Considering replacing my car
2009-09-15 12:30:00
I have to admit. My eyes have been wandering and I have been having thoughts about others. After almost 6 years together, I am considering ending it. Yes, I am thinking about replacing my TVR.
I've discovered that it is not an easy task finding a replacement. To make it easier, I've considered all the aspects of the Chimaera that I enjoy - my next car will have to meet as many of these criteria as possible. These are;
Engine
I really enjoy the lazy, muscular nature of a V8. The high torque from low revs makes for a very relaxing drive at low speeds. I don't think I'll be comfortable with a small high revving 4 cylinder engine therefore I can rule out a Honda S2000 and Lotus Elise 111R. They are both great, fast cars, but they just don't meet the mark
Performance
Many of todays hot hatches have more powerful engines than my Rover V8. However, they are also considerably heavier and as such performance of the TVR is hard to beat. Boxsters, Z4s, 350Zs all develop more power but they aren't actually any quicker. So long as my next car is at least on par with my Chimaera I will be happy. I have thought about a Lotus Elise S. It is a bit slower to 60mph and a few seconds slower to 100. This is probably the base point I'll need to meet or exceed.
Noise
There are very few cars that sound as good as a Chimaera. The Rover V8 makes a superb sound and is also very loud even with the standard exhaust. All 4 cylinder cars are crossed off my list as they just don't sound good. The only exception would be the Impreza with its boxxer 4, but I could never buy that instead of an Evo.
Rarity
With the TVR, I love the way everyone stops to look as I drive past and takes an interest in the car. It is a real head-turner. I don't like to follow the crowd and so my next car will also have to be a bit special. A Porsche Boxster just won't do as they are far too common.
Looks
Following on from the previous point, the car will need to be good looking. The Chimaera is a beautiful design and I'll struggle to find anything to better it this side of a supercar. However, I do consider cars like an Evo or GTR good looking due to their aggressive and functional nature.
Practicality
Due to my changing lifestyle, two seats really aren't enoungh anymore. I could really use a 4 seater. The Chimaera has a deceptively large boot so no omplaints on that front.
Tunability
The Rover V8 is a difficult and expensive engine to extract more power
out of. The larger 4.5 and 5.0 capacity engines are a little easier, but still expensive. There is a supercharger conversion that produces supercar levels of performance, but it is not available for my 'pre
serpentine' engine configuration. I would like my next car to have more options for tuning. Something turbocharged would be ideal.
Factors that dont matter:
Soft top
A convertible is great on a hot summer day, but as we don't have many of those (in England), most of the time I have the roof up. As such, a convertible is not on my list of essentials - just a nice to have feature.
Reliability
Despite TVR's reputation, my car has been fairly reliable. It is an old car - 15 years old now - and a lot of parts have worn out and needed replacing. A lot of the work I carried out myself, learning about the mechanics of cars in the process.
Fuel economy
Since I have only managed an average of 16mpg during my ownership of my TVR, i am not bothered if my next car is not very fuel efficient.
In my next post, i'll list some of the cars ive been thinking about and how i rate them against the Chimaera