This 4.5L TVR Tuscan S Is So Much Me - So Why Haven't I Bought One? 

I ran a Cerbera speed six as my daily driver for eighteen months. It was huge fun and utterly reliable. Sadly.... The financial crash of 2008 meant I could no longer afford the £2k service bills. I still miss her.

After test driving about 15 different sports cars over a two year period, F types, Astons, M4s ect, I finally settled on the TVR Tuscan, in Red and Magnolia, it featured on your reasonablly priced cars episode, now 3 years later and I have no regrets, it's still the best car I have ever owned and driven and I have had some great cars, i love it even more as time passes and genuinely feel there is nothing else like it for the money, everyone that goes in it loves it, it turns heads, people let you out at junctions and mine being a loved pampered car won 2 car shows this year, 75 years Back to Blackpool anniversary TVR show at Blackpool and Tatton parks Passion for Power Best Convertible car in show, and if all that's not enough Love it's Hand made, British and you said you wanted a iconic engine, well this engine 'SpeedSix ' still holds the title for most powerful naturally aspirated 6 cylinder uk production car engine ever made, thats pretty cool, I have no regrets and in my 3 years so far ownership it's been faultless, it did take a long time to find a good one but it was worth the wait, I really really hope you buy one, I want more ownership videos as there are not many with the Tuscans and your honest points of views would be perfect👍

Tuscan : A beautiful but wild animal. Powerful, dangerous but playful like wrestling a tiger. You look like a hero doing it and it might not kill you if you’re really careful.

There’s a certain irony in not being able to buy a TVR because your Honda broke down

My friend’s brother in law had a Tuscan in 2002, said friend decided to take me out for a joyride in it in the rain. It was possibly the scariest experience I’ve ever had in a car! We were both 19 had very little experience if driving anything with more than 150 horses let alone RWD. He didn’t crash but, he did spin and after narrowly avoiding being hit by a wagon we ended up in the mide of a roundabout facing the way we came from. We proceeded back very slowly parked it up, removed the chunks of grass from the wheel arches and rinsed the mud off.

My father had one of the Mk2 Tuscans, I believe just 86 were ever made, so it's a very rare beast, lord knows a fair number of them must have been written off by now like most TVR's! Think it was basically the same car with a mild face lift, still a real jaw dropper in the flesh and absolutely rapid. One of my favourite memories with him was him drag racing an M3 after some lights after the bloke revved at him, and Dad promptly left him in his dust! He got a bad back as he got older and sold it on for a pittance after about 10 years of ownership and very few miles (ironically they've actually gone up in value quite a bit since then...). The great thing on these cars was when new you got to choose absolutely everything imaginable to your own spec, like buying an invitation only £1m Ferrari, but it was a £50k TVR lol. I'd love to buy it back one day if I can find out who has it, Dad had a private reg on it that he kept so no idea what the plate on it is now. Mechanically it was fine, never had any issues, but early on it had some weird electrical problems, like the passenger window randomly opening half way every time you went past 50mph! If anyone's reading this with a Tuscan Mk2, painted blue (was a BMW M series colour), anthracite wheels, black upholstered seats with blue double stitching, pop me a message!

I bought a 2002 Tuscan S 12 months ago and it was the best decision I’ve ever made, the car never fails to make me smile, and everyone loves it! I met Ian at a recent TVR event in Blackpool…what a lovely chap! 👍🏽

Never had a go in a Tuscan, but I did borrow a Cebera for a few weeks. It was sensationally quick and very easy to get addicted to...but you just knew that one day, for no reason other than its own amusement, it was going to bite hard and turn you into something that had the physical properties of soup. That glorious, magnificent bastard of a car would have been my death...probably within the space of a couple of months.

I had a Chimaera 450 and then a Mk 1 Tuscan S. Both very enjoyable motors. The Tuscan made it to the end of the European Canonball Run including an autobahn run up to an indicated 170mph. It would have gone faster but the vibration was so severe and the experience so frightening that we didn't spend long at that speed. Eventhough we were dressed as nuns I didn't make a habit of it. The engine needed a top end rebuild (thankfully under warranty) after that trip.. Did a weekend at the 'Ring some years later in it after sorting the suspension with a Nitrons kit and it never missed a beat. Of the two cars the S was my favourite although the rumble and torque of the 450 was addictive. It would win a tunnel test. But if James must have a "six" then a fully sorted Tuscan is a great choice.

I owned a TVR Griffith 500 from new in 1998 for three years. I used it daily, clocking up 41k miles. After I sold it I worked out it had cost me £40k in servicing, maintenance and depreciation. Still, that's only £1 a mile...

Sold a powers 4.5 Tuscan S a couple years ago. Owned the car since 2005, spent a small fortune trying to supercharge the 4.0ltr S6... 2 engine failures later went to Dom (awesome guy... brilliant service), and drove away a superb 4.5 that went all over Europe and never missed a beat. Only sold coz I emigrated well away from a rotting blighty 😢. Loved my Tuscan and miss it so much.... always thought I would be buried in it.... If you have to care so much about running costs... don't buy one, its probably not for you. Ironically mine was T6USC....

As always, a fair opinion, open and critical review James. I would like to see you own a TVR for a year. The maintenance expense is a reality with these cars. Some models more than others. The T-shirt which says 'Life's too short to drive boring cars' was made for TVRs.

You can get a split roof for a Chimaera/Griffith. Or a Surrey roof (folds up), but they are not cheap (£500 or so). A split roof is just the targa panel split in half, with some extra clips etc for the middle to keep it water tight. It then fits either in the parcel shelf, potentially behind the seats depending on how tall you are or just in the boot. The Chimaera/Griffith standard roof has to go in first, and then everything else after, so if you need that roof fast and you have a lot of stuff, you are stuffed. With the split roof, it will sit on top and be easy to access etc. I have a split roof for mine, but I also have the original as well. I wouldn't be surprised if you could do the same with a Tamora if you wanted, just there are more Chimaera's out there so it is a more common mod.

My dad owned a Cerbera, a Griffith (purple, was gorgeous) and then a Tuscan S mk1 for I think 7 years. Of the 3 we both agreed the Tuscan was the best, he had bespoke back boxes in the exhaust (original ones rusted and fell off when he was on holiday in Spain LOL and it cost half as much to get them made bespoke compared to TVR ones). Other than the exhaust, he never had any issues with the car, serviced regularly, always warmed up properly before hard driving. It was a raceproved car so had the preoiler which made it a very interesting car to start. You sit there with the preoiler running, the car beeps at you, the beeps speed up and then get very close together and the car starts and roars into life. Absolutely stunning engine imo. Amazing cars, just have to find the right one and look after it and be prepared to spend the money.

I’ve had my Tuscan for twelve years now, bought it with 16k on the clock and it’s now done 53k all on the original engine. I had to replace the clutch but apart from that it has been very little trouble. I take for a service every year and never get away with less than a £1000 bill but I find it very well put together and I feel confident to take it anywhere.

I recall on one of the Tuscan's on my holiday the rear (plastic) window was always popping out if he had the roof open. Think it totally departed the car at one stage and we all had to stop while he went back to get his rear window off the road. Luckily we were on some country road when this happened. All the cars made it but my brake fluid on my TR6 was boiling on the stelvio pass and all the other steep mountains and the brakes went altogether at the old Reims race track on the last day of our tour. So I had to get the car shipped back and I got the brakes upgraded to competition spec afterwards. I still have that 1975 TR6.

I'm currently in the market for a TVR and as soon as i can get somewhere to store it I will be making the leap with both feet. I've been researching for over 3 years now so know exactly what I'm getting myself into but instead of putting me off its getting me more and more excited to finally get one... just wish I could already have the storage.

I’m fortunate that the previous owner spend lots of money on valuable upgrades at TVR Power. A specialist is a must with these cars. Running costs are £200+ for insurance and I budget on £1000 a year serving etc. when you consider the fun factor and performance they are great value. A real sense of occasion to drive.

I always dreamt of one of these but by the time one was affordable for me, the likely cost of a rebuild pushed it outside my budget. TVR is a great tragedy of British Motor manufacturers... I'd love to see it revived, properly, actually with an actual car that people actually receive.

I think this is one of the best cars ever made. TVR made a quintessential Jaguar Type E successor. Front mounted all british Staright Six. And it is the best naturally aspirated Straight Six in the world. No other inline 6 N/A comes close. Oh and I am getting one.

Love 90s/2000s TVRs! My favourite is the Cerbera but they're all crazy cool, loud and naughty rapid!

I spent around 70000£ plus purchase into my 2003 TVR Tuscan ending up in a 5-6year full nuts and bolts rebuild. I wanted a cheap supercar that performs incredibly… performance was always great! They are fascinating cars… but I needed loads of money to get it up to my standards. Kept it totally original besides a Nitron suspension upgrade. Now it’s a total reliable car bringing lots of joy into my life. I would never sell it until getting at least all my money back😂… so there will be a few years to enjoy I guess 👌🏻. Forget AlfaRomeo- if you never had a TVR, you aren’t a pistonhead 😁😁😁😁😁

I went on a European motoring holiday in 2006 - full of Porsche's, Ferrari's and TVR's - and me in my humble Triumph TR6. I recall driving behind a brand new Tamora going down some narrow street in southern France or Italy and the Tamora was setting all the car alarms off as it passed parked cars. I thought it was the coolest thing ever. So I have always been on the lookout for a nice Tamora but owning cars like that is not a realistic proposition in Republic of Ireland with our punitive tax and insurance on cars that are not a Corolla or Fiesta etc.

I loved the one that appeared I the film ‘Swordfish’ The paint job was amazing and one of the lecturers at University has one.

A rare upbeat end to a video for James! You obviously have a huge passion for TVR, please please buy the best you can and enjoy the experience,worts and all.

Great cars. The owners tend to be rather heroic too. I used to watch the Tuscan challenge, at Oulton Park. My mate Johnny Wong did a temporary swap with me, my 1720 Westfield for a Griffith. I loved the thing! North Wales, coast road, and the drivers of the car in front waving me past! Happy days!

As an old petrolhead, it's so good to see an old Trevor. Very jealous as always. Wanted to drive one funny story. I was a young BT engineer part in my van one day when they first came out in pearlescent paint. It was such a head turner. I nearly crashed my van into a tree. And when you heard that V8 sound to know that it was built in Britain made us all very proud and to hear one these surviving on such higher mileage is good news. What happened to the one that was supposed to come out a few years ago? Weren't they bought by the Russians or something and then bought back again? Funny story I heard about one of these was some guy. I don't think he even had phones back in those days. He got locked inside one because the central locking failed and there was no other way of opening the door 😂👍 No one's probably going to read this but I've just looked it up. They are coming back a Griffith in 2024 with a V8 ford and to be built in Wales probably and were helped by Gordon Murray?

At 13:05 when he starts the burnout, I was chuckling just like Jay. Neat video!

Thank you yet again for a superb vid on my favourite brand of cars. You always find out all the weird and wonderful info that other reviewers know nothing about. Spot on!

Wonderful cars and a fabulous evocative driving experience. I've had three - a TVR S1 (door fell off, engine failure), a TVR Griffith500 (engine failure but loved it!) and a TVR Tuscan Speed6 (amazing drive but sold when engine failures were spiking). Would love to have another - I'd probably go back to a Griffith 500 or a cerbera 4.5 AJP8 for the noise and reliability :)

Another great TVR vid. A great advert for Dom. Thanks also for the Sprint mention; you’ve been a great ambassador for the club.

Love the styling of these 🔥

I used to see one of these everyday as it passed my work Then one day on the way home I saw it wrapped round a tree ! I went on to the Tvr owners club to see if anyone knew anything about it . They did, the driver was ok thankfully , if I remember correctly it didn’t put him off as he bought another one 😂👍🏻

"TVRs are unreliable" Jame’s Honda: "Hold my beer"

Always loved the oddball but gorgeous look of these things. Thats a really nice one 👍🏻

Awesome car. I'd have it in one of the fun colours that TVR had. Congratulations on the magazine spot. Nice video. Keep up the good work.

I have just picked up a chim 450, first tvr, and it's living up to it's reputation so far having shown three faults in a week! Hopefully once some of these things are sorted it will be reasonably reliable car.... It gets under your skin almost instantly, and once it gets moving and on some winding roads it's fantastic, very sharp, very agile and very noisy....it's also tiny and has great visibility which makes it easy to place on the road.

I'll never forget the HeatWave coming from the bonnet of a Yellow one that had just pulled up....Ha !!

Great review, I think you are one of the few journalists who understand TVR.

Nice car. I always wanted one. Thanks for posting today.

James, that was the best video you've ever done for me. So with regards to a TVR. Dad got a brand new Chimera 450 in 1998. In the first 10 weeks of ownership, it had spent 6 of them back at either TVR power or Christopher Neill. What you've got to think about is people who want one, want one and being old cars now, they've probably had most of the problems sorted. Chassis are something you really need to look at. Absolutely awesome video James, keep em coming.👍

Uhhh! That is a really lovely car. Always had a heart for the Tuscan. - This one is really special. Great Review!

My Tuscan is currently for sale 😢. Pending house move means no garage. I’ve driven plenty of Sports cars and the Tuscan has definitely given me the biggest smiles. I have no doubt I will own one of these cars in the future once again. There’s nothing out there that compares for the money, and once sorted they are not that expensive to keep that way.

Awesome sports car. You should add one to your channel. We would love to find out first hand what it’s like to own one longer term. Not really available in the USA any longer yet we still admire them here and would find your ownership experience quite interesting Roll the dice and live on the wild side for us

Nice one Ian. Great Tuscan 👍🏁

I recently bought a griff 500 from James Agger. Done 1500 miles this summer including finding myself in a torrential downpour on the M1 to the silverstone classic. No major issues, dodgy window switch and cleaning the stepper motor for dodgy tick over but other than that its great. 500 is a bit twitchy. Sweet spot has to be the Chimeara 450, for power, value and practicality

I have an Tuscan Convertible S which I bought new in 2006, now it also has a Powers 4.5 Super Sport with newer anti knock MBE ECU, also it didn't need a rebuild. It's fine in the wet , it's the driver that's usually the problem . All TVRs have a limited lock when turning , you need to anticipate when doing a U turn by car positioning. I also own a 4.5 Chimaera . PS A Tuscan Convertible with full open top and is a different model to a MK2 and is not a MK3 whatever James Agger may think.

The Sagarus is almost R34 GTR coveted by me in terms or cars I want to import once they're legal in the US. The only problem is I know once it breaks down on me (and I know it will), I'd never be able to find someone to fix it without spending what I paid for the car. But I'm still so, so tempted! I freakin love TVRs!

I've owned a couple of Chimaeras. They're great cars. Fun to drive, V8 sounds fantastic. Not scary at all to own, parts are cheap and most are available so you only need a small bork-fund. They're reliable too. The basic mechanicals are simple and tough and most common issues will either have been resolved on any example you buy or there is a fix available. As always with a TVR, check the chassis is in good condition and it’s been looked after by reputable shops. To give an idea of running costs: 12k service is about £500 and includes all fluids (gearbox, diff, clutch etc), spark plugs etc. Replacement steering rack is about £900 fitted. Suspension refresh is about £1500 (new bushes etc) for all 4 corners. New brake disks/pads are about £300 fitted all round.

Ever since I was a younger man, I've coveted a TVR - don't really care which one, but the sound of the Speed Six motor appeals to me better than the V8s. The Speed Twelve would have been the dog's jewels, though I understand that Peter Wheeler pulled the plug because it was TOO dangerous for the roads. TVRs always had looks - why couldn't other manufacturers build cars that looked similar? As for the build quality, I recall the Top Gear guys quipping back in the day that TVRs were the only cars you could buy whole and watched them disassemble. Credit to the owners who go to the trouble of keeping theirs on the road. For an example of a TVR in maybe typical (poor) condition, check out the Saving Salvage YT channel where he's completely rebuilding one.

Salivating yes. Thanks video James. Maybe a kick up arse one or two of us get one. I’m still waiting on an Emira. And literally will be cancelling it.

Lovely and still holds up well today

I love your content. Great cars, always present in a very genuine way. And by the way: You've got the funkiest intro tune of all times!

There is something oddly magical about TVRs... I am still looking forward to TVR Cerbera Speed 8, many other people aswell i imagine because its where NFS Most Wanted M3 GTR got it's sound from. Its a shame that more TVRs didnt get to have that V8 because of delays.

Buy a chim - I know they are the most common, but the V8 is reliable if maintained correctly and the 400 has least issues with the cam. Absolutely luv my 400, great in the summer, and the red body with cream leather is the perfect combination (in my opinion) 😊 - luv your passion for TVR next step is naturally to buy one.

4.5 or 5.0 litre Chimaera. Rover V8 much easier to maintain so it's really only the chassis to worry about. Get one that has been replaced/ restored. Winner! For bonus points get one with an LS conversion!

Always fancied a Sagaris myself.

Just done a deal on one of the very last Tuscan Convertibles….I’ve not grinned so much for many years!!!

“Fifth and then reverse”. Haha, brought back memories of the Alfa GTV: Second and then reverse!

These have a very nostalgic feeling to me growing up playing gran turismo

Lightning fast off the line, they always felt more appealing when you knew the dealer might cover some of the cost of the engine rebuild. The bronze speedo in the mark 1 tho was a nightmare if the sun was hitting it wrong.

Since moving to the UK, I've seen a good few TVRs around and I still get excited whenever I see one. My uncle said he very nearly bought a Chimera a good number of years ago. Said he regrets not doing so.

What should you buy you ask? You should buy a Tamora - my Tamora (it’s the yellow one currently on PistonHeads, and it’s very very good!)

I've had mine for coming up to a year and a half. Maintenance wise it's quite similar to the 996 Carrera it replaced. It's cheaper to tax and insure than the Porsche was. Not that any of these things matter - look at it! Much more exciting to look at than a 911, and a fair bit quicker too. The downsides are that they aren't put together that well.

I am a big Griffith advocate. Theres plenty of different engines to get. A 4.3 is a little more happy to rev than the 5.0 and a 4.3 Big Valve is an awesome thing. Big valves are a little bit like gold dust so maybe the more common and more powerful 500 is a better choice. Better looking than the chimera for me and a little edgier. Go for it! 20 grand will get you a nice one and itll have had a lot of work done

The engine wasn't by TVR, it was Al Mellings from MCD. TVR bought the engines and modified them slightly (removed a lubrication port and changed the engine from dry sump). A lot of engine failures were caused by these changes 😢

My late trumpet player bought one of these new. Inside, I commented it stunk like an old public toilet, which it did. We had a good tour of the TVR factory in glorious Blackpool. The welders were amazing to watch. And the leather stitching crew too. But what pissed my friend off so much was the rain used to fall under that stupid bonnet gap and it killed the starter. TVR said it was a design characteristic, can you believe, and not to use it when it rained!! After 1 year he sold it but lost £20,000. He won't mind me telling you, as he committed suicide years later, and that's no lie, he really did. R.I.P. Check under the carpeting because the TVR staff used to write comments on the bodywork.

Have owned a 5L Griff for twenty years now I don't know what I would replace it with, cheap as chips (relatively) to run, V8 sound, capable of scaring me to death, but happy to just burble along at low speed. A mate has upgraded his Griff to a DB9 hard top, lovely car, but I sense he misses the Griff. If I won the lottery, I wouldn't sell it. I would certainly add to my collection with the obvious high end brands, but also would would add a Tuscan S....

Another great real world review thanks James. I eventually chose a Griffith over a Tuscan as they are much lower maintenance and are great fun even when just pottering. I specifically went for the "1992 year only" 430 precat as they are just as fast as a 500 but sound better, love to rev etc etc. That said, I'm now developing a hankering for a Tuscan so if you want one of the very best condition, original and unmolested 430s for not a lot of money.....................

Watching this video twice. Buy the 2001 tvr tuscan S. What a cool ride! Buy one since you are a youtuber. That is such a cool sports car we are really curious what the ownership experience is like. Get whichever one you like. In america we have no idea which one you should choose yet we will watch each video with a tvr you make..maybe even twice?

I think this and the Sagaris are absolutely timeless designs, this still looks modern 20 years on.

This Tuscan looks mental; I like the three lights better than the covered later versions

very smooth with the sponsor, good job.

Always loved the look and sound if this car. I'd imagine a year's worth of running costs would sour that😃

My absolute favourite car, I do hope I'll drive one someday although not quite sure yet if I'll be ready to own one

It’s a lovely thing…. In answer to your question at the end of the vid, if it was me… I’d have a Tamora. Still holding firm on price and I suspect a future classic that will skyrocket in value in years to come.

I bought a bright yellow chimp years ago.....what a laugh but it needed dosh to keep it running well.

I love these they look so cool, sound great and can absolutely fly. I'd love to own a tvr but I'd need to have a lot of money before I even considered it.

Tuscan on my bucket list. But still enjoying my SL55 AMG too much ❤

Always loved Tvr thank you for this video

TVRs are also very me. I love these. These are the epitome of Peter Wheeler TVR, I don't know why, but moreso than the later ones. Get a Tuscan for sure

Bit late in commenting, but one of my all time, top 5 laminated kind of thing, would be a TVR cerbera....in canary yellow. Get one of them James 👍

You need to review a Chimaera James! Great value and superb engine sound, but cheaper to maintain and a bit more reliable than the TVR-own-engined varieties.

enjoyed yet again - nice as the six is, it just doesn't have The Note. Never late in a V8...

Another top review, but if you really want to add another problem car to your fleet (which you have well documented….) then it’s your money!

Really enjoyed the AC a wonderful car 4.5 litres of it..great review too

Another nice review, the lack of safety aids puts me off TVRs. I was watching a TV series following Police Forensic Accident Investigators, these guys are as thorough as Homicide Detectives but for vehicles. There was one crash on a rainy night where a young Man in his 20s crashed his hatchback into a parked flat bed lorry and died, the Officers where investigating why he died in what should have been a survivable crash. They used LIDAR mapping to make interactive 3D maps of the scene, they did braking tests of their own, they had the details on the hatchbacks speed from the ECU etc. He wasn't going that fast but his car was modified, he had no ABS or Traction Control and had removed his driver airbag via a sports wheel replacing the OEM one. The officers speculated it was a track day car setup, he wasn't driving that fast, a smidge over the posted limit and coming over the brow of a hill with a slight bend, with the dark and rain he couldn't see the lorry as it was black and grey and unlit as it was parked. Via the reconstructions and tests they concluded the removal and deactivation of the safety aids where the probable cause, ABS would have slowed him down more and reduced the energy of the impact and an airbag would have prevented or reduced the severe head and chest injuries that killed him and the Coroner accepted it. Poor sod, shows how things can just go wrong for anyone. Safety aids do work, in a world with them I would find it hard to justify not using them when they are an option.

Great video. Would be awesome if you got yourself a TVR Griffith or an 80's Tasmin / V8 wedge

I always think of John Travolta from Swordfish when I think of a Tuscan.

This TVR Aged soo well just like an aston. No coincidence Warner Bros Chose this car as an "Bond Ripoff"

I had a Mk1 Tuscan 4.0. I paid £40K for it & had it 30 months, 20 of those it was off the road. Two engine rebuilds & £20K later I sold it at auction....for £15K. That said, I have fond memories of driving it, just not paying for it.

If I ever decide to import a car into the U.S. that wasn't originally sold here (or close enough) it will almost certainly be a Wheeler-era TVR. If I could choose: a Tuscan S or AJP Cerbera.

As someone born in '96, TVR's always felt like mythical monsters w/ legendary status, especially as the company was closing down That six-cylinder could outmatch a wide range of V8's in terms of sound!

A friend had a Tuscan 2S. Awesome machine. Brutal type of performance. But, yes, sadly, it ended up being more trouble than it was worth.

I've always said: if it looks good and sounds good and goes well, I'll forgive it almost everything. This is why I still love Alfa's and TVR's...

FOUR AND A HALF LITRES of straight six......... yes please in a hot-second. Lovely vid thank you.

Loved the video! Just some small constructive criticism, the section elaborating on TVR Tuscan generation models (e.g. 6:10), the mic is a little bit on the ASMR side haha.

For maintenance, repairs, etc TVR101 also good. Ask for Woody.

Love TVRs, especially the sound of the griff/chim, but ive never really understood the pricing of Tuscans. Testdrove a few a really wanted to buy one but always felt underwhelmed in terms of build quality and performance vs other cars in the 30-40k bracket. I think griff/chims around 15-25k are about right, but tuscans are up against proper stuff like AM V8 vantage volante, SL63 AMG etc etc. Huge fun to drive on a warm dry day in the summer but pain to store in dehumidifed garage over winter and even then worry about leaks, corossion, outriggers, electrics failing.

Tvr is a kit car in reverse, comes complete and then comes apart !