TVR Typhon - Problems, and The Final Car

Problems, and The Final Car

Problems emerged during development however - the range topping Typhon was due to be the fastest production TVR had made by a large margin thanks to the engine producing 580 bhp with ease (previous cars had typically had little more than 400 bhp), and also to have a true, race style sequential gearbox - unlike the hydraulically operated sequential manuals found in Ferraris and BMWs of the time, which were essentially standard gearboxes with computer controlled actuation. It was also proposed to have adjustable ratios for use on race tracks. However, although the supercharged engine produced more power than required, well within safe tolerances for the block (initial specification for the engine was to be 500 bhp) when installed in the car, it had many heat expulsion issues, and after trialling it was decided that it wouldn't be suitable for production for safety reasons, and so the naturally aspirated Speed Six engines were the only engines available. The race-style sequential gearbox, much like the engine, never got to reach customer cars due for similar reasons; it never got much beyond the development stage.

Combined with multiple delays, the removal of the supercharged engine and specialist gearbox from the range caused almost all potential customers to cancel their deposits - as they were put down on the proviso that the car would have truly extreme performance - resulting in only two of the 'neutered' cars officially being sold, as T4xx Typhon variants with the naturally aspirated engines and standard H-gate manual gearboxes.