What's up with the Brits!?!?!

[jcaspar1]

What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

Review from March 2002 British magazine CAR:

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Interesting that they are using a 1996/7 picture for a 2002 review...

 

[MichaelP]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

The more extreme car, the Tuscan S, sports a larger engine. With 4.0 liters of straight-six goodness, it produces 390bhp at 7000 rpm, and a good 310lb-ft. of torque not far down the rev range. Not a muscle car figure, but enough to propel it to 60 in a hair under four seconds, while terminal velocity is an unholy 195mph, really quite sufficient to have your license removed in any civilized country except Germany; the remnants of European royalty have been known to lose theirs for less offensive violations. What's even more impressive is that it does 0-100mph in just 9.3 seconds. As a reference point, the $115,000 all-wheel-drive 420bhp Porsche 911 Turbo does it in 9.2, and the Tuscan S will outrun it both to 60 and on the Autobahn. Still it costs an equivalent of $73,000 (chameleon coat being the only noteworthy option), undercutting a base Viper RT/10 by a good margin, and the funniest part is that due to the highly creative British taxing system, their left hand drive versions are likely to cost considerably less in Europe and/or the States than on the home market.

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[MichaelP]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

The Tuscan isn't only a straightline fighter either, but rather was designed with racing in mind. Not drag racing, mind you; we mostly don't go for that sort of thing in the Old World. No, the Tuscan (in either trim) is at home on an abandoned airfield or at a track day in Silverstone. Here's an insightful little piece of trivia: having discovered that weekend racers were having trouble fitting themselves under the removable hardtop in a helmet, and not wanting to increase the car's weight with a seat height adjustment mechanism, they just put a plate under the bucket that can be pulled out to increase headroom. The car is even built like a track demon, with a composite body over a space frame suspension with a central backbone carrying the whole structure  a system which has been crash-tested in racing Tuscans more than the next Volvo station wagon. The occupants are protected by a full roll cage built into the targa top supports, and the interior is a highly refreshing novelty compared to the teutonic-bland look of the Murcielago or the gentlemen's club sitting room of the Vanquish (and eons ahead of anything produced in North America).

In fact, once the Tuscan S hits shores of either continent, it will almost certainly become the best all-around, vaguely affordable supercar in production. There is absolutely nothing else you can get for $75 grand that would match this car's blend of substance and style. The only two cars matching its performance for less are the Corvette Z06 and the Caterham R500 Superlight; but the first isn't as handsome nor does it have a half-decent interior by European standards, and the second never comes within a light-year of being practical.

 

[onerareviper]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

The more you read the British rags, the more you'll realize they are VERY biased pieced of sh*t. I wouldn't even wipe my as* with those rags, let alone read or believe them. And there cars are about as reliable as a Yugo. Ford knew this when they merged with Jag., that's why you see Ford engines in Jags. Hey Brits... Stick to making nice hand stitched interiors and quality shoes (Doc Martin's). Oh yeah. The new Lotus Elise coming to America will have a 1.8L Toyota motor. Wonder why? My prediction? There will not be one Worldwide car sold with a British motor 10 years from now...

P.S. - The Euro version of the Viper is very restricted, and only produces 380 (I think), compared to our 450. Euro VCA members have easily removed these restrictions, but the rag don't tell you that....

P.S.S. - 195 MPH in a Tuscan? No freak'in way.

P.S.S. - My 'close-to-stock' Viper GTS will hit 100 in under 9.2. Just use your logic. If some drivers are able to run a stock Viper in the 1/4 mile at 11.7 120 MPH, how long do you think it takes them to arrive at 100? Less than 9.2, I promise you that...

One last word for these British writers. Jealousy.... It's quite obvious. Learn how to build a reliable drive train, them come talk to us. Until then, go f*ck yourself.

 

[onerareviper]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>
The only two cars matching its performance for less are the Corvette Z06 and the Caterham R500 Superlight
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That's funny. It's an accepted fact that the Viper GTS performs better than the Z06. Most Z06 owners will even reluctantly acknowledge this fact, resorting to the price factor. So there goes the credibility of this British rag.

 

[Joel]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

I couldn't believe CAR could be such a bunch of blinkered nobs, so I don't buy it any more, far too many tests on Daihatsu Charades and Daewoo Matiz comparisons. Buy instead EVO for a really good insight into performance cars, general enthusiasm and some of the best cars in the world on test. They are also viper friendly which is as it should be !! And by the way TVR's still have a lousy reputation for reliability, that 6cyl motor might produce a lot of power, but not for long so it seems !! I've heard of a lot of problems.

 

[onerareviper]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

Thanks for the tip Joel. I'll give EVO a shot.

P.S. - Unfortunately, most mags/rags in the US **** as well. It's hard to find unbiased, reliable information. Seems like the better web forums (Viper, Corvette, Porsche) give real life info. Of course, there are always a few trolls and BS'ers, but they are usually easy to spot. Of course, the best way is to drive everything and go to racing events. You find many people 'in-the-know', that can provide a wealth of information.

 

[Paul S Lacey]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

Well chaps how rude some of you can be, after all we both seem to spend some time getting each other out of trouble. We are as Nations friends and people should not bad mouth us as a race just because some miss-informed car mag writer or by swearing about us etc.

The magazine in question is a rubbish mag, I bought it once and never again.

On the Lotus front you may be well laugh but on the track the Lotus handles like a dream car I could not fault one, had to use all the touque of the Viper on the straights.

US cars are very popular in the UK but remember we have to pay over five bucks a gallon for gas.

 

[Bonkers]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

I don't like the looks of the TVR (which is still considerably better than the SRT) but I have to admit I really kick some *** on GT3 with the one I got.

They're not available on this side of the pond are they?

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

Amazing. Brit writers are the same as U.S. writers, they both hate Vipers.

That's it! They've convinced me. I'm selling mine.

NOT.

 

[Paul S Lacey]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

Forgot to add, if you like pushing cars or waiting for the tow truck then by a TVR when you can.

My friend got 12,000 miles on one engine and the TVR engineer said that was the largest number of miles on one engine

 

[zoomie]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

I have never heard of CAR. It must be a well respected, highly read auto mag. NOT. Is there a web page, e-mail contact,
editor address, etc. ? How about a photo of the cover so someone can photoshop an 'AVOID' stamp on IT !?

 

[onerareviper]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

Hey Paul,

Your right. My reply was meant towards the writer's of this rag, not all British folks.

It just gets under my skin every time I make the mistake of reading one of these British publications. Some of them have an actual HATRED towards American cars. Why is this? It's one thing to give your opinion and state the facts, but many articles I've read were down right lies. The US mags have there faults, but they don't seem quit as biased.

My .02.

 

[viperdoctor]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

Now you know how the Brits feel when C&D does an article on the Lotus Esprit. Same biased crap.

 

[Nadine UK GTS]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

Insult to injury. Jeff, that's my actual Viper pictured! It has been the same picture / write up monthly since '97 in CAR (Cr&p Auto Reading)! I was very offended and upset when I first saw it.

Now I've guessed the writers game...he's trying to put people off buying the limited number of Vipers we have overseas (in the UK) in the hope that prices will drop and he will one day be able to afford to buy one of the worlds most wonderful cars, and people will be so busy fixing their TVRs that they won't have time to consider buying anything else!

Jeremy Clarkson, a most well known Brit journalist, and most outspoken, favors Vipers; and chose an RT/10 as his wedding car.

Left-hand-drive, size of the car on narrow and bumpy Brit roads, and petrol consumption are the only main things that put some people off ownership. Chrysler customer support isn't good either for owners.

The Brits truly love them though. If I could have any car in the world I wouldn't want it, I wouldn't want to drive anything else other than Viper.

 

[Russ Oasis]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

British cars are sooooo lame that I wouldn't even take their automotive opinions seriously. I have an XK-8 that's about as fast and handles as well as a Buick Le Sabre. Furthermore, if they could actually keep a car out of the shop for more than 1000 miles it would be a miracle. I drove the Aston Martin Vantage.....YAWN. Get real you limeys.....a Viper is faster / better looking / handles better / than any car you've ever produced...even the Vanquish. Ya know why the Brits drink warm beer? Their refrigerators are made by Lucas.

 

[Guibo]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

Despite the rampant horror stories about TVR reliability, the Tuscan remains one of my favorite cars of all time. Its looks are stunning, and the sounds on the Top Gear show (and in "Swordfish") are intoxicating.

However, it should be noted that any claims of "0-60 in a hair under 4 seconds" and top speeds of 195 mph have never (to my knowledge) been substantiated. The 0-100 time of 9.3 sounds about right. Autocar did it in 9.15 in a 360-hp Tuscan, but 0-60 was slightly more than 4.3 seconds. There are about 7 documented cases (from various magazines) of Vipers hitting 60 in 3.9-4.0, and 0-100 in 8.8.
But these are US-spec Vipers. UK Vipers are anywhere from 378 hp to 415, with curiously low top speeds in the 160 mph range, some 25-30 mph short of their US counterparts. So, one can see how other options in Britain (like the TVR) can appear quite attractive.

EVO usually has pretty good things to say about the Viper, such as their Corvette/Viper Buying Guide a couple of months ago. And Top Gear is sometimes harsh on the Viper, but this review came across as rather favorable: http://www.topgear.beeb.com/content/cars/cars/F6/A0/roadtests/01.html?qual_Id=1&newOrUsed=used&model_id=11556&man_id=F6

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Re: What\'s up with the Brits!?!?!

Hold on, chaps, that bloody rag, CAR ,is just wanking you off. As an upstanding bloke, of English Heritage, I politely answer this erudite piece of journalistic drivel with one word, " Piffel !!" Why, just a word with our Snake Princess ,Nadine, will convince you that a bunch of tee-totaling trolls must be nubbing their pencils at CAR. Want to know about Serpent that guilds the British Isles, give Nadine a ring, otherwise use CAR as we all do
in the wash closet --- to wipe our bloody arses!!

Sir Snakerton