Great Britain’s Beauty is more than just a pretty face. She is a subtlety strong powerhouse of speed dusted behind an original piece of pure artwork. The 2001 TVR Tuscan follows suit behind a long line of TVR speed demon beauty queens. Handcrafted to customer specifications, the TVR Tuscany is as unique as you want to create her.
This two door, two seater stylish speedster hungers for the road and falls directly in line with her ancestors carrying on a rare and unique TVR tradition. TVR was created back in 1947 with a strong mission to produce the right combination of agility and absolute maximum power. This mission has been maintained throughout the company’s history. In 1995 the TVR speed eight made history not only with proven performance on the track, but was the first race car engine to experience a detuning and placement into a road car, with absolute success. This celebrated achievement was outperformed with the unveiling of the Griffin Speed Six concept car. Enthusiasts rejoiced at the Earls Court Motor Show and worldwide audiences got their juices flowing with the highlighting of the Speed Six in the Hollywood production of “Swordfish.”
Since then, the Speed Six engine now thrums in the heart of each and every TVR model, powering forth with the same grace that TVR has been known for since its inception. With a little tweaking and a few new features, the TVR Tuscan reaches 60 miles per hour from a standstill in 3.8 seconds, just a hair over the world’s fastest super cars.
Only a few minor complaints have been lodged about the TVR Tuscan which includes details such as defective window mechanisms, causing slow response in the window’s ability to open or close. There were complaints of leaky radiator hoses, obviously causing issues with the car’s ability to cool itself or ward off the damage caused by the frigid air. A few complaints hit the market over brake alignment issues, while the car was still able to stop at its typical controlled response time, the car had a fairly significant pull to one side. However most owner claim that despite the high price, they receive at least twice the car for about half of what the more universally known performance cars run for.
The five speed manual transmission with the hydraulic twin plate clutch “makes you realize you are driving.” From the moment you turn her over to the power she creates gliding over the open road, to the tingles new owners report thrumming through their toes as they finish their test drive, she is all about the ride.
Dual overhead cams, twenty four valves with four valves per cylinder, rear wheel drive and a redlined tachometer at 7200 rpm creates a flow of power that soars with excitement but maneuvers like a dream. The rack and pinion steering with variable power assist is a nice feature as you wind your way through long back roads with room to move. Topping out at 175 miles per hour, her classic good looks aren’t fooling anyone.
Her exotic features and her reputation for speed have landed her roles in films and videos, not to mention a well earned Class A position in such video games as Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport. Despite her ability to turn heads with her svelte figure and her monster hiding under the hood, she has a relatively small following in the United States. She is lacking the simple recognition to Americans that Porsche or Lamborghini attract. Serious car enthusiasts know her well, but most Americans falter at the sound of her name.
For somewhere around $50,000 true car enthusiasts can develop their own heart pounding dream with the assistance of professional designers to guide the process of creating their long awaited reality of owning one of the most unique and distinct sports car on the road today.
Production cars tend to be cookie cutter replicas of each other, lending very little distinct personality to each individual car. Of course there are always options to add or body kits to buy, but nothing beats the excitement and personal touch that designing a vehicle to meet your own specifications adds. These British beauties are remarkably unique with a spectacular reputation and the power and durability to boot. When deciding to drop a great deal of money on a performance car, why wouldn’t anyone want that performance car to be partially self designed?
On top of the design features and customer influence, the intense craftsmanship and attention to detail that each and every TVR Tuscan endures during production is unmatched by any other car company. The only downfall to these cars is that they are not readily available to American owners without enduring the great expense of shipping. The British have cornered the market on exclusive dead to rights insanely gorgeous distinctive production of high class performance vehicles.
© 2007 Kiersten Stetser and Benjamin for www.sport-cars.org
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