5 Attachment(s)
TVR Cerbera Speed 12, information and photos
[CENTER][B]The Beginning: [/B][/CENTER]
The TVR Cerbera Speed 12, originally known as Project 7/12, was an ultra high performance concept vehicle designed by TVR in 1997. (see pic #2) Based in part on the TVR hardware at that time, the vehicle was intended to be both the world’s fastest road car and the basis for a GT1 class Le Mans racer. The original 7/12 concept was unveiled at the 1996 Birmingham Motor Show and it immediately generated immense interest within the press and public alike. The '7' part of the name referred to the 7.7 litre engine, and '12' referred to the number of cylinders.
TVR have dipped their toes into the GT waters on a couple of occasions in recent years. A Cerbera V8 was used a few years ago, but with restrictors on the 4.5 litre V8 reducing power to a measly 380bhp, it just wansn't competitive enough for a long term campaign. Originally a styling exercise, The TVR Speed 12 ended up becoming a race car. Constructed in traditional TVR style with a body dropped over a spaceframe chassis it wasn't not an ideal format for a race car. Quick access to components just wasn't possible.
From an engineering perspective the Speed 12 wasn't ideal either on a number of counts. The number of welds required to construct the chassis and to include a full roll cage made the geometry of the chassis too imprecise.
The vehicle’s engine, displacing 472 cui and having twelve cylinders, was reportedly capable of producing nearly 1000 horsepower, although an exact measurement was never made. It’s performance was said to be astonishing, and by all calculations it would have been capable of hitting sixty miles per hour in the low-three second range and power to well over 240 per hour.
The first concepts shown were based on the in-development FIA GT1 class race-car that was current at that time. The racer was restricted to a more modest 660 bhp but the weight was kept at roughly 1000 kilograms. The road car would weigh the same, but without the restrictors the power was greatly increased. It also had a specially built 6 speed transmission and clutch. The engine consisted of two TVR AJP6 engines mated together onto a single crank.
In 1998 the car was named the TVR Speed 12. The GT1 racer was almost ready to go, TVR wanted to race at Le Mans, but unfortunately that never happened. The Speed 12 GTS managed to compete in a few races in the FIA GT championship in the GT1 class, though sudden rule changes and the demise of the GT1 class suddenly rendered the Speed 12’s existence obsolete. In order to not let all that work go to waste TVR immediately set about creating the road-going Speed 12, although the project would not be completed for another year.
[B][CENTER]Saftey: [/CENTER][/B]
Safety is paramount in the design of these cars. The driver sits within the rigid safety cell with its cross-bracing across the door openings and even across the windscreen. Although the windscreen brace might interfere with the driver's view slightly, it does provide 20% of the rigidity of the cell. A factor also to be considered when designing the cell is that the driver needs to be able to extracate himself from the car in only 7 seconds to comply with regulations.
The chassis is composed of three modules bolted together to form the whole unit. The engine is in it's own frame which can be unbolted and wheeled away once the front bodywork has been removed. The driver then sits in the central cage with the rear subframe hosting the suspension. Even the dry sump is a load bearing component. Rather than just using a bolt on unit, TVR have made their own sump which is actually part of the structure once attached to the chassis. Also included within the chassis is a hydraulic jacking system allowing the car to raise itself off the ground as soon as it is stationary.
TVR Speed 12 / Cerbera Speed 12 #1
TVR Cerbera Speed 12 low res
Yes, I could use search, but no.
Anyone got high-res album art of the lads work?? For teh iToonz and such.
