1996 TVR Chimaera HC review from UK and Ireland
"Fast, but a pain in the A*se!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Persistent problem with fuses.
General comments?
I'd always wanted a TVR. The sound when you hear one approaching is quite mesmerising and harkens back to US muscle cars.
Trouble is this is a car that is just too fragile. I bought the car from Adrian Blythe (they were pretty good by the way and I would recommend them for TVR) but within 30 minutes of driving the car stopped in the 3rd lane of the motorway!
The problem took about a two weeks of messing around to be sorted out. After that the car ran well, but you couldn't help, but feel something else was about to go wrong.
The fuel consumption is also appalling. I've owned a 3.2 carrera (great car) and a 3000 GT (3.0) both of those (particularly 911) gave vastly better fuel consumption.
Sadly, I got sick of the TVR and sold it after only 6 weeks and 3000 miles.
Moral of the story. Great for weekends only. Do not buy if you need reliability.
Safety is also an question mark. Driver of tow truck (!) told me the most blood he'd seen were on TVRs. Still, I found the car predictable (yes, back will go out easily, but its safe) and fun to drive.
AND... any girl who got in this car loved it! So it can't be all bad! ;)
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| Expect ongoing problems as this is a handmade enthusiasts car, however, they'll fade to insignifigan |
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| Should have got one years ago |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | No |
| Year of manufacture | 1996 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2004 |
| Engine and transmission | 4.0 Manual |
| Performance marks | 7 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 2 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 4 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 5 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 4 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 52000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 56000 miles |
| Previous car | Toyota MR2 |
| Date of Entry | 9th August, 2004 |