Here’s Your First Look at the 2017 TVR Sports Car

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Posted by Zach Doell                                

                                            

 

In 2006, British sports car brand TVR folded under financial stress, a casualty of a shrinking market, and just one more name in a long list of iconic, shuttered marques. But fast forward one decade and the storied TVR is now forging its way back from the brink. And this is the car it plans to do it with, sort of. 

 

Over the Christmas holiday, TVR reportedly sent the above photo to current deposit holders in order to give these loyal customers a taste of the new car’s overall design. The design has been adapted from a rendering done by the UK’s Autocar magazine, but nonetheless it affirms the reborn TVR will retain its much-loved performance shape and DNA.

The man behind the revived company is businessman Les Edgar, who confirmed in 2015 that TVR had taken 250 deposits on the full allocation of cars for its 2017 debut year. Production numbers are expected to grow over time. Renowned engineer Gordon Murray (designer of the McLaren F1) has been recruited to handle all design work while Cosworth Engineering will power the new coupe with a punchy V8.

Unfortunately, no performance specifications have been revealed officially…but there are a few safe bets.

Reports suggest the “Cossie” V8 will be pushed as far back into the front-engine chassis as possible, giving the car a close to neutral front-to-rear weight balance, as well as side pipe exhaust. A six-speed manual gearbox will follow suit and drive the rear wheels atop independent suspension at all four corners. A tubular steel space frame will compose the car’s chassis, given extra rigidity in the form of lightweight composite panels.

The V8 itself will be a unique Cosworth product, though it’s alleged to be based upon the current Ford Mustang 5.0-liter V8. Only time will tell. An alleged four new TVR sports cars are said to be currently in development for release within the next decade. The price for this first car? That’s expected to be £55,000 and up, or around $80,000. And the name? That’s still a mystery as well, but TVR surely has past winners to pick from—monikers like Tuscan, Chimera, Cerbera, and Vixen.