TVR was always a car company notorious for doing things a little differently. The company has been around since 1947, and despite some turbulent times, has managed to produce some of the most iconic lightweight sports cars the UK has ever seen.
Some have been unruly beasts, while others have been highly focused performance machines. The Chimaera however is one model that hit the TVR sweet spot between quirkily designed widow maker and useable weekend toy. With a tried and trusted Rover V8, simple strong mechanicals and a stylish fibreglass body, the Chimaera is great fun to drive. Over the years, it has done its best to dispel a lot of the myths around the frailty of TVRs, and softer suspension settings than the more performance oriented Griffith …show more content…
The Chimaera is still an affordable enthusiast car, which offers the same thrills that made TVR such a legend in the first place.
Which one to buy?
The basic Chimaera shape stayed the same throughout the 11-year production run, however detail changes to the front grille, rear lights and wheels differentiate the various models. There were four engine sizes through the years, with power ranging from 240bhp for the first 4-litre cars, up to 340bhp for the 5-litre models.
When looking for this sort of car, its easy to fall into the trap of wanting the full-fat Chimaera 500, however the consensus is that the smaller-engined models are slightly better balanced. The sweet spot in the range is probably the 4.5, with weight at not much more than a ton, performance is still scintillating. Going for one of the later models, which was fitted with an upgraded gearbox and some of the smaller niggles ironed out, is a good starting point.
Options at the time were mostly limited to interior trim changes, with full leather interior, air conditioning and heated seats being a few of the luxury items that a potential owner could specify. Power steering was also offered as an option, in turn adding a much faster
Some have been unruly beasts, while others have been highly focused performance machines. The Chimaera however is one model that hit the TVR sweet spot between quirkily designed widow maker and useable weekend toy. With a tried and trusted Rover V8, simple strong mechanicals and a stylish fibreglass body, the Chimaera is great fun to drive. Over the years, it has done its best to dispel a lot of the myths around the frailty of TVRs, and softer suspension settings than the more performance oriented Griffith …show more content…
The Chimaera is still an affordable enthusiast car, which offers the same thrills that made TVR such a legend in the first place.
Which one to buy?
The basic Chimaera shape stayed the same throughout the 11-year production run, however detail changes to the front grille, rear lights and wheels differentiate the various models. There were four engine sizes through the years, with power ranging from 240bhp for the first 4-litre cars, up to 340bhp for the 5-litre models.
When looking for this sort of car, its easy to fall into the trap of wanting the full-fat Chimaera 500, however the consensus is that the smaller-engined models are slightly better balanced. The sweet spot in the range is probably the 4.5, with weight at not much more than a ton, performance is still scintillating. Going for one of the later models, which was fitted with an upgraded gearbox and some of the smaller niggles ironed out, is a good starting point.
Options at the time were mostly limited to interior trim changes, with full leather interior, air conditioning and heated seats being a few of the luxury items that a potential owner could specify. Power steering was also offered as an option, in turn adding a much faster