy (Can't remember his name) said he planned to make TVR a larger worldwide brand.

Linkage http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3932531.stm

[EDIT] Better linkage http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lancashire/3931155.stm
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Good point. It may be that the new owner wants to try to crack the American market. As for the engines passing emissions, I'm sure it can be done. It's just a question of how many modifications are necessary and how much power will be lost. I highly doubt TVR wants to use someone else's engine in their cars any more. They spent too much money developing their own engines just to turn around and put someone else's engine in there. They need to sell their own engines to make back their investment.
 
A TVR return to the USA could be more than a few years away.

Its a very, very big move that would require crash and emmision certification on the cars, most likely the introduction of ABS, Traction Control and Airbags. As well as establishing a dealer network, marketing the product (its still not that well know in the USA, despite a couple of film apperances).

All of the above would require major investment and planning to work.

Its far more likely that TVR will focus on two other areas first.

1. Product reliability. This one is a must for TVR's domestic market, they have lost sales and customers due to quality and reliability issues. This one has in fact already been actioned at Blackpool, with increased quality control on the assembly lines and the delay of a number of projects to ensure that the quality is in place from launch. This should also be considered a pre-requisite to a relaunch in the USA, TVR could not sell products with the current level of reliabilty in the USA - they would get slaughtered.

2. Open up markets nearer to home. At present the Russian and European markets are a much more likely target for TVR. Both easier to gain a foothold in and posing less problematic issues with crash and emmision requirements. Its far more likely that we will see TVR entering into the Russian and Eastern European markets before the American market.

Thats my view anyway, hopefully the two points above will go well and in 5 to 10 years you guys will be able to share in the joy that is TVR.


BTW the current TVR range is

Sagaris (not yet avaliable)
sagaris1.jpg


Tamora
tamora1.jpg


Tuscan
tuscan21.jpg



T350
t3501.jpg
 
Scaff
1. Product reliability. This one is a must for TVR's domestic market, they have lost sales and customers due to quality and reliability issues. This one has in fact already been actioned at Blackpool, with increased quality control on the assembly lines and the delay of a number of projects to ensure that the quality is in place from launch. This should also be considered a pre-requisite to a relaunch in the USA, TVR could not sell products with the current level of reliabilty in the USA - they would get slaughtered.
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America doesn't have the best reliability record either y'know.
Mercedes M-Class, anyone?
 
Also, that list should include the Typhon (although also not yet available), the T400 and T440R.
 
ultrabeat
Also, that list should include the Typhon (although also not yet available), the T400 and T440R.
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Production of both the Sagaris and Typhon was halted under the new management, while productionon the Sagaris will resume (limited to a run of 500) No firm news of the Typhon has been anounced. If you check out the TVR website you will see it is not currently listed in the model range (neither is the T400), hence the reason it is not on the list. I have however found a reference to a possiable limited run of 500, but it is still not on the model range at TVR's site.

You are quite right about the T440R, my bad. So here is the pic

2003-T440R-1.jpg


Links

TVR website
http://www.tvr-eng.co.uk/intro.html

Sagaris and Typhon production halted
http://www.pistonheads.com/tvr/index.asp?storyId=9125

Sagaris and Typhon limited to 500
http://www.pistonheads.com/tvr/index.asp?storyId=9140


ultrabeat
America doesn't have the best reliability record either y'know.
Mercedes M-Class, anyone?
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Unfortunatly TVR does have a poor reputation for reliability and product quality, and although this has improved considerably over recent years its still not good enough. Even TVR themselves admit to this; however this has never been enough to put off the majority of TVR owners in Europe (and it would not put me off) the American market is (aparently) a lot less tolerant of issues of this nature.
 
Just out of curiosity. Why would "ABS, Traction Control and Airbags" be needed before TVR could possibly consider returning to the US. To me it seems that emissions would be the biggest worry of TVR before coming to America (especially those in California), and I guess to some extent safety would play a role in whether some people would decide to purchase a TVR or not. After a bit of reading around, my belief that TVR would never consider applying "ABS, Traction Control and Airbags" was pretty much was if anything strengthened. Just read this... http://www.pistonheads.com/tvr/index.asp?storyId=8303. Oh it's not because TVR doesn't give about their customers’ safety.
 
bengee
Just out of curiosity. Why would "ABS, Traction Control and Airbags" be needed before TVR could possibly consider returning to the US. To me it seems that emissions would be the biggest worry of TVR before coming to America (especially those in California), and I guess to some extent safety would play a role in whether some people would decide to purchase a TVR or not. After a bit of reading around, my belief that TVR would never consider applying "ABS, Traction Control and Airbags" was pretty much was if anything strengthened. Just read this... http://www.pistonheads.com/tvr/index.asp?storyId=8303. Oh it's not because TVR doesn't give about their customers’ safety.
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I am well aware of that story (in fact I started a thread regarding it https://www.gtplanet.net/forum/showthread.php?t=41797), just have a look at the way it split opinion on this site alone. Additionally that particular story was written back in April of this year, months before Peter Wheeler sold TVR. He is still employed on a consultancy role, but many believe this is more of an honourary position that anything else.

So why would ABS, Traction Control and Airbags be required to sell cars in the American market? Its a mixture of legal requirements (Airbags), customer requirements and avoiding litigation.

How many cars in the same class as, say a TVR Tamora, are currently on sale in the US without ABS or Traction Control. I do admit to not knowing the exact answer, but I very much doubt its many. What happens the first time someone is killed in a (possiable) American market TVR, without these features, how long do you think it would be before someone sued the manufacturer.

Consumers in most markets (but particularly) the USA demand these features; while in Europe (with slightly less of a litigation culture) these can be marketed as USP's in the American market this could be seen as a licence to sue by some consumers.

Any manufacturer looking to launch a product of this nature in the American market needs to be very aware of these potential issues and address them before the product hits the market (look at the Fedral Elise as a good example), but particulalrly when the company in question has had a problematic past in the American market (as TVR have).

It should also be taken into mind that if TVR wish to expand its sales into Europe they will have to change the spec of the cars anyway. European legislation requires that to sell a car in all European markets the car must be fitted with a driver's airbag and ABS.

TVR have avoided this to date by limiting the markets they sell in. However the capital required to even entertain a move back to the American market would require greater sales in Europe and Russia (see my first post), and therefore a possiable change in specification.

Many would argue that this would inherently spoil part of the TVR charm, but it may be the only way for the company to expand and survive. TVR have been in danger of folding a number of times in the past and it may be a case of change or die. I personally would rather still see TVRs in production.
 
bengee
Just out of curiosity. Why would "ABS, Traction Control and Airbags" be needed before TVR could possibly consider returning to the US.
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They don't have a choice on that final one, thank God - airbags are federally mandated since the 1995 model year. Not only do they not need the rest of that stuff, and they'd be wise not to include it since it'd detract from the experience.
 
M5Power
They don't have a choice on that final one, thank God - airbags are federally mandated since the 1995 model year. Not only do they not need the rest of that stuff, and they'd be wise not to include it since it'd detract from the experience.
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As I said in my last post TVR may not have a lot of choice on the ABS on either. Since July this year all new cars sold in the EU have to be fitted with ABS as standard, TVR have been exempt from this due to low production levels. However an increase in volume in Europe and Russia in the future could well change this.

Might be the least intrusive ABS system ever fitted when (and if) it arrives.

While I quite agree with you on it detracting from the experience, are you aware of any possiable competitors in the American market that does not at least offer ABS and Traction control as options?

Given your knowledge of the American market, your just the man to ask. Could well be that when (and if) TVR head back to the US they will at least need to offer these features as option even if not standard fit.
 
Scaff
While I quite agree with you on it detracting from the experience, are you aware of any possiable competitors in the American market that does not at least offer ABS and Traction control as options?
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No - though I haven't seen a spec sheet on the Lotus Elise yet. But I'd be surprised if it doesn't offer both. This is the list of US-market vehicles that offer neither:

- Chevrolet Aveo SVM ($9500)
- Honda Civic DX ($13200)
- Honda Civic VP ($13600)
- Honda Civic HX ($13900)
- Honda Civic LX ($15300)
- Honda Element DX ($16100)
- Honda Element LX ($17100)
- Hyundai Accent ($10000)
- Hyundai Accent GL ($10900)
- Hyundai Accent GT ($11400)
- Hyundai Sonata 2.4 base/automatic ($16000)
- Hyundai Tiburon base ($17000)
- Jeep Wrangler SE ($16600)
- Kia Optima LX 2.4 ($15500)
- Kia Optima EX 2.4 ($18100)
- Kia Spectra LX ($12600)
- Mazda Miata base ($21900)
- Mitsubishi Eclipse RS ($18400)
- Mitsubishi Eclipse GS ($20300)
- Mitsubishi Eclipse GT ($21600)
- Mitsubishi Galant DE ($18000)
- Mitsubishi Lancer ES ($13600)
- Mitsubishi Lancer O-Z Rally ($16000)
- Mitsubishi Lancer LS wagon ($16700)
- Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution RS ($26800) (front and rear LSD standard)
- Mitsubishi Outlander LS ($18400)
- Suzuki Verona S ($16500)

You'll note nothing on that list over $26800 - though I don't know about those supercar manufacturers no-one talks about - so indeed the TVRs would be out of place if they were to debut here with neither available. But the purpose of the TVRs is very clear, and I don't think ABS or traction aid would help sell the cars. I think we both agree they'd only do it if they're mandated by a government.
 

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