1990 TVR S2 review from UK and Ireland

Distributor shaft sheared.

Electric windows very slow to wind up or down.

Interior trim very fragile.

Fuel gauge shorted out, but not fixed as I have been told they are so inaccurate it is not worth the bother.

Rev counter increases by 500 - 600 revs when I switch the cabin fan on!

Not as awesome as its more modern brothers, but the power to weight ratio is about 175BHP per ton. This is similar to a Porsche 968, so the car is no slouch.

I paid £4900 for mine. If you want a rocket-ship roadster, there really is not much else at this price.

Suspension is very hard and needs to be, the exhaust sits very close to the tarmac and is often damaged due to grounding. Avoid speed bumps at all costs!

Spirited driving (i.e. scare seven shades of sugar out of your passenger) can drive the fuel consumption down to the low 20's, but 25 - 28 MPG is about right for reasonable driving.

With todays modern, insulated cars it is easy to hit high speeds on country lanes and get no real fun out of the experience.

The TVR has "feel".

The steering doesn't talk to you about the road, it sings to you. You don't so much as steer around corners as think around them. The back end slips out very progressively and the flick of opposite lock needed to correct your line is easily executed.

If you are careful the car can flatter the driver, if you are not careful it can bite, hard.

Acceleration is instant in any gear, overtaking is a pleasure.

Having said that, it is not a commuters car or a long distance GT. The only car closer to a motorbike in terms of noise, wind and effort to drive must be a Caterham 7 (and clones).

If you cannot justify spending the family cash on a Chimera, one of these is the answer, and nearly as good.