2018 TVR T37

Once a successful company known for building some of Britain’s most exciting sports cars, TVR has had it rough over the last two decades, struggling to come up with new designs after the release of the Tuscan in 1999. Purchased by 24-year-old Nikolay Smolensky in 2004, TVR collapsed in a little more than two years, closing its factories and going into administration by December 2006. After six more years of speculation that the brand might return to the market, Smolensky sold his ownership of TVR to TVR Automotive Ltd, a British company led by Les Edgar, in 2013. Soon after that, Edgar announced that TVR will be revived as a pure British sports car brand with new vehicles to arrive by the end of the decade.

After two more years of silence, TVR slowly began to unveil details about its new product. Come 2016, and we already know that the next-generation TVR is being developed under codename T37, will use a V-8 powerplant, and will be offered with an optional carbon-fiber chassis. TVR also revealed that it the first-year allocation for its future sports car has been already sold out, which is an astonishing performance for an automaker that hasn’t built any cars in decades.

How is this possible when this brand doesn’t have an actual product to show its future customers? Well, while TVR might not be as popular as Ferrari or Lamborghini globally, it enjoys a cult following in Britain. Moreover, TVR enthusiasts seem to trust Edgar, the man who has finally given them something to be excited about.

Although much of the car’s design is still a mystery, a clay prototype displayed at the 2016 London Motor Show and a teaser photo released by company confirm that the new sports car will feature the traditional TVR styling of the 1990s with design cues borrowed from the Sagaris. The covered silhouette is displayed alongside a 1960s TVR Griffith 400, which means that the Brits are considering a revival of the Griffith nameplate.

Either way, we are thrilled to see that TVR is closer than ever to making a comeback, which is why we decided to take a closer look at its upcoming sports car.Exterior

 TVR's New V-8 Sports Car Will Get Optional Carbon-Fiber Chassis
Although it has released only a digital rendering of the sports car, TVR confirmed that it has settled for a design direction and narrowed the styling down to a number of concepts that differ only in relatively small detail. This doesn’t help much as far as visuals go, but considering Edgar’s claims that the brand will remain true to its roots as well as the covered clay body displayed in London, we expect the new vehicle showcase a classic TVR shape, including a long hood, fastback tail, and short overhangs. The new TVR might even draw inspiration from the Sagaris, which featured an aggressively sloped roof line, angry looking pair of headlamps, and an overall organic shape with curved body panels and muscular fenders.

Interior

With absolutely no word as to what the interior will look like, we have no clue about that TVR is planning to do with the T37’s cabin. However, if previous products are any indication, the cockpit should be inspired by racing and feature a low-slung dashboard, a tall and wide center console, bolstered seats for optimum support at the race track, and a flat-bottom steering wheel. Since the T37 will also be aimed toward the premium segment, nearly every surface should be covered in fine leather and Alcantara, complemented by high-sheen aluminum and carbon-fiber trim. Customers should also be able to customize the cabin using a wide array of upholstery colors and contrast stitching.

Drivetrain

We already know that the T37 will get a V-8 powerplant developed by Cosworth.

This is where TVR has already unveiled quite a lot of details. For starters, we already know that the T37 will get a V-8 powerplant developed by Cosworth Cosworth . Having built several race-spec engines over the last 50 years, including the iconic DFV, the London-based company will most likely provide quite a capable unit. TVR has already fired up an early version of its V-8 engine at Cosworth’s Northampton facility in 2015 and tested it on a dyno that simulated a lap of Le Mans. The engine returned "very respectable" results, according to Edgar. No specs are available yet, but it’s safe to assume it will develop in excess of 400 horsepower.

Chassis

 TVR T37
The T37 will ride on a carbon-fiber tub created by Gordon Murray, none other than the brain behind the iconic McLaren F1. Murray will build the carbon chassis based on the one it showcased in the iStream Carbon at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show. Not only lighter than most other chassis, the iStream is also easy to build and significantly more affordable compared to similar tubs. Murray claims it will also provide new levels of rigidity and durability, as well as enhanced safety.

Given that Murray developed and built the world’s first all-carbon road car (the McLaren F1), we are tempted to believe all those claims and expect a ground-breaking product. The carbon-fiber chassis will be standard for the limited-run Launch Edition model and optional for the regular series T37.

TVR has already released an image of the carbon-fiber tub, but as of May 2016 we know nothing of the aluminum chassis that will be standard in the British sports car.

Prices

There’s no pricing information at this point, particularly because the T37 won’t be unveiled sooner than 2017, which means it will go on sale for the 2018 model year. However, based on the technology behind it, the powerful V-8, and the luxurious interior, the sports car is likely to fetch more than $200,000 with a carbon-fiber chassis.

Competition

ASTON MARTIN DB11

 Aston Martin DB11
When it comes to British sports cars with grand tourer bodies and powerful engines hidden under long hoods, you can’t go wrong with the Aston Martin DB9. However, with the iconic coupe set to go out of production soon, the T37 will compete against the new DB11 when it comes to the market. The DB11 is also under development, with its design and most drivetrain information still being kept in the vault. Unlike the DB9, the DB11 will get an all-new platform, an AMG-sourced turbocharged V-8, and a brand-new V-12. It probably won’t be as light as the T37, but it will definitely be more powerful in range-topping trim. Pricing should be about the same with the DB11 likely to retail for more than $200,000.

Find out more about the upcoming Aston Martin DB11 here.

Conclusion

 Comeback Rumors Flare, as TVR Reminds its Fans to "Never Say Never"
While we still don’t know much about the upcoming T37, the fact that it is being developed in cooperation with Gordon Murray is enough to get us excited. Say what you want, but Murray is a genius when it comes to designing high-performance cars and the McLaren F1 is solid proof of that. Add in the fact that he just designed an innovative carbon-fiber tube and TVR might just launch a state-of-the-art sports car. TVR is definitely back and it looks like its return will mark the arrival of a tremendous vehicle. All we can say is: bring it on!