Forza Horizon 4: The Tuscan

Having managed to fight my way through the British summer, I got my hands on a TVR classic, the Tuscan. You know? The sportscar that popped up in the movie Swordfish? Maybe we should get going with this prize car I recently obtained.



First launched in 1999, the Tuscan is TVR's idea of a British-made sportscar of the 21st century. From its first launch to its end of production in 2006, there were about five different versions of the Speed Six engine made such as the initial 3.6L and different versions of the 4.0L, the earliest producing 360 horsepower up to the pre-facelifted model producing 390hp of power. Engine wise, the Tuscan features a fiberglass body over it tubular steel chassis, resulting to its 2,425lb of curb weight, which is surprisingly a lightweight sportscar that makes the most out of any British sportscar.



Now that I got my hands on the Tuscan, it's time to see how it performs as I took myself a little day off from the Festival and jump into some street racing action with the Tuscan.



Job well done, there's nothing else I can say.

Enjoy your new ride!

GT6: Cars that are Gran Turismo exclusive - TVR Tamora

Today, it's the TVR Tamora roadster. Although it was served as the replacement to the TVR Griffith and the Chimaera, it served as the baby of the TVR lineup. Like all TVRs, getting in and out is not very easy because...well, no doors on the inside. You just have to push the buttons on the dashboard to open it. With a 3.6L straight-6 engine, rear-wheel drive, and absolutely no driver aids, it's all about harkening back to the good old days of a true British sportscar.

The Tamora will run through the Goodwood Hill Climb but at what time will it post on a wet lap?



It posted a 0:53.855 lap time on a wet lap! Although this car, like TVR, is dead, it still sure knows how to let its TVR spirit let loose. But still, you can only drive the Tamora in the world of Gran Turismo and here on Gran Turismo 6, this is no exception. Perhaps this why I'm doing this public service against other racing games rivalling this franchise.

TVR Tamora - A GRAN TURISMO EXCLUSIVE CAR.

Welcome Back: 2005 TVR Sagaris

The last of the TVRs ever made

This is known to be as the final TVR ever built before operations ended in 2008. It was named after a battle axe used by the Scythians in ancient Greek myths. It was designed by Graham Browne and Lee Hodgetts. Using the same platform as the TVR T350C, the Sagaris was made with endurance racing in mind and powering the Sagaris is a 4.0L 6-cylinder engine that produces 380BHP of power mated to a 5-speed manual transmission.  0-60mph takes about 3.7 seconds and flatout, it will be doing 185mph.

Like most TVRs, the Sagaris doesn't have safety equipment such as ABS, TCS, or airbags, nothing to hinder the driver's freedom to drive.

This car was reviewed by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear and when handed to The Stig, it set a lap time of 1.24.6, faster than its cousin, the Tuscan.

Former Stig and author of THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT, Ben Collins, listed the Sagaris as one of the cars he hate the most during an interview from Drive.com.au and Ben Collins said "It had no door handles. To open the door you pressed a button under the wing mirror and prayed the electrics worked, because on many TVRs they don't. The seating was invented by Houdini and changing gear required you to dislocate a shoulder. Meaningless quasi-aerodynamic features on the bodywork shook violently when you reached speed and that happened quickly. It had no ABS or traction control, which would normally attract my praise, but the handling was so beguiling. Human beings have an innate feel for cars, perhaps developed over thousands of years of balancing on horseback. The Sagaris told porkies to your instincts. In bends, the weight of the engine over the front wheels made it pitch insanely and I spun off countless times with no idea why. If this was the result with a so-called pro at the wheel, I pitied the man who polished it all week before going for a Sunday drive. Worse still, Jeremy Clarkson loved it. I rest my case."

About the TVR T350C

A TVR you can use everyday

Although it's still a TVR because of its lunacy, raucous styling, and loud brutal sounds along the way as well as the typical TVR interior which when you get in, you can't find a way to get out until you find a button that opens the door, this TVR T350 is more of a different league judging by how it feels. Even though this old fella doesn't have airbags, ABS, or traction control, the suspension has been tweaked to make it more comfortable on normal roads. It feels more matured and it's well behaved but only on the road. So what is it then this T350?

It takes mastery to learn the T350's fundamental

Produced from 2002 to 2006, the TVR T350 is based on the TVR Tamora, and is powered by TVR's Speed Six engine in 3.6 litre form. Wanna know what's what about this Speed Six engine on the T350C? Here goes...

Bore/stroke: 93 mm (3.7 in) x 83 mm (3.3 in)

Compression Ratio: 11.8:1

Power Output: 350 bhp (261 kW; 355 PS) @ 7200 rpm

Torque Output: 290 lb·ft (390 N·m) @ 5500 rpm

Power-to-Weight Ratio: 304 bhp/ton

0 to 60mph in a scant 4.4 seconds and top speed of about 280kph. It was mated with a 5-speed manual gearbox and integrated limited slip differential. Although a 5-speed gearbox may not be enough for a supercar but as a TVR, this is highly eccentric. Because it only weighs about 1187kg, the old TVR T350 is about um...87kg heavier than the Mazda Roadster NC but faster than that because the Roadster NC we have on GT5 produces 167HP of power.

Style-wise, the T350C is a bit more like a Tamora but a bit more like um....a larva of a fly. I mean look at it, it looks like a fly larva because the face kinda looks like it. Perhaps imagine this car when it grows up, it became a giant fly that was smothered with some radioactive nukes and posing a bigger threat to everyone, especially the Health & Safety. That looks uncool to us but in that TVR fashion, that is highly eccentric. No wonder the Sagaris, which GT5 doesn't have one until further notice, inspired some of its design from the T350 but with a million times more bonkers.

It sure loves to cut down the Hammerhead...

As before, it feels more matured and it's well behaved but only on the road. How about on the track? It feels a bit too dynamic if I'm honest. It maybe the most user-friendly TVR you can drive but remember, it has some Blackpool blood running through its veins. If you keep pushing your T350C, you'll making a hash for it because it has some understeer on it. Think of it like spiraling a Harrier Jump Jet in full 360 degrees.

However, if I drive this one on a wet track, I'm thinking that there was some grim reaper seating next to me, clearing his throat, ready to see me off. In short, the T350C is dangerous on a wet track and it requires a brave concentration to master.

The T350C has some of its TVR genes but surely, it loves to cut down every single curves. This car was featured on Top Gear and when handed to The Stig, it lapped round the Top Gear Test Track in 1.27.5.

TVR reborn!

TVR Sagaris

Blackpool-based sportscar maker, TVR, seems to be now turned into somewhat an endangered brand, the way things were until now, Russian businessman, Nikolai Smolensky, plans to revive the TVR by restarting production in the United Kingdom and you will never guess what comes in their TVR price list.

All of the TVR names; Sagaris, Tuscan, Cerbera, Chimaera, and Griffith, will cost 99,600 British Pounds Sterling or an estimated 7,000,000 Philippine Pesos and they are built "on order to the individual specification of the customer". However, most TVR models will be fitted by a 6.2L V8 engine that produces 426hp of power and 420lb-ft of torque, LSD, aircon, central locking, leather seats, stainless steel exhaust, CD Radio, and USB Connectivity!

Own a TVR in the past? They can upgrade your old TVR with the 6.2L V8 but it will cost you 36,000 British Pounds Sterling or an estimated 2.5 million Philippine Pesos!

Sounds expensive but we're glad that TVR's back from the grave!

Scoop: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/tvr-reveals-price-list-2011-11-25