TVR has pulled the covers off their long-awaited new
Griffith at the Goodwood Revival. It’s a classic two-seater front-engined
sports car, with a design echoing the past of the British company's past,
though cleverly avoiding being tagged as another retro-themed model. TVR is
looking ahead, while respecting the brand’s 70-year-long history.
First the numbers: a Ford-sourced 5.0-liter V8 tuned
by Cosworth produces around 500 hp in a car that weighs just 1,250 kg.
Weight distribution is a perfect 50-50, with TVR also achieving its main
target, which was to offer a 400 hp/tonne power-to-weight ratio.
Zero to 100 km/h comes in less than four
seconds while top speed is a quoted at over 321 km/h. A Tremec Magnum
XL six-speed manual gearbox is the only transmission option.
Measuring 4314 mm long, 1850 mm wide and 1239 mm tall,
the new TVR Griffith is not only smaller than a Porsche 911, it’s also more
compact than a Jaguar F-Type. The chassis utilizes Gordon Murray’s iStream process,
meaning inner carbon-fiber panels bonded onto a steel frame, which gives it
impressive rigidity. The bodywork is also made out of carbon-fiber, keeping
weight in check.
The new TVR Griffith also features a completely flat
floor which is claimed to give the car full ground effect aero. Up front
there’s a deep splitter, while at the back lies an integrated and rather large
diffuser.
The interior adopts a simple layout, with few
buttons and a portrait-style infotainment system, specifically designed for the
Griffith. A digital instrument cluster is also present, completing the picture
of a no-nonsense driver-centric environment.
The first 500 cars will be badged as Launch Editions
and will come finished in special configurations, with bespoke colors. Prices
for the TVR Griffith Launch Edition start at under £ 90,000. The first
production cars are expected to reach their owners in the first quarter of
2019.
