The question is not ill put as a TVR is totally a different car in comparison with a standard GT you could be used to drive from home to office and back (a Porsche Cayman, a Jaguar F-Type, an Audi TT RS, a Nissan 370 Z…). But, after all, that’s why people love TVRs.
The noise (sorry I mean the music) of the Speed6 engine, the hardness of the suspensions, the lack of any kind of safety system, the hot atmosphere of the cockpit that could force you to drive always with the lowered window… And don’t forget maintenance costs.
Yes I know that who owns a TVRs was looking exactely for these kind of “benefits” from a Gran turismo car but there could be any TVR lover that has to be “pushed” to discover such a kind of features on a modern supercar.
So here are some encouraging answers coming from T350 proud owners:
- I used my T350 everyday for a year. 12K miles in one year.
It has many advantages like the image, driving experience, good attention, tuneful exhaust (sports exhaust is compulsory), the odd fun road, most are actually too crowed to overtake anyone, so ultimately it can be frustrating.
There is a negative side: ride is harsh for everyday, fuel cost, servicing is frequent at 6k miles and servicing is expensive, low ride height is annoying day to day (kerbs are high), I was less inclined to use it at weekends and enjoy those less crowed roads, for the laydees getting in and out in a skirt can be a challenge to their dignity. Overall its well worth it – go for it - I use mine every day.. not a t350 mind… the only caveat I would add is consider how you would cope without it for a couple of weeks (or more…) can you work from home or get public transport.. should the worst happen? I’ve never been let down but have had to walk to work while having bits done on the car.
- I use my mine as a daily driver and it is a challenge
- The 6k service is an oil and filter change, albeit with lots of checks. It’s the 12k service that includes tappet check and adjustment. If a car was doing 12k in a year, a self serviced 6k oil change would be fine in my book. The cerbera had a different chassis coating and was therefore a common bodyboff repair issue. I’d love to use my t350 daily, I just leave home too early in the morning so it’s my Carbon-offsetting Renault Zoe instead!
- If you understand “daily driver” as parking the car after use in the rain on the street and don’t care for it between the annual service then: no. If you have space and time to look for it at home to verify that all bits are still fixed, check up fluids regularly, have enough time and road the get the engine warm, do not use tight city parking garages etc than: yes. I use the T350 during summer on an “almost” daily basis but that needs to care for it and check the bits.
- T350 was my only car for 12 years and did about 20k a year. And a few track days a year too. I would avoid very short journeys (bike, walk or run)and be fairly careful with the revs until the oil temp was up. I finally bought a run around a couple of years ago to use for some of the London and M25 schlepping and to reduce the annual mileage to 15k or so. Sadly the dash recently died at 263k, otherwise it would be on 300k sometime relatively soon.
If you used an Elise as your regular transport you will have no problem with a T350. Your definition of what is a consumable may need to be adjusted with regular use though, Clutches every couple of years, and no one expected the wiper motor to do so many TVR miles in the rain.
But after all these miles there is no other car I’d rather be in and every time I drive it is an ‘occasion’. Do it.
