Once a Hero: TVR Tuscan Speed Six

‘Once a Hero’ features second-hand cars that were, as the name suggests, a proven machine. Until the inevitable day came and the owners had to get rid of them. After all, maintaining old cars isn’t always as easy as people say. Sometimes it’s for the better, as selling your car off  can help to breath a new lease of life into it.

And for the first premiere, we have a big’un. I mean, just feast your eyes on it. It’s an absolutely gorgeous TVR Tuscan Speed Six, first generation.

Properly British

You might know this car from the film Swordfish, although it’s a rather uninspiring film and received a lot of bad press, there’s no doubt that the wild, deep growl of the TVR engraved deep impressions of the car onto the viewer’s mind.

It’s a very quirky car that’s targeted at a very specific audience, It’s a departure from the usual shape we know and love from the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari. I mean, not many people actually admire the look of one of these, but under the right shade and colour, little can beat it.

Although looks are a subjective opinion, the car just takes your breathe away in the colour dubbed ‘Imperial Blue’.

Fully British and properly bonkers, it’s not exactly a gentleman’s car. But you can expect a decent amount from it, surprisingly; TVR had been a long running company, and they knew quite a bit about making fast coupes,  until the unavoidable day came at 2012 that is.

The company had to shut down as it went bankrupt, and that’s the end of a tale. But to this day, if you go to the original headquarters of TVR, you can see remains of their masterpieces. From the shell of a Chimaera, to engine pieces sitting there, waiting to be assembled and given new life.

peed is its name

Now, TVR hasn’t put ‘Speed’ in the car’s name for no reason; all models are fitted with a brilliant naturally aspirated six cylinder engine with varying power levels for different options, this one we’re featuring in particular is a Tuscan Speed Six 4.0-litre model with a 5 speed manual transmission by Borg Warner.

Having a front engine and rear wheel drive layout means that the car is pretty tail happy, given that it’s actually not a fantastically refined car, it will definitely slide around corners if you poke it too hard.

One remarkable fact that TVR did achieve though is weight. It weighs in at 1,100kg kerb weight all thanks to its fiberglass body with a tubular steel chassis. All of that combines together to contribute to a 0-60 mph time of roughly 4 seconds, a time considered by most to be quick even by today’s standards.

As a bonus, the six cylinder produces a strong grunt that sounds pretty distinguished and unique, especially with a good performance exhaust system, it’s reminiscent of Porsche’s own flat-six.

Great Shape

This being a rare, aging and difficult to maintain car, multiple owners is to be expected. However, it has very low mileage, 13,000 miles, which is lower than a lot of cars of this age, but again, that is to be expected as this is a car which you want to keep in a great shape, but you do need pretty deep pockets to do so.

From the photos, the interior upholstery is impeccable, finished in a gorgeous cream leather with aluminium contrasts, it reminds me of a Pagani Huayra, believe it or not.

The description is brief, however, not enough at all, to say the very least, for a car of this type. Apparently it has upgraded brakes, sports exhausts and a detailed history. If you’re interested in one of these, going down and giving it a close inspection is a good idea, as the description suggests.

Reliability with these kind of cars aren’t always the greatest. If you want a faster, more high spec model, then the post-2003 S model might be your best bet.

For the price of a Subaru BR-Z, or a Toyota GT86, this is a great option. It Will take up more money than those two sports coupes, in maintenance or overall touch up. But it’s much more interesting than those two cars, and a true head turner nowadays.

Source: PistonHeads

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