Autoblog

Meet TVR's new owner and learn his plans for the future

Zach Bowman — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 12:59:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, UK, Luxury, MISC

It's hard not to be worried about the reborn TVR. The company's new owner, entrepreneur Les Edgar, recently sat down with PistonHeads to discuss his plans for the fabled brand. Unfortunately, Edgar was no less dodgy about the future of TVR in his latest interview than he has been in the past. Evasive on everything from what the TVR brand means to him to which of the company's cars he's owned in the past, the former video game developer is either the most cautious individual to ever get into the automotive manufacturing game or is woefully unprepared for his new undertaking.

When asked what's at the heart of TVR, Edgar responded, "I think it's the people that buy them. We're looking [for] a demographic that is probably different from what it was 15-20 years [ago]. We build cars that hopefully people want to buy, and they may not be the same type of people that bought them 10 years ago. At the base of it - the DNA - has got to be the same thing running through."

Right.

Edgar then went on to dance around the question of what that DNA is, exactly. You can check out the full interview by heading over to PistonHeads. We sincerely hope we're wrong about Edgar and his intentions for the brand, but the executive's early comments haven't quite passed our sniff test.

Meet TVR's new owner and learn his plans for the future originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 16 Jun 2013 12:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TVR back from the grave

Zach Bowman — Sun, 09 Jun 2013 14:55:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, UK, Luxury, MISC

Top Gear reports a UK entrepreneur has purchased TVR from former Russian owner Nikolai Smolenski. As you may recollect, Smolenski bought the British automaker in 2004 for around 15 million pounds, but never got around to producing a vehicle under the brand's name. Les Edgar won't say exactly how much he paid for TVR due to non-disclosure agreements, but he has made it clear he has big plans for the brand. Edgar made a name for himself in video game development but is no stranger to the automotive space. He also helped push Aston Martin back into GT racing.

Details are similarly scarce about what we can expect to see from TVR moving forward or when a new product will touch down, but Edgar has said his vision includes the brand retaining its essential Britishness. Top Gear quoted the entrepreneur as saying, "You can't let these great brands disappear or go abroad. The starting point was 'let's get it back.'"

TVR back from the grave originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 09 Jun 2013 14:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TVR finally poised for a dramatic return? [w/videos]

Chris Paukert — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Earnings/Financials, UK

TVR, the British cottage industry builder of hair-on-fire, purists' sports cars like the Sagaris, Tuscan, and Cerbera flamed out in spectacular fashion back in 2006, leaving a hole in the the hearts of enthusiasts far larger than its meager output might suggest. The company behind the brilliantly characterful but never-quite pretty, never-quite reliable sports cars with their far-flung ergonomics and bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you dynamics has been the subject of intermittent resurrection rumors since production ceased in 2006. Yet last July, Nikolai Smolensky, the marque's owner, seemed to close the books on the brand once and for all when he said that building a new TVR didn't make financial sense. Instead, it's understood that the Russian plutocrat wanted to build... wind turbines.

But now, it appears that the fiberglass-bodied carmaker may be poised for a revival after all. Auto Express reports that the TVR brand has a new owner, a British businessman by the name of Les Edgar, who purchased the rights to the TVR name and to the equipment and parts to build the brand's existing cars for an undisclosed sum. There's no word yet on what the four-wheeled future of TVR looks like (rumors of an all-new model with Ferrari-like performance at half the price have been dismissed), but Edgar and Co. are apparently keen to reignite the fires at the brand, having even gone so far as to update the company's website with the image above - previously the splash page for the site displayed the TVR logo with the words "never say never."

Of course, TVR has had its share of aborted comebacks before, so we won't hold our breath for its undoubtedly theatrical return. If they do manage to return, we hope they'll be welcomed back with open arms - the world needs more undistilled, unvarnished, uncompromising and overpowered sports cars, right? To jog your memory on the enigmatic firm, check out a brace of vintage Top Gear UK reviews by scrolling below.

Continue reading TVR finally poised for a dramatic return? [w/videos]

TVR finally poised for a dramatic return? [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 06 Jun 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TVR nixes production restart, vows to pursue... wind turbines?!

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 17:45:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, UK, MISC

TVR owner Nikolai Smolenski has taken the tiny English car firm on a ride wilder than anything you could get from a Speed 12 (pictured), and now he's riding the name right out of the car business. Telling Autocar that the production possibilities don't make financial sense anymore, he is instead repurposing the hardcore brand into "a new venture building portable wind turbines."

We'd say this is a rather odd thing to do with TVR, but the young Russian's run at the captain's wheel has been just this kind of odd since the beginning. The last two years have featured infrequent reports of some kind of new TVR vehicle on the way at some point, powered by either a General Motors LS3 V8, the Corvette ZR1's 638-horsepower LS9, a 3.0-liter, six-cylinder turbodiesel from the BMW 335d, or an electric system.

Smolenski, from TVR's new Vienna base, says the company built three evaluation cars, one with that LS3, one with a BMW twin-turbo V8, and one with a 100-kW electric motor. But he believes that with a necessary base price of £100,000 (about $155,000 U.S.) for any of them, they'd be too expensive to sell at the profit he wants - even with a manufacturing tie-up with Caterham.

So now TVR will get into the business of making a lot of air - we'll refrain from any (further) jokes. We're not sure what this does to the TVR 'rebirth' of a few months ago; regardless, we'll toast the TVR that was and hope it can rest in peace now.

TVR nixes production restart, vows to pursue... wind turbines?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 11 Jul 2012 17:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scamander is the go-anywhere, swim-across-anything RV from England

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 25 May 2012 19:59:00 EST

Filed under: Videos, UK, Specialty, Design/Style

When Evo magazine's founder and Editorial Director Harry Metcalfe says a machine is "the most amazing vehicle you've ever seen," you know you're in for a treat. After all, Metcalfe has been at the head of the British magazine since its first issue in 1998 and has owned or driven nearly every vehicle you can imagine.

The amazing machine that's netted such admiration from Metcalfe? The Scamander, a truly all-terrain vehicle designed and built by Peter Wheeler, the man who owned British boutique automaker TVR for 23 years. With its 300-horsepower V6 engine, the Scamander is reportedly capable of hitting 60 miles per hour in about eight seconds and can hit a top speed of 120 mph.

On land, that is...

You see, there's also a impeller out back, meaning this crazy floating contraption can also take to the water. Sadly, Wheeler died before seeing this project to completion, but his wife and a team of engineers made sure that the Scamander finally saw the light of day in fully finished form. Scroll down below to see Metcalfe take the Scamander over land and sea.

Continue reading Scamander is the go-anywhere, swim-across-anything RV from England

Scamander is the go-anywhere, swim-across-anything RV from England originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 May 2012 19:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TVR reborn... kinda

Zach Bowman — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:01:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Etc., Europe, Luxury

There's a flicker of life over at TVR. The eccentric British sportscar firm has a brand-new website, complete with a revised logo that harkens back to the company's 1954 original. That's far from the grand plans that the company's owner, Nikolai Smolenski, had drawn in the clouds, but at least its something. PistonHeads.com reports that TVR will now source you one of the company's used models and completely rework the vehicle's systems. The engine gets swapped for a new General Motors LS3 mated to a five-speed transmission, while the interior gets the appropriate amount of spit and polish as well. It just goes to prove that there's nothing that a small-block can't fix.

PistonHeads also says that TVR will be happy to give current TVR owners' vehicles the same level of treatment. Right now, it's unclear exactly how much such a revitalization will cost, but we wouldn't plan on it being cheap.

In more interesting news, TVRBlog indicates that plans are afoot for a new Tuscan 4, which is likely to be a roadster. The open-topped sports car is likely the previously rumored TVR MD1, and it's possible that the model will debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

Head over to the TVR website for more information.

TVR reborn... kinda originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Nov 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next TVR to get... BMW diesel power?

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, UK, Electric, Diesel

TVR faithful - what few there might be remaining - have been wondering for years what Russian billionaire owner Nikolai Smolenski plans to do with what remains of the company. He bought the Blackpool firm in 2004, and ever since, it seems it has made more headlines than products. The latest is Smolenski's apparent plan, detailed to a Dutch magazine, to replace powertrains in existing cars with either a General Motors LS3 V8, a 3.0-liter, six-cylinder turbodiesel from the BMW 335d, or an electric system.

This has nothing to do with the purported LS9-powered TVR MD-1 we were told we'd see next year. This is being presented as a way to get TVR doing something while the world waits on the MD-1, and appears to involve both creating new cars as well as refitting customer cars.

If you're interested, a complete LS3 or diesel retrofit will relieve you of £33,000 ($53,112 U.S.), which includes the engine, Tremec manual gearbox, brakes and a modern dashboard. The engine and gearbox alone will tally £16,400 ($23,392 U.S.)... which means there must be an awesome dash-and-brake combination. No price has been given for the electric version.

Next TVR to get... BMW diesel power? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ben "The Stig" Collins names the five worst cars he's ever driven

Noah Joseph — Mon, 02 May 2011 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

The five worst cars Ben Collins has ever driven - Click above for high-res image gallery

Over the course of his years donning the white suit and helmet for Top Gear, pro driver Ben Collins has had the chance to drive an enviably wide array of cars. Their track times all went up on the power lap board, but there are better ways of evaluating how a car handles under pressure - like asking the guy who drove them. That's what Australian car site Drive did, and got the former Stig to jot down some notes. They weren't in Morse Code, but while his list of the worst five cars he'd ever driven includes some obvious choices, a couple may surprise.

First up on Ben's hit list: the Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione. When we drove it, we found its dynamics were lightyears behind its looks, and His (deposed) Stiginess apparently agrees. At the end of Collins' list is another supercar - the TVR Sagaris - which he feels was horribly emblematic of the company that produced it, while pointing to the fact that Jeremy Clarkson loved it as evidence enough of its dubious distinction.

In between these two European supercars on Collins' list comes the Fiat Multipla, whose horrid styling was surpassed only by its dismal performance, and the Cadillac Escalade, which the Englishman found to be all show and no go - particularly off road. Finally, the previous-generation Dodge Charger drew the Stig's ire for its gross weight and lamentable slushbox. If for America's sake alone, we can only hope that, heavier still though it is, Collins might take a crack at the new model.

Gallery: Ben Collin's Five Worst Cars

Ben "The Stig" Collins names the five worst cars he's ever driven originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 02 May 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TVR could make Corvette-powered 2012 comeback

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 09:37:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Europe, UK

Nikolai Smolenski's tenure as owner of TVR, the formerly revered maker of hairy-chested British sports cars, is nothing if not quizzical. He bought the company from late founder Peter Wheeler when it was in trouble, didn't do much with it, declared it bankrupt to clear its debts, then bought the company out of bankruptcy. Since then there's been little news save for a legal battle with a TVR remanufacturer and a couple of hints about using an American V8 to power the firm's next car.

The V8 issue has finally been decided: the Corvette's 638-horsepower LS9. The car it will go in is to be called the MD-1. A new question that has arisen, however, based on Smolenski's comment that he wants to "draw a line under the Wheeler era once and for all." Will the car be at all British? The MD-1 is being developed by a UK firm, but Smolenski says production could go to the Continent or South Africa just as easily.

Would a German-built, American-engined TVR still be a TVR like the Griffith and Chimera (or the Tasmin shown above)? Smolenski thinks TVR fans wouldn't think so, but he doesn't much care. He says, "What's important is to remain faithful to your brand values" no matter where you are. The MD-1 is expected to arrive in 2012, with just 250 made annually.

[Source: Pistonheads]

TVR could make Corvette-powered 2012 comeback originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 17 Oct 2010 09:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: TVR rebirth hinges on hybrid tech and Chevrolet Corvette power

Zach Bowman — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:32:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, UK, Luxury

At long last, the question of exactly which American V8 the newly-resurrected TVR will use has been answered. As you might have guessed, the Russian-owned, English-bred racer will get a beating heart from none other than the mighty Chevrolet Corvette. The news hounds over at Autocar managed to snag a quick interview with the brand's owner, Nikolai Smolenski, who said that the GM eight-pot presented the most efficient and powerful solution to the company's engine concerns.

Unfortunately, Smolenski didn't say exactly which GM V8 would find its way behind the new TVR's headlights. We'd love to think that the 638 horsepower supercharged LS9 would do a proper job of paying homage to the ridiculously powerful TVR models of days gone by, but it's possible that the company could opt for the more civil (and less expensive) 505 horsepower LS7 found in the current Corvette Z06.

Either way, the car should be an absolute rocket whenever it hits the streets. Given the fact that an all-American lump is going to be pushing power to the rear wheels, there's even some talk of the cars being sold here in the States. Our fingers? Yeah. They're crossed.

Autocar also makes mention of the fact that Smolenski is considering a hybrid model that would allow the use of an automatic transmission. Blasphemy or not, we're about to see a whole new take on the TVR name we know and love.

[Source: Autocar]

Report: TVR rebirth hinges on hybrid tech and Chevrolet Corvette power originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UK specialist looking to give TVR Tuscan a second life as Chevy-powered Titan

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, GM, UK, Specialty

Classic World Racing TVR Titan - Click above for high-res image gallery

Might the quintessential British muscle car soon be blessed with the quintessential American muscle car powerplant? If UK-based racing specialist Classic World Racing gets its way, the answer is yes. The car is the TVR Tuscan - and we're talking about the beautiful 1968 version, for what it's worth - and the engine is none other than General Motors' undeniably excellent LS3 V8.

CWR has somehow managed to obtain the original molds for the old TVR Tuscan that had been sitting unused for decades in an old barn, after which the company built a race car using the molds for a client in Malaysia. Shortly thereafter, demand for a roadgoing version was deemed strong enough to make the necessary modifications to make it street legal. In this new form, CWR chose to call the machine the Titan.

Power figures for the Yankee-sourced 5.7-liter V8 engine start at 480 horsepower and go from there, and those ponies will be sent to a limited-slip differential at the rear wheels through a five-speed manual transmission. Couple that prodigious output with a weight of just 2,160 pounds (980 kilograms) and you've got a recipe for formidable performance. Price? Around £42,500 (plus VAT) in the UK - that's about $65,500 dollars. Check out our high-res image gallery below and read the press release after the break.

Gallery: Classic World Racing TVR Titan

[Source: Classic World Racing via Piston Heads]

Continue reading UK specialist looking to give TVR Tuscan a second life as Chevy-powered Titan

UK specialist looking to give TVR Tuscan a second life as Chevy-powered Titan originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TVR 'remanufacturer' facing legal opposition?

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., MISC

TVR Sagaris - Click above for high-res image gallery

We don't hear all that much about classic British muscle/sportscar maker TVR, so here's a quick refresher on what's been going on over the last few weeks: Russian owner Nikolai Smolenski has signaled his intent to bring the overpowered brand back to the market using a classic American V8 engine of unknown origin, and we'll know more about that later this year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

Shortly after that revelation, we found out that remanufactured versions of the Tuscan, Sagaris and T350 were already available through Carmel Motorsports in Indianapolis, sans powertrain. As we told you at the time, these cars were being supplied by a company called Total Vehicle Remanufacturing... which, though that does indeed have the correct initials, is not the real TVR.

Not surprisingly, then, the "real" TVR doesn't sound all that pleased with its newly found competition. Says TVR Motors co-director James Oxley, "We'd like to make clear that this has nothing whatever to do with us, and it appears to conflict strongly with what TVR is trying to achieve in future." According to PistonHeads, "TVR intends to closely scrutinize the operation to ensure its own interests are appropriately protected." Ought to be interesting to see how this one plays out, no?

Gallery: TVR rolling chassis from Carmel Motorsports

[Source: PistonHeads]

TVR 'remanufacturer' facing legal opposition? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why wait for the new TVR? Get one now... but not from TVR

Jonathon Ramsey — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:01:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Performance, Etc.

Just a week ago, the rumor was spread that new TVRs will be coming to the U.S. and that they'll cook their tires with U.S. engines - but you'll probably have to wait until this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed to get the details. Now we've been told that you can buy remanufactured versions of the Tuscan, Sagaris, and T350, and you don't have to wait at all!

These old-as-new TVRs are being sold as rolling chassis, the same way you would buy a Superformance or Rossion, and have otherwise been made to comply with U.S. DOT laws. They're available through Carmel Motorsports in Indianapolis, and all you'll need to do after a phone call and a cash transfer is show up with an engine or a trailer.

We don't know where the supply of cars is coming from, however. The "official" TVR isn't building cars; these are coming from a company called Total Vehicle Remanufacturing. TVR, get it? We don't know anything about them, but hey, one call to Carmel can answer all your questions if you decide you're ready for the raw rear-wheel-drive power of what used to be Blackpool's finest. Hat tip to Alexis!

Gallery: TVR rolling chassis from Carmel Motorsports

Why wait for the new TVR? Get one now... but not from TVR originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: TVR on the comeback trail with American V8 power?

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:28:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Rumormill

TVR Speed 12 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Hey you Anglophiles, looks like TVR is coming back. And really, it's a shame they went anywhere in the first place, but that's the British car industry for you. Nevertheless, a flurry of rumors and speculation has just cropped up, all of them seeming to indicate that a new TVR is coming very soon. Again.

The big news of course is that the new British sports car will have American power. What engine? We don't know, but it sounds like Russian owner Nikolai Smolenski understands that the U.S. market is the number one market for sports cars in the world, and that having an American power plant under the new car's look-at-me hood is the easy way to sell 'em to us Yanks. You may remember that the last crop of TVRs all featured completely bespoke, TVR-built engines and were not sold in the USA. Of course, using a Ford or Chevy (or hey, maybe Chrysler) crate engine will save Smolenski and TVR untold millions of rubles in development costs.

Also new is where the next TVR will be built. Traditionally, TVRs come from Blackpool, UK, but word is that a bunch of TVR parts were recently shipped to Germany where Smolenski has wanted to restart production for a couple of years. Moreover, TVR parts suppliers have reportedly been served with cease and desist notices, as TVR Motors Company (Smolenski's company) is officially the parts supplier to the UK. However, it seems like these kinds of letters have been sent before.

So, what's the same with this new TVR? The reports we're seeing claim that you can expect classic "TVR values" such as front-engine, rear-wheel drive, two seats and totally bonkers styling. Sounds as if the new car will be showing up with at least 500 horsepower, too. We're not sure when we'll see the new TVR, but it sounds as if the Goodwood Festival of Speed is the safest bet. Until then...

Gallery: 2000 TVR Speed 12

[Source: TVR Blog, Pistonheads]

Rumormill: TVR on the comeback trail with American V8 power? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unexpected Greenery: TVR Artemis concept from Niels van Roij

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Performance, UK, Design/Style, Electric

TVR Artemis concept from Niels van Roij - Click above for high-res image gallery

TVR, a British sportscar manufacturer with a troubled past and a very uncertain future, has historically been known for producing brutish performance cars with impossibly curvy bodies molded from fiberglass and powerful inline-six and V8 engines. As such, the idea of an eco-friendly TVR never really crossed our minds until we saw Niels van Roij's TVR Artemis concept.

The Dutch designer created the Artemis as his final-year project at the Design Academy Eindhoven in The Netherlands. Theoretically powered by one in-wheel electric motor per contact patch and a hydrogen fuel cell, there seems little chance that a car such as this would ever see the light of day, but it certainly is an interesting take on the modern TVR design ethos. See for yourself in the gallery below of a 1:5 scale model of the Artemis concept.

Gallery: TVR Artemis concept from Niels van Roij

[Source: Niels van Roij ]

Unexpected Greenery: TVR Artemis concept from Niels van Roij originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ex-TVR owner Peter Wheeler: 1944-2009

Chris Paukert — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:29:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Supercars, UK

Few car companies have been as gloriously 'off the reservation' crazy for as long as British sportscar maker TVR. And while the status of the dormant manufacturer may not be entirely clear, it has lost a key figure who helped make it the wild, wacky and wonderful marque that it is: former TVR owner Peter Wheeler has passed away after a brief illness.

After making his money in oil equipment, Wheeler purchased TVR back in 1981 from Martin Lilley and owned it until 2004, when he sold the firm to young Russian plutocrat Nikolai Smolenski. Over the 23 years he was at the helm, however, Wheeler presided over not just the company's financials, he was present in virtually every decision the specialty car maker made, from model choices to styling decisions. He even raced his company's own creations in the TVR Tuscan Challenge.

Wheeler, 64, leaves behind a rich legacy of uniquely styled, uniquely uncompromised driver's cars from a brand we still hope has a future. Richard Meaden has penned a nice memoriam of Wheeler over at Driver's Republic - click on the link below to check it out.

[Drivers Republic | Image: TVR Car Club]

Ex-TVR owner Peter Wheeler: 1944-2009 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Huzzah! TVR lives... again.

Dan Roth — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Supercars, UK, Specialty

TVR has proven its place as a member of the automotive nosferatu, rising once again and relaunching a revised Sagaris that's being readied for production. Currently a prototype, the Sagaris has received updates to the exterior in the form of a new hood and splitter, as well as 19 inch wheels bolted to a re-tuned suspension. One thing that stays the same is the four-liter straight-six under that new hood. Inside, the TVR interior acid trip has been dialed back with the redesigned instrument panel and center stack atop a new HVAC rig. New seats have been tossed in for good measure, and the build quality is reportedly stepped up. TVR owner Nikolai Smolenski has admitted his intent to distribute the brand worldwide, and the Sagaris has the steering wheel on the left for export purposes. There's no word on when we'll be able to drool all over one of these on North American soil, but when it does come our way, it will likely cost more than the €85,000 it's going for in Jolly Old.

[Source: World Car Fans]

Huzzah! TVR lives... again. originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trevor Wilkinson, TVR founder, dead at 85

Alex Nunez — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

TVR Grantura. Click above for model history and more photos.

Trevor Wilkinson, who founded the British sports car marque, TVR, has died at the age of 85 in Minorca, Spain, where he lived in retirement. Mr. Wilkinson had apparently been seriously ill, according to reports. He built his business in his hometown of Blackpool, and the company name, TVR, is just an abbreviation of his first name. It's first production car was the Grantura (above).

Wilkinson left TVR in 1962 but remained owner until 1965, when the first in a succession of subsequent bosses took the reins. The one constant, however, has been the name -- his name -- that Trevor Wilkinson gave the company all those years ago, which has since appeared on some pretty impressive cars along the way. Rest in peace, Mr. Wilkinson.

[Sources: BBC, TVR Blog]

Trevor Wilkinson, TVR founder, dead at 85 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Jun 2008 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forgotten Supercar? TVR Speed 12 road car for sale

Drew Phillips — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Supercars

Click above to view gallery of the TVR Speed 12

The TVR Speed 12 seems to be the forgotten supercar, although it certainly has the proper credentials to be remembered as one of the best. With a massive 7.7-liter V12 pushing 820 horsepower and a curb weight of just over 2,000 lbs., the Speed 12 has a power-to-weight ratio nearly twice that of the Bugatti Veyron. The stunning bodywork is done completely in carbon fiber and shifting is done with a true sequential gearbox. Then why the lack of attention? It probably has something to due with the fact that only one road car was built, along with a handful of race cars, and only one test was ever done by the media when it appeared in EVO magazine. The car is now for sale, and we hope the new owner doesn't find it too much of a handful and wreck the one and only example. It's not like it's an Enzo, where you can just go out and buy another. No price is listed, but we would venture to guess it's not cheap.

Gallery: 2000 TVR Speed 12

[Source: Legends Automotive]

Forgotten Supercar? TVR Speed 12 road car for sale originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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TVR once again ready to get back on track

Jonathon Ramsey — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:33:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc.

Earlier this year we reported that TVR had been sold to a pair of Floridian businessmen. In actuality, the sale was never consummated, and the company remains in the hands of Russian billionaire Nikolai Smolenski. Although it is still finding its way out of the woods, the company has laid out a recovery plan that could see it producing cars again as early as next year.

TVR has essentially pieced together a corps of suppliers that would provide it with parts that would then be assembled by Bertone in Italy. Design would be handled by TVR in Lancashire; engine consultant Ricardo is tuning TVR's 6-cylinder engine to 400 BHP and Euro 5 emissions specs; IM Kelly would supply trim; and Multipart would provide parts, as well as replacements for dealers.

TVR wants to make its '07 cars until 2009, when the newly designed vehicles would be ready, with projected production of 2,000 units. The entire plan would rely on -- as usual -- finding the money. TVR recently held a meeting with 60 potential dealers and investors, and the company is optimistic, but no one has even hinted at where the money might come from.

[Source: Autocar]

TVR once again ready to get back on track originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Oct 2007 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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