TVR has had a tough go of it lately. Once one of Britain's – if not the world's – preeminent sports car manufacturers, TVR has a history that stretches back as far as Ferrari's. But it fell on hard times after the start of the new millennium. The ailing company was purchased in 2004 by Russian tycoon Nikolay Smolensky, but after failing to produce a single vehicle since 2006, TVR shut down in 2012. The following year Smolensky sold what was left of the business to a consortium led by video game developer Les Edgar, who has been plotting a revival over the course of the year since. And now that revival is coming into focus.
According to Autocar, Edgar and company have set up a new R&D center in the south of England and are working at launching an all-new model in two to three years' time. That puts it behind the earlier schedule of launching two new models by 2015, but if and when the new project comes to fruition, we doubt many will care about the change of plans.
As for what form that new product will take, you can bet it will have its engine up front, driving the rear wheels, and a two-door cabin. It could pack a two-seat or two-plus-two setup, but the former seems more likely for that first model, with the latter potentially to follow down the line. Edgar says that the company is current evaluating certain parameters, such as whether to use a tubular backbone chassis as it did previously or to go with a more advanced carbon-fiber tub. TVR is apparently leaning towards outsourcing the engine for the time being, but could bring back the company's ubiquitous inline-six at some point on the near future.
Once it has an idea of how much its components will cost, TVR will have a better handle on how much it will charge for the finished product. But previous reports indicated that TVR would endeavor to undercut the price of an Aston Martin V8 Vantage that starts in the UK for around £80k and in the US for under $120k. As for whether the new TVR would ever make it to North America, now that's another matter entirely.
According to Autocar, Edgar and company have set up a new R&D center in the south of England and are working at launching an all-new model in two to three years' time. That puts it behind the earlier schedule of launching two new models by 2015, but if and when the new project comes to fruition, we doubt many will care about the change of plans.
As for what form that new product will take, you can bet it will have its engine up front, driving the rear wheels, and a two-door cabin. It could pack a two-seat or two-plus-two setup, but the former seems more likely for that first model, with the latter potentially to follow down the line. Edgar says that the company is current evaluating certain parameters, such as whether to use a tubular backbone chassis as it did previously or to go with a more advanced carbon-fiber tub. TVR is apparently leaning towards outsourcing the engine for the time being, but could bring back the company's ubiquitous inline-six at some point on the near future.
Once it has an idea of how much its components will cost, TVR will have a better handle on how much it will charge for the finished product. But previous reports indicated that TVR would endeavor to undercut the price of an Aston Martin V8 Vantage that starts in the UK for around £80k and in the US for under $120k. As for whether the new TVR would ever make it to North America, now that's another matter entirely.
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