TVR Tuscan

Overview

The TVR Tuscan was first seen at the British Motor Show in 1998 and numerous deposits were taken for this awesome looking British sports car when it first appeared. However the TVR Tuscan was a completely new platform with TVR’s own new Speed Six engine and electronics and this inevitable led to technical challenges and customer dissatisfaction with ensuing reliability issues.

The TVR Tuscan was an astounding design and even today still looks fabulous on the road however the early years of the Tuscan almost broke TVR with the associated warranty claims. The early years of the TVR Speed Six engine were not happy ones and TVR Chimaera and Griffith owners who had “traded up” to the new car were often left ruing the day they sold their V8 powered TVR. However over time the majority of problems were gradually resolved and the TVR Tuscan remains a fabulous car capable of taking on all comers on the roads.

The TVR Tuscan engenders a sense of occasion like no other car. Its crowning achievement is that every moment in a Tuscan, whether in a traffic jam on the Hammersmith flyover or on a blast across the moors with the roof off, is a unique and memorable experience. Available in two forms, the 3.6 and the mighty 4 litre Tuscan S, TVR's best selling model prompted Evo Magazine to say, "Few cars look as spectacular, sound as special or offer so much performance for the money."

As with all TVRs, it is function that defines form. Every inch of the car has been meticulously thought through, from the dramatic swoops of the bonnet which are in fact low pressure exits for the hot air from the radiator to the curvaceous boot which gives room for two people's luggage, even with the roof off. There is not a single angle from which the TVR Tuscan does not look like one of the greatest cars on earth.

Key to the driving and ownership experience of the Tuscan is its unique interior. It is rare that anything completely new is seen in the motor industry but nothing like the luxurious leather and aluminium cockpit of the Tuscan has ever been seen before. TVR's engineers and designers had a blank cheque when it came to the interior and they have responded with one of the greatest automotive interiors of all time. Autocar said, "The interior is quite incredible, like a show car that has gone straight from plinth to high street without meeting an accountant on the way? Everywhere you look there are details that will one day feature in the Sexiest Car Components of all Time lists."

The TVR Tuscan was available in 2 guises, the standard Tuscan or the mighty Tuscan S. The TVR Tuscan S was basically the standard car but with all the available options such as the TVR stated 400 bhp Red Rose engine, larger brakes, air conditioning, 18” alloy wheels and boot spoiler and front splitters and associated badging gave the game away on the road!

Engine choice was limited to the TVR Speed Six but in a number of formats, 3.6 litre, 4.0 litre and 4.0 litre to Red Rose specification. Horsepower ranged from 360 - 400 bhp so no TVR Tuscan should ever be described as slow!

Specification

Click to view the specification for each model

Tuscan
Tuscan S

Engine

6-cylinder inline alloy engine with 4 valves per cylinder and dry sump lubrication

Capacity

3605

Max Power

350 bhp @ 7200 rpm

Max Torque

290 ft.lbs @ 5500 rpm

Performance

0 - 60 mph

4.2 seconds

0 - 100 mph

9.6 seconds

Max Speed

180 mph

Suspension

All round independent – double wishbones and coil over gas dampers assisted by anti-roll bars

Wheels and Tyres

Front: 16 inch aluminium alloy wheels, 225/50 ZR16 tyres Rear: 16 inch aluminium alloy wheels, 255/55 ZR16 tyres

Engine

6-cylinder inline alloy engine with 4 valves per cylinder and dry sump lubrication

Capacity

3996

Max Power

400 bhp @ 7000 rpm

Max Torque

310 ft.lbs @ 5250 rpm

Performance

0 - 60 mph

3.8 seconds

0 - 100 mph

8.1 seconds

Max Speed

195 mph

Suspension

Front: 304mm (322mm) ventilated discs with 4 piston alloy callipers Rear: 282mm (298mm) ventilated discs with single piston sliding callipers

Wheels and Tyres

18 inch aluminium alloy wheels, 255/35 ZR18 tyres

Our View

The TVR Tuscan is a surprising car in many respects. Clearly an out and out sports car it boasts a truly massive boot allowing for touring in comfort whilst not compromising one aspect of its overall performance.

The TVR Tuscan is without doubt a future classic car and whilst like most TVRs it can be a little quirky, ownership of such a charismatic car invariably has major upsides!

Honed in the gruelling arena of endurance racing and in production since 1997, TVR's own Speed Six engine forms the heart of the Tuscan and is what gives the car its exceptional character. Autocar Magazine wrote, "This engine sounds good enough to have its own recording contract? [and] very few, if any, modern engines feel as crisp as this when you blip the throttle."

In the 390 bhp form which propels the 1100 kg Tuscan S, it is sufficient to rocket the car to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of over 195 mph. The engine is mounted in an extremely stiff race-derived chassis of which Car Magazine wrote, "There's no doubt careful damper tuning has found more wet traction than a car with this much power, and this little weight over the rear tyres, has a right to expect." The Tuscan's ability to stop has not been left to chance either and, when Autocar tested it, they said, "On the track the brakes pulled the car down from 60 mph to rest in 2.5 seconds, as fast as any car we've ever tested."

The TVR Tuscan has one major claim to fame insofar as it was chosen as the vehicle for the 2001 film Swordfish. In it a TVR Tuscan was used by the stars John Travolta and Hugh Jackman to evade a gang of hit men. The director of the film, Dominic Sena, wanted something particularly exotic and slightly unknown in Hollywood for this particular sequence, and a right hand drive Tuscan with Preston number plates was deemed suitable. So, three identical cars and a TVR engineer were shipped from the TVR factory in Blackpool to Hollywood for the filming. During filming at least on of the Tuscans was almost completely destroyed by gunfire. Definitely a film for all TVR Tuscan owners!

As a sports car it is exceedingly practical and with realistic levels of servicing should give many miles of motoring pleasure and remain a motoring icon for the rest of time.

These later TVRs all had their chassis and wishbones blasted prior to epoxy paint and as such you do not yet see the corrosion that you can get with TVR Griffiths and Chimaeras or early Cerberas. Running gear is reliable but there can be electrical problems often associated with unrequested water ingress. The clutches typically last 18 - 22000 miles before suffering failure of the fingers on the diaphragm spring but gearboxes and differentials are reasonably robust. Brakes are good and most parts are freely available but some electronic control units are not available and have to be repaired. The TVR Tuscan in any of its guises remains an outstanding all round performer with fabulous looks to match the performance. There still really isn’t anything that comes close to this package and it is absolutely sure to become a future classic, it just can’t fail!

Racing Green TVR always has TVR Tuscans in stock and for more information or to arrange a test drive please call our Sales Department on 01252 894790 or 01252 894795. Currently there is also the chance to have new TVR Tuscans built to order but this is for a very limited number of cars.