TVR Cerbera Speed 12

Last updated

TVR Cerbera Speed 12
2000 TVR Cerbera Speed 12 Red.jpg
Overview
Manufacturer TVR
Also calledTVR Project 7/12
Production19961998 (3 produced)
Assembly Blackpool, England
Designer Chris Stallard, Darren Hobbs [1]
Body and chassis
Class Sports car (S)
Body style 2-door coupe
Layout Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Related TVR Cerbera
Powertrain
Engine 7,730 cc (7.73 L) Speed 12 V12
Transmission 6-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,640 mm (103.9 in) [2]
Length4,360 mm (171.7 in) [2]
Width1,960 mm (77.2 in) [2]
Height1,130 mm (44.5 in) [2]
Kerb weight 1,100 kg (2,425 lb) [2]

The TVR Cerbera Speed 12, originally known as the Project 7/12, is a sports car designed by TVR in 1997. Based on the TVR Cerbera, the vehicle was intended to be both the world's fastest road car and the basis for a GT1 class endurance racer. However, problems during its development, changing GT1 class regulations and the eventual decision that it was simply incapable of being used as a road car forced TVR executives to abandon its development.

Contents

Rear view TVR Cerbera Speed 12 at the British International Motor Show 2006 (rear).jpg
Rear view

The engine, displacing 7.7 L (469.9 cu in) and having twelve cylinders, was reportedly capable of producing nearly 1,000 hp (746 kW), although an exact measurement was never made. Nonetheless, it was claimed to have a top speed greater than that of the McLaren F1. [3]

History

Project 7/12 concept

The vehicle, known as the TVR Project 7/12, first appeared at the 1996 Birmingham Motor Show and dominated the show once it was unveiled, attracting more crowds than any other cars in the show. The number "7" referred to the 7.7 litre (actually 7.73 L) engine, and "12" for the number of cylinders in the engine. TVR claimed that the engine would have a power output of more than 800 hp (597 kW) and be faster than the McLaren F1. The first concepts shown were based on FIA GT1 class race rules which meant that they would be restricted to 660 hp (492 kW) but the weight would be kept at roughly 1,000 kg (2,205 lb). The road car would weigh the same but without the restrictors, the power was greatly increased. Despite the claims, the actual output figure was not recorded. It had a specially built 6-speed manual transmission and clutch. The engine was essentially made from two TVR AJP6 straight-6 engines mated on a single crankshaft. Unusually for an automobile of its type, the Speed Twelve's engine block was not constructed of cast iron or aluminium alloy, but rather of steel and was designed by John Ravenscroft. [4]

Speed 12

GT1

By 1998, the car had been renamed the TVR Speed 12 and the racing version called the Speed 12 GTS was finalising development to compete in the GT1 class races. TVR wanted to race at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, but that never happened. However, the Speed 12 GTS did manage to compete in a few races in the 1998 British GT Championship in the GT1 class, though sudden rule changes caused by advanced high-cost purpose built racers such as the Porsche 911 GT1, Nissan R390 and the Toyota GT-One and the subsequent demise of the class in other championships suddenly rendered the Speed 12 obsolete. [4] In order that their work not go to waste, TVR immediately set about developing the road-going Speed 12, although the project would not be completed for another year.

GT2

Completed in 2000, the car was now rechristened TVR Cerbera Speed 12; it never had a true measurement of engine power output officially taken, although the original engine (which produced 800 hp according to TVR) later confirmed to be around 840 hp was employed yet again. The weight was kept down to 1,000 kilograms and TVR reminded people that they were making a car that they thought would beat the McLaren F1 with the words "over 240 miles per hour" mentioned on several occasions. The new car would also be built in parallel with a new race car, although TVR were forced to opt for GT2 class as the GT1 class had been dropped some years previous. The new race car managed to run for a few seasons in the British GT Championship and had some success, winning several races. It did however have problems with reliability, often leading to the car retiring from races. Meanwhile, the road car was almost ready and TVR had taken a good number of orders and deposits for it. With a price of £245,000 it would be the most expensive TVR in history. [4]

The racing version of the engine produced approximately 675 hp (503 kW) with its power limited by the intake restrictors required by racing regulations. For the road-version of the engine, the restrictors were not needed so the engine was developed without them.

In an interview then-owner Peter Wheeler, said that TVR had tried to record the car's power on an engine dyno. The dyno was rated at 1,000 hp (746 kW) but the test resulted in its input shaft being broken. To get an approximate figure, TVR engineers tested each bank individually; the result was 480 hp (358 kW) per bank, suggesting a total rating of 960 hp (716 kW). Wheeler, no newcomer to high performance cars and an experienced racer in the TVR Tuscan Challenge, drove one of the finished prototypes home and concluded that the car was unusable on the road, in his opinion simply too powerful. [4] [5]

The deposits were returned when the production plans were cancelled. The remaining prototypes were carted around to various car shows. One by one they were dismantled and used as spares for the Speed 12 race cars still competing in the British GT championship. In August 2003 TVR placed an advert in Auto Trader for a TVR Cerbera Speed 12 registered W112 BHG. What TVR planned to do was to rebuild one of the prototypes and sell it on to an enthusiast. [6] Buying the car was not a simple process however, and involved being personally met and vetted by Peter Wheeler himself to make sure the buyer was a suitable candidate for purchasing the car. [6] Eventually, the deal was completed and the Speed 12 was rebuilt and handed over to its new owner. Since the original bodywork had been destroyed, TVR had to use a remaining shell from one of the GT racers. On top of that TVR did some more work on the engine and the ECU. The car featured in the May 2005 edition of the Evo magazine in which it was described as "awesome" and "terrifyingly quick". [4] W112BHG is on display at the Lakeland Motor Museum, Backbarrow, Cumbria.

On 20 May 2023 the originally produced Speed 12 was sold in an auction for £601,500. [7]

Specifications

Source: [2]
Note: Performance statistics are manufacturer estimates.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nissan Skyline GT-R</span> Sports car

The Nissan Skyline GT-R is a Japanese sports car based on the Nissan Skyline range. The first cars named "Skyline GT-R" were produced between 1969 and 1972 under the model code KPGC10, and were successful in Japanese touring car racing events. This model was followed by a brief production run of second-generation cars, under model code KPGC110, in 1973.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lamborghini Diablo</span> Sports car

The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engine sports car built by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. It is the first production Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of 200 mph (320 km/h). After the end of its production run in 2001, the Diablo was replaced by the Lamborghini Murciélago. The name Diablo means "devil" in Spanish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McLaren F1</span> British sports car designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive

The McLaren F1 is a sports car designed and manufactured by British automobile manufacturer McLaren Cars and powered by the BMW S70/2 V12 engine, of which a limited number was produced. The original concept was conceived by Gordon Murray, who successfully convinced Ron Dennis to back the project and hired car designer Peter Stevens to design the exterior and interior of the car. On 31 March 1998, the XP5 prototype with a modified rev limiter set the Guinness World Record for the world's fastest production car, reaching 240.1 mph (386.4 km/h), surpassing the Jaguar XJ220's 217.1 mph (349.4 km/h) record from 1992 achieved with an increased rev limit and catalytic converters removed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotus Esprit</span> British sports car

The Lotus Esprit is a sports car built by Lotus Cars from 1976 to 2004 at their Hethel, England factory. It has a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Together with the Lotus Elise / Exige, it is one of Lotus' most long-lived models.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren</span> Grand tourer jointly developed by Mercedes-Benz and McLaren Automotive

The Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren is a grand tourer jointly developed by German automotive manufacturer Mercedes-Benz and British automobile manufacturer McLaren Automotive and sold from 2003 to 2010. When the car was developed, Mercedes-Benz owned 40 percent of the McLaren Group and the car was produced in conjunction between the two companies. The "SLR" name is an abbreviation for "Sport Leicht Rennsport", and was a homage to the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR which served as the car's inspiration. The car was offered in coupé, roadster and speedster bodystyles, with the latter being a limited edition model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari 360</span> Italian two-seater sports car

The Ferrari 360 is a two-seater, mid-engine, rear wheel drive sports car manufactured by Italian automotive manufacturer Ferrari from 1999 until 2004. It succeeded the Ferrari F355 and was replaced by the Ferrari F430 in 2004.

McLaren Automotive is a British luxury automotive manufacturer based at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England. The main products of the company are sports cars, which are produced in-house in designated production facilities. In July 2017, McLaren Automotive became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the wider McLaren Group, which is wholly owned by Mumtalakat Holding Company, the sovereign wealth fund of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The TVR Speed Twelve engine is the name of a V12 engine manufactured by TVR for use in the TVR Speed 12 race car, and later the TVR Cerbera Speed Twelve road car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 911 GT1</span> Grand Touring race car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Porsche

The Porsche 911 GT1 is a car designed and developed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche AG to compete in the GT1 class of sportscar racing, which also required a street-legal version for homologation purposes. The limited-production street-legal version developed as a result was named the 911 GT1 Straßenversion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrari F50 GT</span> Italian race car

The Ferrari F50 GT is a racing derivative of the Ferrari F50, intended to compete in the BPR Global GT Series against other series rivals, such as the McLaren F1 GTR. After the series folded, Ferrari was unhappy with homologation specials such as the Porsche 911 GT1 being allowed in the newly formed FIA GT Championship and decided to cancel the project due to lack of funding to compete. The car was co-developed with Dallara and Michelotto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TVR Cerbera</span> Sports car produced by TVR

The TVR Cerbera is a car manufactured by the British company TVR between 1996 and 2006. Its name is derived from Cerberus, the three-headed beast of Greek legend that guarded the entrance of Hades. It is a coupé with a hardtop roof and a 2+2 seating layout that has been described as a sports car and a grand touring car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR</span> German Grand Touring race car

The Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR is a GT1 sports car built and produced by Mercedes-Benz in conjunction with their then motorsport partner AMG. Intended for racing in the new FIA GT Championship series in 1997, the CLK GTR was designed primarily as a race car. As such, the production of road cars necessary in order to meet homologation standards of GT1 was a secondary consideration in the car's design, i.e. the CLK GTR was a homologation special.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche 911 GT2</span> Motor vehicle

The Porsche 911 GT2 is a high-performance, track-focused sports car built by the German automobile manufacturer Porsche from 1993 to 2009, and then since 2010 as the GT2 RS. It is based on the 911 Turbo, and uses a similar twin-turbocharged engine, but features numerous upgrades, including engine enhancements, larger brakes, and stiffer suspension calibration. The GT2 is significantly lighter than the Turbo due to its use of rear-wheel-drive instead of all-wheel-drive system and the reduction or removal of interior components. As a result, the GT2 is the most expensive and fastest model among the 911 lineup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nissan R390 GT1</span> Racing car model

The Nissan R390 GT1 was a racing car built in Atsugi, Japan. It was designed primarily to gain a suitable racing entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1997 and 1998. It was built to race under the grand touring style rules, requiring a homologated road version to be built. Therefore, the R390 was built originally as road car, then a racing version of the car was developed afterwards. Only one R390 road car was ever built and is stored at Nissan's Zama facility, although one of the race cars was later modified for road use. The road car was claimed to be capable of attaining a top speed of 354 km/h (220 mph). However, this claim has never been proven.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McLaren F1 GTR</span> Racing car

The McLaren F1 GTR is the racing variant of the McLaren F1 sports car first produced in 1995 for grand touring style racing, such as the BPR Global GT Series, FIA GT Championship, JGTC, and British GT Championship. It was powered by the naturally aspirated BMW S70/2 V12 engine. It is most famous for its overall victory at the 1995 24 Hours of Le Mans where it won against faster purpose-built prototypes in very wet conditions. The F1 GTR raced internationally until 2005 when the final race chassis was retired.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lotus Elise GT1</span> Motor vehicle

The Lotus Elise GT1 is a race car developed for grand tourer-style sports car racing starting in 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TVR Tuscan Challenge</span> Motor vehicle

The TVR Tuscan Challenge is a one-make series dedicated to the second incarnation of the TVR Tuscan sports car, and takes place throughout the United Kingdom. Inaugurated in 1989, its high power-to-weight ratio, capability of reaching 190 mph (310 km/h) and loud engine noise, combined with close racing in a field consisting of over 30 cars at its peak, made the series become, at the time, the premier one-make series in the UK with an extensive TV coverage; over the years, many drivers who competed in the series moved on in major championship series and many notable drivers have guest driven in a race. The company underwent management changes in 2005, and the TVR Tuscan Challenge was merged with its owner club's series, which has been reformatted to allow for all TVR models.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reiter Engineering</span>

Reiter Engineering GmbH & Co Kg, commonly known simply as Reiter Engineering, is a German racing team and racing car manufacturer established in 2000 by motorsport engineer Hans Reiter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McLaren P1</span> British sports car designed and manufactured by McLaren Automotive

The McLaren P1 is a flagship sports car produced by British marque McLaren Automotive. Styled by American car designer Frank Stephenson, it is the second installment in McLaren's Ultimate Series after the McLaren F1. Considered to be the spiritual successor to the F1, the P1 was one of the first high performance sports cars to be introduced incorporating hybrid technology; the Porsche 918 Spyder having begun taking orders prior to the P1 and the LaFerrari introduced alongside it. First shown as a concept on the 20th anniversary of the F1 at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the P1 made its debut at the 2013 Geneva International Motor Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TVR T400R</span> Motor vehicle

In the late 1990s, the successful Tuscan Challenge race series was in need of updating and Peter Wheeler began the project that would fulfill his ambition to see TVRs at Le Mans. Work began on a completely new racing car that would be built using modern composites, be more rigid than any previous TVR and be CAD designed to reach speeds in excess of 200 mph (322 km/h) and be stable. The car itself would be a steel tubular frame with full roll cage forming the backbone to a full carbon fibre monocoque.

References

  1. "TVR Cerbera Speed 12 has been reborn, and it's even more extreme than before TBR Speed 12 Turbo". drive-my.com. Retrieved 13 October 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Derek's Exotic Cars - 1998 TVR Speed 12". Fantasycars.com. Retrieved 8 October 2009.
  3. "TVR Cerbera Speed 12 (2000) Statistics". TVRTalk.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Vivian, David (19 February 2010). "Birth of an Icon: TVR Speed 12". Evo . Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  5. Hanson, Ralph (14 December 2006). "eBay watch: One of a kind 880hp TVR Cerbera Speed 12". Motor Authority. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
  6. 1 2 John Barker. (May 2005), Evo Magazine.
  7. "Iconic Auctioneers - 2000 TVR Cerbera Speed 12-Sold".
  8. "1998 TVR Cerbera Speed 12". Top Speed. 4 July 2006. Retrieved 8 October 2009.