These things don’t often end well.
We once pitched a new 266bhp Peugeot RCZ R against a used 503bhp Jaguar XKR – both worth about £30,000 at the time – and the Peugeot came away with a very bloody nose. It was a good car, but simply not good enough against Jaguar's bristling super-coupé. Goliath flattened David and his little sling.
This time, our plucky underdog is the Subaru BRZ – the modestly powered but endlessly exploitable compact coupé. Its opponent streaks in from left field in a cloud of combustive noise: it’s one of Peter-Wheeler-era TVR’s finest, the Tamora-derived T350t (the wee ‘t’ denoting a targa-style top, as opposed to the T350c coupé). Fewer than 500 T350s were built, but there are a few in the classifieds, mostly priced at around the same £26,495 being asked for a new BRZ.
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The privately owned T350 we’ve generously been lent is worth a little more – about £32,500 – because it carries both Red Rose and Lightweight specification. Red Rose means its six hot Lancashire pots have been stroked, raising engine capacity from 3.6 to 4.0 litres and power from 350bhp to 380bhp, plus heftier brakes, a big-bore exhaust and a viscous limited-slip rear differential. The Lightweight spec means vinylester bodywork rather than the standard GRP, saving about 30kg. That leaves the 197bhp, 1242kg Subaru 142kg heavier yet half as powerful. In starker terms, it’s 159bhp per tonne versus 345bhp per tonne.
The BRZ is 266mm longer, too – mainly because it has two small rear seats – but both cars still look little and lithe, the Subaru’s à -la-mode lumps, bumps and angles contrasting with the TVR’s smooth yet aggressive, Kamm-tailed form.
Their interiors give the biggest clue to their original RRPs: the TVR cost twice as much new. What isn’t high-quality leather is Alcantara – there’s even hide on the standard-fit roll cage – and surprise and delight are both delivered by the mostly unlabelled aluminium switchgear. Push this, turn that, watch the multi-coloured LEDs light up. It’s a joy. The seats have been reupholstered, but the sterling condition of the entire cabin belies the odometer’s 58,000 miles.
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bullocks
The TVR has far more charisma?
You gotta be kidding. Not in my book Mr. Richard Webber.
I think your British ego is running amuck.
A mate of mine has a TVR T350 rotting away on his driveway.
He has had the car from new. I should probably tell him it's still worth quite a bit...
(Can plastic cars "rot"?)
Having lived with a new
Having lived with a new Cerbera around 15 years ago,i know what a wonderful thing a TVR can be, and they dont need ear plugs unless some idiot has fitted a daft exhaust. It was great to drive and live with, but expect to spend as much looking after a TVR as the Subaru will lose in value. The truth today is that the TVR is a fantastic weekend toy, the Subaru, a very enjoyable daily driver. Dont buy a TVR if you dont have many thousands sitting in the bank to fix it, but if you do, you will love it if you have any petrol in your blood.