[Coventrysucks]

Originally Posted by go.pawel

First buyers will get cars early in 2008 at a price close to £50,000. Initial production rate will be 300-400 units a year.

BMW Z4 M Roadster £42,750
Mercedes SLK 55 AMG £49,640

Both "170mph" (de-restricted) roadsters, both with dealer networks, proven build quality, warranties, filled to the gills with all sorts of options - necessary or not, and benefiting from decades and billions of whatever currency you choose in R & D.

No, people would definately rather have a 16 year old design from a marque with no track record, an engine with a good reputation for performance, but a bad reputation for reliability, an options list of "Colour: Yes/No" and that has been cobbled together in 6 months, in someone's shed, and they'll pay more for the privilege, please.

Of course, as an alternative you could have a 16 year old design from a marque with a patchy track record, an engine with a good reputation for performance, but a bad reputation for reliability, an options list of "Colour: Yes/No" and that was cobbled together in 6 months, in someone's shed, and all for just £10,000.

I speak, of course, of the TVR Griffith. (And that doesn't look shite, either.)

Originally Posted by go.pawel

Melling, whose business interests were recently rationalised into one NASDAQ-listed group, has pushed the Griffon to the top of his priority list because he believes there is urgent demand for a £50,000 bespoke British roadster.

TVR were producing "£50,000 bespoke British roadsters" with 170mph potential and Al Melling engines.

Such was the "urgent demand" that the company became a huge success, and is, today, Britain's leading independent sports car...

Oh.

As that didn't work, Melling's idea to sate the "urgent demand" is to make exactly the same thing, but with an even older design, that has been made to look shite?

Welcome to "Fail", Mr Melling...