The TVR Tuscan Speed Six went into production early in 2000 and
since then TVR have been making inroads into the initial order bank of 1600
deposits in order to bring the waiting list down to manageable proportions.
While many of those orders were from TVR's existing
customers, a far larger proportion than ever before were from people who
decided to transfer their allegiance away from mass manufacturers. Recently TVR
have updated the range with two versions - a 3.6 litre car with the engine that
is also used in the Tamora and a 390 bhp 4.0 litre car which is designated
Tuscan S.
The TVR
Tuscan Speed Six is in essence a convertible in which two people and their
luggage could go on holiday for a month with creature comforts like air
conditioning and power steering but without the car weighing much more than
1000kg. It has TVR's own straight six engine and has a novel roof design
whereby, despite looking like a fixed head coupe, it is able to stow its roof
and rear window in the boot, while still leaving room for luggage. No computers
have been used in the styling of the car and TVR's team of stylists, led by
Damien McTaggert but with the close involvement of Chairman Peter Wheeler, took
two years sculpting the shape of this future classic.
There
are a number of advantages in designing a car in the manner that TVR does.
Sculpting and developing the shape solely by hand is an inordinately
time-consuming business. Just as one only truly appreciates the lines of a car
when one washes it, so it is TVR's belief that one can only really get to grips
with the design of a car over a long period of time. Furthermore, it is
impossible to control a surface as subtly on a computer screen as when
sculpting the car by hand. It is with this in mind that one should view the new
Tuscan. When a vehicle is mass-produced the tooling takes longer to develop
than the styling but that is categorically not the case here. The whole philosophy
at TVR is that the shape of the car comes first so the constraints of
conventional industry thinking have not been an issue.
As
such, the philosophy behind the styling of the car has been that function and
form have been combined and the result has been left on show. Many of the
features that make this car extraordinary are there for sound engineering
reasons but the simplicity and elegance of their form enhances the overall look
of the car. For instance, the unusual bonnet arrangement, whereby the main
piece of the bonnet is bolted into the car, is there for the reasons that it is
in most racing cars. It is actually lightly stressed and means that one is able
to duct the airflow very precisely. Furthermore, it is bolted into place and
therefore can be manufactured lighter. One of the notable features of the car
is the way that the shutlines run along the top of the car so that if you draw
them, you draw the shape of the car. This shows its lines off to the best
advantage but also gives a far bigger boot opening to make the roof much easier
to stow in the boot.
While
it might be possible to say that the exterior design of the car is relatively
extravagant in concept, TVR has taken a minimalist approach to the interior.
The very highest quality components have been used and once again, function has
determined form. The curved aluminium top to the dash, for example, actually
acts as one of the transverse strengthening beams for the car. The pedal box,
again hand made from extremely high quality components, is left on show as it
would be a shame to hide craftsmanship like it and it also serves to make
individual fittings for customers that much easier.
The
original thinking of TVR's team of engineers and designers has also manifested
itself in the instrument binnacle, again manufactured in house by TVR. The
advantage of this is that it enables one to link it to the engine management
system which, combined with a number of other sensors, results in an extremely
comprehensive range of instrumentation being available. Most immediately
noticeable is the use of aluminium and brass which is a combination not seen in
a car for many decades and which gives a sensation of warmth in the car without
using walnut. It is also notable that a revcounter is not among the analogue
gauges. This goes against the long-standing trend that in sports cars the
revcounter should be to the forefront. However, with today's engine management
systems and the far wider rev ranges of modern powerplants, it is no longer
necessary to monitor the engine speed all the time. Indeed, nowadays, even in
racing applications, road speed is far more important. Yet for those who wish
it, the graphical LCD display in the middle of the binnacle displays engine
speed with just the two salient digits clearly visible, Formula One style.
Alternatively,
a myriad of further readouts is easily selectable via a rotary knob and so,
while the binnacle is extremely sophisticated, its appearance and operation is
simplicity itself. These readouts include road speed, engine speed, fuel level,
oil level, water temperature, oil temperature, ambient air temperature, oil
pressure, fuel pressure and battery voltage. Minimum and maximum readings are
recorded. Furthermore, on the top of the instrument binnacle is a graduated shift
light which again takes its inspiration from Formula One racing cars. This
whole binnacle adjusts up and down with the steering wheel so all the gauges
are always visible. The jewellers' quality of the exterior is matched by an
extremely high tech interior with mapped stepper motors operating the water
temperature and fuel gauges which learn as they go along and an aircraft grade
stepper motor controlling the speedometer so that the instrument can keep up
with the performance of the car.
All the
rest of the switchgear is in the driver's line of sight and once again is
simple and elegant. With the exception of the heater and window controls, all
these extremely expensive switches, as well as the radio, are mounted high up
on the dashboard. A lot of thinking has also gone into the design of the seats
which have the seatbelts built into the backrest so that the buckle always
falls easily to hand. Furthermore, it is impossible to build a seat height
adjuster into such a low car so the squab is removable. This is primarily so
that the many TVR owners who take their cars on track days can more easily get
into the car with a crash helmet on while benefiting from increased lateral
support.
The
styling of the car has been very much influenced by the fact that it has a
straight six mounted between the front wheels and it is this engine which is
the heart of the car. Straight sixes have somewhat gone out of fashion because
they cannot be mounted transversely, be it in the front, middle or back of the
car. However, TVR's adherence to the true course of sportscar manufacture, i.e.
mounting the engines in the front to drive the rear wheels, makes it possible
to use this most classic of sportscar engines. However, while one eye has been
on the past in terms of the tradition of the layout, the other has been
resolutely forward as the engine is very much up to date. Gruelling tests over
the last three and a half years have shown its performance and reliability in
Tuscan prototypes as well as the Cerbera Speed Six. Furthermore, in its doubled
up, twelve cylinder form, the engine has seen competition in the mighty Speed
Twelve.
Source:
supercars.net
Credits:
No comments:
Post a Comment