The TVR Tuscan engenders a sense of occasion
like no other car. It's crowning achievement is
that every moment in a Tuscan, whether in a traffic
jam on the Hammersmith flyover or on a blast across
the moors with the roof off, is a unique and memorable
experience. Available in two forms, the 3.6 and
the mighty 4 litre Tuscan
S, TVR's best selling
model prompted Evo Magazine to say, "Few cars
look as spectacular, sound as special or offer
so much performance for the money."
As with all TVR's, it is function that defines
form. Every inch of the car has been meticulously
thought through, from the dramatic swoops of the
bonnet which are in fact low pressure exits for
the hot air from the radiator to the curvaceous
boot which gives room for two people's luggage,
even with the roof off.
Key to the driving and ownership experience of
the Tuscan is its unique interior. It is rare that
anything completely new is seen in the motor industry
but nothing like the luxurious leather and aluminium
cockpit of the Tuscan has ever been seen before.
TVR's engineers and designers had a blank cheque
when it came to the interior and they have responded
with one of the greatest automotive interiors of
all time. Autocar said, "The interior is quite
incredible, like a show car that has gone straight
from plinth to high street without meeting an accountant
on the way? Everywhere you look there are details
that will one day feature in the Sexiest Car Components
of all Time lists."
Engine
6-cylinder inline
alloy engine with 4 valves per cylinder and dry sump
lubrication
Capacity (cc)
3605
Bore/stroke (mm)
350 bhp @ 7200
rpm
Compression Ratio
290 ft.lbs @ 5500
rpm
Performance
0 to 60 mph: 4.2
seconds
0 to 100 mph: 9.6 seconds
Max Speed: 180 mph
Suspension
All round independent
– double wishbones and coil over gas dampers assisted
by anti-roll bars
Wheels
and Tyres
Front: 16 inch
aluminium alloy wheels, 225/50 ZR16 tyres
Rear: 16 inch aluminium alloy wheels, 255/55 ZR16
tyres
Honed in the gruelling arena of endurance racing
and in production since 1997, TVR's own Speed Six
engine forms the heart of the Tuscan and is what
gives the car its exceptional character. Autocar
Magazine wrote, "This engine sounds good enough
to have its own recording contract? [and] very
few, if any, modern engines feel as crisp as this
when you blip the throttle."
In the 390 bhp form which propels the 1100 kg
Tuscan S, it is sufficient to rocket the car to
60 mph in just 3.8 seconds on its way to a top
speed of over 195 mph. The engine is mounted in
an extremely stiff race-derived chassis of which
Car Magazine wrote, "There's no doubt careful
damper tuning has found more wet traction than
a car with this much power, and this little weight
over the rear tyres, has a right to expect." The
Tuscan's ability to stop has not been left to chance
either and, when Autocar tested it, they said, "On
the track the brakes pulled the car down from 60
mph to rest in 2.5 seconds, as fast as any car
we've ever tested."
