TVR
SPEED
12
SPEED12 SPEC
ENGINE
7730cc 90 degree V12
Steel block, aluminium heads, 4 valves per cylinder.
Dry Sump
12.5:1 compression ratio
POWER
800 bhp at 8250 revs
TORQUE
650 lbs/ft at 5750
Weight: 1000kg
CHASSIS Space frame with integral rollover and side impact protection.
BRAKES Front - 378mm ventilated with 6 pot callipers
Rear - 273mm ventilated with 4 pot callipers
WHEELS
Front - 11x18, 285/35 tyres
Rear - 13x18 345/35 tyres
TVR have unleashed the beast! Built to compete at LeMans and the other GT races the Speed 12 certainly looks awesome. Powered by an eight-litre V12, that will produce 660hp with the GT regulation restrictor.
The road going version is expected to develop 760hp, and should produce potent performance in the 950kg Speed 12.
The Speed 12 uses a simple composite (ie glass fibre) body shell mounted over a tubular steel chassis.
Launched at the 1997 motor show in London, the TVR Speed 12 caused a sensation. Here was a totally outrageous car with power bordering on the obscene. Some pundits said that it was too powerful and it would be irresponsible to use one as a road-going car.
The original engine design was conceived by Al Melling, the head of a small British company called MCD. Since then John Ravenscoft, TVR's in-house engine man has developed it dramatically.
Raced in the Privilege GT Championship in 1998, it achieved mixed results as TVR experimented with the set up of the car. Top speed hasn't been made public, but the race car was geared for a maximum of 185mph at which point the rev limiter cuts in! It had been intended to run the car in the Le Mans 24 hours. It's not clear why the Speed 12 didn't make it to Le Mans but a contributory factor may be that the FIA governing body required its horsepower reduced to 660bhp from the 700-800bhp being quoted.
Car Collection
- Aston Martin DB7
- BMW M3
- Bugatti EB110
- Dodge Viper
- Ferrari 355
- Ferrari 360 Modena
- Ferrari F40
- Jaguar XK8
- Lamborghini Diablo
- Lancia Stratos
- McLaren F1
- Mercedes CLK-GTR
- Porsche 911
- Spencen Puma
- Subaru Impreza
- TVR Speed 12
Built in a garage in Blackpool using a mixture of second hand parts the first TVR was created by Trevor Wilkinson, who founded the company. This programme is a celebration of the car's history.