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“This is my car. A TVR Sagaris, around 180 in the world. This is one of the better ones. It’s running 443bhp, weighs just over 1000kg, and is rather noisy!
A few years ago, my wife bought me a TVR Sagaris. To the uninitiated, it is viewed as the ultimate TVR, a poster-hero of boys rooms. To those in the know, it is one of the greatest cars ever made.
Named for an ancient Greek war-axe, it is a track-focused machine, with such details as a single-bubble roof (for the drivers crash helmet), Perspex rear spoiler and the like. An amazing cockpit, one that gives both style and functionality, along with such things as floor-hinged pedals, and billet alluminium glass window hangers.
We believe under 200 were built (this is #84) – as TVR are now officially ‘dead’, then they will never be made again. The car out of box is a very good machine – a straight six engine with a claimed 402 bhp (normally around the 370 area in real life), a low weight (a claimed 1058kg) and amazing looks. It was driven, taken to charity events and trackdays. Here I am, overtaking The Stig (not really).
It also was my wedding car.
But there were a few things I wasn’t happy with. The double bonnet was really irritating, especially when trying to check the water levels. The cut-outs in the wings were solid – they weren’t cut out at all. The back end looked kind of messy, and the engine could do with a little kick…
So out came the checkbook. Racing Green have made some amazing headway with the TVR Speed Six engine – so much so, that this is currently the most powerful Speed Six in the world – a dyno proven 443@7400, 358lb/ft. This may not sound like much, but it works out at over 400bhp, and with the uprated gearbox and differential, it gets about very quickly.
For you that like details, it’s an ACT carbon airbox with trumpets, going to an F1-designed head. New cams and internal timing chains make up extra internals, with a large weight reduction. A new Syvecs ECU gives massive control over the engine, and an ACT exhaust finishes it off.
The car then went up to Brendan at Race proven, who worked his magic. The slats were cut out (they vent to the wheel arches), and a one-piece carbon fiber bonnet was made. The rear was tidied up, and new rear lights were installed. Then an enforced color change (something about the difference between American and European metallic paint), and the Sagaris was reborn.
So what is it like to drive? It’s a lot how I would imagine keeping a tame leopard would be like. It looks amazing, sounds divine, and your friends want to see it.
But at the end of the day it is an animal, and it will hurt you if you take liberties with it. A friend and I tried to get some figures for this…Hand timed, and with a lot of nervous giggling. 0-60mph is under 3 seconds. 50-70 mph is under a second.
Driving normally it is a pussy cat – razor sharp handling, but with some compliance on the road to soak up the bumps. For a car that has no traction control (normally), it is massively well behaved. The floor mounted loud pedal has got a very long travel – therefore you know when you’re putting your foot down, you are really putting your foot down.
Cockpit view is very narrow initially (think pillbox narrow), but acclimation is very quick, and you realize that you have very good sight lines and a clear understanding of where the wheels are (so to speak). TVRs test driver apparently described the Sagaris as being too good for the road, and he’s not wrong. The track is where it really comes alive and you can enjoy its full potential.Many thanks to NWVT, Rafe Abrook, and anyone else for the photos supplied.”
