The waiting is over, and on first glance, the first all-new TVR in over a decade has been worth it. The car's final specifications should be enough to convince even the most cynical of petrolheads that this newcomer has enough to go up against Stuttgart's finest.
Officially unveiled at the Goodwood Revival on Friday, the new car means business. Its panels are all formed from carbon fiber and are fixed to an underframe also formed from steel reinforced carbon fiber for ultimate rigidity and optimum weight saving.
Under the angular hood, as promised, is a Cosworth tuned 5-liter V8 and it outputs 500hp -- not bad at all for a motor without a turbo helping to boost power per cylinder. What's more, it's a full 20hp more than the company initially promised.
What's more, designer Gordon Murray's personality is stamped all over this car. As well as maximum use of lightweight materials to optimize the car's power-to-weight ratio, the new TVR has a flat floor to improve airflow and road holding at higher speeds.
There's also an active rear wing to keep the car in check but Murray's philosophy is most clearly seen in little details such as attempting to shun unnecessary driver aids wherever possible for a purer driving experience. Murray's most famous creation, the McLaren F1, could hit 240mph but didn't have traction control or power steering.
Though this car isn't quite that fast -- 0-100km/h in under 4.0 seconds and a top speed in excess of 200mph -- it too looks for engineering rather than electronic solutions wherever possible to improve performance, handling and driver confidence. There's a 50:50 perfect weight distribution. And while it does have electrically assisted power steering, it also uses double wishbone adjustable suspension to keep it flat in the corners and from lifting at higher speeds.
But the biggest sign that this is a serious competitor to many exotic two seaters already on the market, whether from Porsche, Audi, Aston Martin or even McLaren, is that it's called the TVR Griffith. And, as devotees to the marque will tell you, reviving that name is the ultimate signal that this is a serious sportscar, and more importantly, a genuine TVR, albeit one for the 21st century.
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