TVR does not build many cars like the TVR Cerbera Speed 12: a 2-door coupe with 7730 cc Speed 12 V12, built from 1996 to 1998 when airbags, anti-lock brakes and Japanese build quality became the world standard. Its designer of record is Chris Stallard, Darren Hobbs.
How it came about
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.
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.
The hardware
Under the skin sits 7730 cc Speed 12 V12. Kerb weight is 1100 kg. The gearbox is a 6-speed manual. The layout matters: the engine sits behind the driver and ahead of the rear axle, which puts the mass in the middle of the car and is why mid-engined cars change direction the way they do. The wheelbase is 2640 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Family and rivals
Where it sits in TVR's history is not in doubt: it was built at Blackpool, England, United Kingdom. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Porsche Boxster, the Škoda Auto Škoda Octavia, the Lotus Elise. Its TVR stablemates include the TVR 3000S and the TVR 350SE.