1999 TVR Chimera 4L V8 Convertible

Description

TVR's Chimaera was a significant car in the history of Peter Wheeler's Blackpool Company, finally shedding the kit car image once and for all and elevating TVR to proper supercar status. Named after a mythical beast with a lion's head, goat's body and dragon's tail, the Chimaera was a stylish new roadster based on the existing Griffith chassis but with more interior space and a decent boot and was first unveiled to the public at the 1992 Birmingham NEC show. Initially powered by 3948cc or 4280cc V8 engines mated to Borg-Warner's T5 gearbox, there was a definite hint of the Cobra about both the curvaceous styling and the shattering acceleration. TVR took the venerable Rover V8 and reworked the heads, added its own cams and pistons to give massive grunt in a car weighing just 1060 kgs. In 4-litre guise the engine developed 235 bhp at 5,500 rpm and 260 lb/ft of torque at 4,500 rpm, all delivered with a sound redolant of a Trans-Am racer. Underneath the Chimaera's steel backbone chassis had double wishbone suspension all round, offering race-bred handling that reflected TVR's experience with the Tuscan race cars. Massive disc brakes (ventilated up front) did an excellent job of stopping the TVR and it even had a nice ride despite 15-inch (front) and 16-inch (rear) alloy rims. The Chimaera was praised by contemporary road testers for its solid build quality and well-appointed cabin, with some typically quirky TVR touches - most notably the rotating aluminium knob on the centre console to operate the doors. The cockpit was beautifully trimmed in full leather and the hood was a clever device that could act as a targa top, protecting the occupants from buffeting whilst affording proper fresh air motoring. The TVR Chimaera remains a fantastic proposition for the enthusiast looking for a rare and stylish exotic, offering massive performance for the money. The organic shape has aged nicely, the sculpted bodywork looking as fresh today as it did over 20 years ago.