TVR Tuscan Challenge
Encyclopedia
The TVR Tuscan Challenge is a one-make series dedicated to the second incarnation of the TVR Tuscan
sports car
(developed specifically for the series), and takes place throughout the United Kingdom
. Inaugurated in 1989, its high power-to-weight ratio
, capability of reaching 190 mi/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.
This version of the Tuscan is not to be confused with either the earlier V8/6 model
or the later roadgoing Speed 6
version.
, TVR began development of an ES, an S series sports car with a Holden V6 3.8 litre engine
. It wasn't until the 1988 British Motorshow
, in Birmingham NEC; the car was unveiled as a prototype with plans for it to be developed for road use,Glynnsport :: The TVR Challenge Series but in order to attract public interests and stimulate sales, TVR resurrected the Tuscan name and at the same time instigated the one-make TVR Tuscan Challenge series.
In order to attract a large field, TVR offered the first batch at a discount of £
16,000 plus VAT
for entrants with a condition that they commit themselves to compete at least six of the twelve races in the championship. Should that fail, the purchaser would agree to pay the extra £16,000 at the end of the season.
With the instant success of the series in its first year in 1989, plans for a road car fell by the wayside as TVR was busy with the 'S' and the older wedge models as well as design and development work for the forthcoming Griffith
and Chimaera
models.
It never went beyond the motor show prototype stage, and the Tuscans continued to be produced in small volumes as racing cars.
The S based chassis had to be developed to cope with the extreme power outputs of the tuned Rover V8 engine
; by the end of its development, it ended up being a completely new chassis with a wider track, increased wheelbase and much strengthening.
Its original output was 350 bhp (261 kW) sourced from the TVR 350i
that was transmitted through a Borg Warner T5 gearbox to its nine inch (229 mm) wide wheels. In the early 1990s, as the aging Rover V8 was getting beyond its development limits and Rover
's takeover by BMW
, plus his rumoured refusal of having German
engines in his cars, Wheeler commissioned engine designer Al Melling
to develop the new AJP8 engine, producing more power than its Rover counterpart. With the new V8 engine, the car was capable of 0-60 mph in over 3 seconds and 0-100 mph in just 6.9 seconds. The cars boasted of 536 bhp per tonne (400 W/kg) with a capability reaching in excess of 190 mi/h, the cars became popular with race goers. All engines are factory supplied sealed units to ensure a level playing field.
Dealers were usually encouraged to enter the series and the then company owner Peter Wheeler
competed in the series, from which he used his expertise to develop the Speed 12
, its managing director at the time, Ben Samuelson
also competed in the series. Many drivers who are now competing in the Le Mans Series
, FIA GT Championship
and 24 Hours of Le Mans
, such as Jamie Campbell-Walter
, Bobby Verdon-Roe
, Martin Short and Michael Caine, developed their skills in the series. Nigel Mansell
was to compete for a one off race at Donington Park in 1993 but was unable to after he was hospitalised following a BTCC
incident. Other drivers who have guest driven in the series throughout its history includes Colin McRae
, Andy Wallace, Tim Harvey
, Anthony Reid
, Tiff Needell
and John Cleland
.
Carlube sponsored the series between 2002 to 2004. The series was now renamed Dunlop TVR Challenge. At the end of 2003, a version of the T350
known as the Sagaris
was introduced with an intention to run alongside the racing Tuscan and to eventually replace them. But when owner Peter Wheeler sold the company to Nikolay Smolensky, who abruptly ended factory support before the 2005 season had begun. TVR's Motorsport Director acquired the rights and kept the series going but on a much smaller basis; by then, TVR had sold off all its racers. With waning entries as many of these cars had either been converted to road use or ended up in track day
s, the series would continue under a new format as it merged with the Toolsnstuff.co.uk/SIP TVRCC Challenge Cup, a smaller series that consists of a wide range of TVR models, meaning that the gird now featured a more diverse range of TVR models in one race and the series split into three categories (see Categories).
In 2006, the series acquired a new sponsor, Dunlop Tyres
, which meant it provides the tyres, giving a leeway for drivers to decide if they want to compete on slicks, road or track tyres and not just restricted to TVR's; the series has an Invitation Class for any make of sports car providing that it complies with the MSA regulations for the original championship it was built to race in.
Many of these models have found their way competing outside the series, and some of them have been converted in to a Sagaris clone as they share similar parts and are the same dimensions. Driver Michel Mora used a Tuscan Challenge in the FFSA GT Championship
from 1999 to 2001, before being joined by a second car from Massimo Cairati. Cairati also ran his car in select rounds of the Italian GT Championship that year, finishing ninth in the overall drivers championship and second in his class.
Due to the Tuscan Challenge's participation in national grand tourer series in the 1990s, the cars were made eligible for the GT90s Revival Series, a historic racing series. Two Tuscan Challenges raced at the series' first round at Silverstone
.
Conversions includes installation of a speedometer (as racing cars do not have them), changes to the lighting system, having the chassis powder-coated, relocating the fuel tank from the original driver's side to the rear of the car to allow for a passenger seat and conversions to protect the fuel cell in an event of an accident. Also installation of traction control
is considered to be an option. However obtaining the car plus the prohibitive cost of conversion at £10,000 and the complication of the task makes finding such a model on a public road a rare find.
Many of the converted Tuscans which house the AJP8 engines have engines that are commonly sourced from accident damaged Cerberas
as race engines are leased by the factories, though its Rover V8s of the earlier cars can be easily sourced.
TVR Tuscan
-Engine:Five different inline six engine options were offered to customers. Four of these were variants of the 4.0 L Speed Six making different amounts of power and torque, depending on the trim level selected...
sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
(developed specifically for the series), and takes place throughout the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Inaugurated in 1989, its high power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement of actual performance of any engine or power sources...
, capability of reaching 190 mi/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
One-design
One-Design is a racing method where all vehicles or boats have identical or very similar designs or models. It is also known as Spec series. It is heavily used in sailboat racing. All competitors in a race are then judged based on a single start time...
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
Car club
A car club or automotive enthusiast community is a group of people who share a common interest in motor vehicles. Car clubs are typically organized by enthusiasts around type of vehicle , brand , or similar interest...
's series, which has been reformatted to allow for all TVR models.
This version of the Tuscan is not to be confused with either the earlier V8/6 model
TVR Tuscan (1967)
The TVR Tuscan was a front engine, rear wheel drive sports car built by TVR from 1967 to 1971 in the company's Blackpool, England factory. It was the second car developed by TVR during the Martin Lilley era of the automotive firm....
or the later roadgoing Speed 6
TVR Tuscan
-Engine:Five different inline six engine options were offered to customers. Four of these were variants of the 4.0 L Speed Six making different amounts of power and torque, depending on the trim level selected...
version.
History
With the success of the S SeriesTVR S Series
The TVR S Series was announced at the 1986 NEC motor show. Due to a massive positive response the car went into production in less than 12 months, with 250 pre-manufacture orders...
, TVR began development of an ES, an S series sports car with a Holden V6 3.8 litre engine
Buick V6 engine
The Buick V6, initially marketed as Fireball at its introduction in 1962, was a large V6 engine used by General Motors. The block is made of cast iron and all use two-valve-per-cylinder iron heads, actuated by pushrods....
. It wasn't until the 1988 British Motorshow
British International Motor Show
The British International Motor Show is an automobile show held biennially in the United Kingdom. It is recognised as an international show by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles. The 2008 was the last event with no news of a return of the British International Motor Show...
, in Birmingham NEC; the car was unveiled as a prototype with plans for it to be developed for road use,Glynnsport :: The TVR Challenge Series but in order to attract public interests and stimulate sales, TVR resurrected the Tuscan name and at the same time instigated the one-make TVR Tuscan Challenge series.
In order to attract a large field, TVR offered the first batch at a discount of £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
16,000 plus VAT
Value added tax
A value added tax or value-added tax is a form of consumption tax. From the perspective of the buyer, it is a tax on the purchase price. From that of the seller, it is a tax only on the "value added" to a product, material or service, from an accounting point of view, by this stage of its...
for entrants with a condition that they commit themselves to compete at least six of the twelve races in the championship. Should that fail, the purchaser would agree to pay the extra £16,000 at the end of the season.
With the instant success of the series in its first year in 1989, plans for a road car fell by the wayside as TVR was busy with the 'S' and the older wedge models as well as design and development work for the forthcoming Griffith
TVR Griffith
The TVR Griffith, later models being referred to as the Griffith 500, was a sports car designed and built by TVR starting in 1991 and ending in 2002....
and Chimaera
TVR Chimaera
The TVR Chimaera is a two-seater convertible sports car manufactured by TVR between 1992 and 2003. The name was derived from Chimera, the monstrous creature of Greek mythology, which was made of the parts of multiple animals...
models.
It never went beyond the motor show prototype stage, and the Tuscans continued to be produced in small volumes as racing cars.
The S based chassis had to be developed to cope with the extreme power outputs of the tuned Rover V8 engine
Rover V8 engine
The Rover V8 engine is a compact V8 internal combustion engine with aluminium cylinder heads and cylinder block, originally designed by General Motors and later re-designed and produced by Rover in the United Kingdom...
; by the end of its development, it ended up being a completely new chassis with a wider track, increased wheelbase and much strengthening.
Its original output was 350 bhp (261 kW) sourced from the TVR 350i
TVR Wedges
TVR Wedges is a commonly used name for a series of wedge-shaped sports cars built by British specialist sports car manufacturer TVR between 1980 and 1991. There were 2-seat convertibles and 2-seater or 2+2 liftback coupés, with four-, six- and eight-cylinder engines from a variety of manufacturers...
that was transmitted through a Borg Warner T5 gearbox to its nine inch (229 mm) wide wheels. In the early 1990s, as the aging Rover V8 was getting beyond its development limits and Rover
Rover Group
The Rover Group plc was the name given in 1986 to the British state-owned vehicle manufacturer previously known as British Leyland or BL. Owned by British Aerospace from 1988 to 1994, when it was sold to BMW, the Group was broken up in 2000 with the Rover and MG marques being acquired by the MG...
's takeover by BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, plus his rumoured refusal of having German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
engines in his cars, Wheeler commissioned engine designer Al Melling
Al Melling
Al Melling is an automobile engineer.- Fashion Design :At the beginning of the eighties he became involved in the fashion industry. He owned a company in London throughout the eighties which designed ladies’ fashion garments. As owner he became interested in the whole lifecycle of garment...
to develop the new AJP8 engine, producing more power than its Rover counterpart. With the new V8 engine, the car was capable of 0-60 mph in over 3 seconds and 0-100 mph in just 6.9 seconds. The cars boasted of 536 bhp per tonne (400 W/kg) with a capability reaching in excess of 190 mi/h, the cars became popular with race goers. All engines are factory supplied sealed units to ensure a level playing field.
Dealers were usually encouraged to enter the series and the then company owner Peter Wheeler
Peter Wheeler (TVR)
Peter Robert Wheeler was a chemical engineer from Sheffield, Yorkshire, UK, who owned the Blackpool-based TVR sports car company for 23 years....
competed in the series, from which he used his expertise to develop the Speed 12
TVR Cerbera Speed 12
The TVR Cerbera Speed 12, originally known as the Project 7/12, was a high performance concept car designed by TVR in 1997. Based in part on then-current TVR hardware, the vehicle was intended to be both the world's highest performance road car and the basis for a GT1 class endurance racer...
, its managing director at the time, Ben Samuelson
Ben Samuelson
Ben Samuelson was in charge of the PR and marketing for British sports car manufacturer TVR from 1993 until 2005, and is the brother of the British television actress Emma Samms.-TVR:...
also competed in the series. Many drivers who are now competing in the Le Mans Series
Le Mans Series
The Le Mans Series is a European sports car racing endurance series based around the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and run by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest . The series was originally named the Le Mans Endurance Series, but changed its name prior to the 2006 season...
, FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
and 24 Hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
, such as Jamie Campbell-Walter
Jamie Campbell-Walter
Jamie Campbell-Walter is a British professional racing driver. He was born in Oban, Scotland in 16 December 1972. He won the FIA GT Championship in 2000.-Family:...
, Bobby Verdon-Roe
Bobby Verdon-Roe
Bobby Verdon-Roe is a British racing driver who has raced in various formats of motor sport throughout his career.-Racing Career:...
, Martin Short and Michael Caine, developed their skills in the series. Nigel Mansell
Nigel Mansell
Nigel Ernest James Mansell OBE is a British racing driver who won both the Formula One World Championship and the CART Indy Car World Series...
was to compete for a one off race at Donington Park in 1993 but was unable to after he was hospitalised following a BTCC
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
incident. Other drivers who have guest driven in the series throughout its history includes Colin McRae
Colin McRae
Colin Steele McRae, MBE was a Scottish rally driver born in Lanark.The son of five-time British Rally Champion Jimmy McRae and brother of rally driver Alister McRae, Colin McRae was the 1991 and 1992 British Rally Champion and, in 1995, became the first British person and the youngest to win the...
, Andy Wallace, Tim Harvey
Tim Harvey
Tim Harvey is a racing driver from England. He was the 2008 and 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain Champion. A household name in the 1990s, Harvey won the prestigious BTCC title in 1992, and was a frontrunner for most of the late 80s and early 90s...
, Anthony Reid
Anthony Reid
Anthony Reid is a British auto racing driver, born on 17 May 1957 in Glasgow, Scotland. Although Scottish he now lives in England.-Formula cars:...
, Tiff Needell
Tiff Needell
Timothy "Tiff" Needell isa British racing driver and television presenter. He is best known as a former co-presenter of Top Gear and current co-presenter of Fifth Gear.-Biography:...
and John Cleland
John Cleland (racing driver)
John Cleland . is a retired Scottish auto racing driver. He raced autocross and hillclimb in the 1970s, before achieving success in British Production Car and Thundersaloon championships, before joining Vauxhall for the 1989 British Touring Car Championship...
.
Carlube sponsored the series between 2002 to 2004. The series was now renamed Dunlop TVR Challenge. At the end of 2003, a version of the T350
TVR T350
The TVR T350 is a sports car manufactured by TVR from 2002 to 2006. It is based on the TVR Tamora, and is powered by TVR's Speed Six engine in 3.6 litre form, producing . The T350 was available in coupe and targa versions, the coupe version being known as the T350C, and the targa version the T350T...
known as the Sagaris
TVR Sagaris
The TVR Sagaris is a sports car designed and built by the British manufacturer TVR in their factory in Lancashire.The Sagaris made its debut at the MPH03 Auto Show in 2003. The pre-production model was then shown at the 2004 Birmingham Motorshow. In 2005 the production model was released for public...
was introduced with an intention to run alongside the racing Tuscan and to eventually replace them. But when owner Peter Wheeler sold the company to Nikolay Smolensky, who abruptly ended factory support before the 2005 season had begun. TVR's Motorsport Director acquired the rights and kept the series going but on a much smaller basis; by then, TVR had sold off all its racers. With waning entries as many of these cars had either been converted to road use or ended up in track day
Track day
A track day is an organised event in which members of the public are allowed to drive or ride around established motor racing circuits, or alternatively on closed or disused airfields...
s, the series would continue under a new format as it merged with the Toolsnstuff.co.uk/SIP TVRCC Challenge Cup, a smaller series that consists of a wide range of TVR models, meaning that the gird now featured a more diverse range of TVR models in one race and the series split into three categories (see Categories).
In 2006, the series acquired a new sponsor, Dunlop Tyres
Dunlop Tyres
Dunlop Tyres is a British company owned 75% by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company and 25% by Sumitomo Rubber Industries, which bought the right to sell Dunlop-branded road tyres....
, which meant it provides the tyres, giving a leeway for drivers to decide if they want to compete on slicks, road or track tyres and not just restricted to TVR's; the series has an Invitation Class for any make of sports car providing that it complies with the MSA regulations for the original championship it was built to race in.
Many of these models have found their way competing outside the series, and some of them have been converted in to a Sagaris clone as they share similar parts and are the same dimensions. Driver Michel Mora used a Tuscan Challenge in the FFSA GT Championship
FFSA GT Championship
The GT Tour is a French Grand Touring-style sports car racing series that began in 1997. It is controlled by the Fédération Française du Sport Automobile and organized by racing company Oreca...
from 1999 to 2001, before being joined by a second car from Massimo Cairati. Cairati also ran his car in select rounds of the Italian GT Championship that year, finishing ninth in the overall drivers championship and second in his class.
Due to the Tuscan Challenge's participation in national grand tourer series in the 1990s, the cars were made eligible for the GT90s Revival Series, a historic racing series. Two Tuscan Challenges raced at the series' first round at Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
.
Categories
In the series, the depending on the engine capacity and power output, the series are split into three categories.- Class A - Turbo cars up to 3.0 litres and more than 350 bhp (261 kW), normally aspirated cars with 5.0 litres or more than 350 bhp (261 kW). Consists of the AJPV8 powered Tuscans and the racing Sagaris's.
- Class B - Turbo cars up to 3.0 litres with less than 350 bhp (261 kW), normally aspirated cars between 3.0-5.0 litres and less than 350 bhp (261 kW).
- Class C - Normally aspirated cars up to 3.0 litres. Only the modified 4 or 6 cylinder and standard Rover V8 engineRover V8 engineThe Rover V8 engine is a compact V8 internal combustion engine with aluminium cylinder heads and cylinder block, originally designed by General Motors and later re-designed and produced by Rover in the United Kingdom...
are eligible.
Road going versions
Despite never produced for road use as originally intended, owners have converted the Tuscan race cars for road use as they share the same space frame chassis and build principles of its road going sister models without the level of comfort and trim quality. The majority of these are converted racing cars and fewer have built them from scratch, just by sourcing the chassis and bodywork and adding the level of comfort to suit their needs.Conversions includes installation of a speedometer (as racing cars do not have them), changes to the lighting system, having the chassis powder-coated, relocating the fuel tank from the original driver's side to the rear of the car to allow for a passenger seat and conversions to protect the fuel cell in an event of an accident. Also installation of traction control
Traction control system
A traction control system , also known as anti-slip regulation , is typically a secondary function of the anti-lock braking system on production motor vehicles, designed to prevent loss of traction of driven road wheels...
is considered to be an option. However obtaining the car plus the prohibitive cost of conversion at £10,000 and the complication of the task makes finding such a model on a public road a rare find.
Many of the converted Tuscans which house the AJP8 engines have engines that are commonly sourced from accident damaged Cerberas
TVR Cerbera
The TVR Cerbera is a sports car manufactured by TVR between 1996 and 2003. The name is derived from Cerberus the three-headed beast of Greek legend that guarded the entrance of Hades....
as race engines are leased by the factories, though its Rover V8s of the earlier cars can be easily sourced.