Powered by a supercharged version of TVR's 4-litre straight-six, further developed by Ricardo to produce 600bhp and 500lb ft, the Typhoon will be the fastest production TVR ever, and at around £120,000 the most expensive too.
Built to celebrate the firm’s 60th anniversary, the car will be officially unveiled at the Geneva show in March. It will be built in strictly limited numbers and only in right-hand drive, the lucky 60 customers taking delivery during 2007.
The Typhoon is the first TVR to be designed entirely by CAD, a move which has brought substantial aerodynamic advantages, enabling the new car to easily exceed 200mph, according to company sources. Expect a sub-4sec 0-60 time, aided by an uprated limited-slip diff and the adoption of the T56 six-speed manual transmission as used by the Corvette.
Like lesser TVRs, the Typhoon has a tubular steel backbone chassis with an integral rollcage, but like the ill-fated T400R/T440R (just one was built) and the later Typhon (of which three were made) the body panels and floor are constructed from carbonfibre, helping keep weight down to 1100kg.
Behind the 19in alloys are six-pot AP Racing callipers up front, and although there’s no anti-lock or traction control, TVR is looking to fit both to future mainstream models – expect announcements later this year. Other trick details on the Typhoon include adjustable Bilstein dampers, carbon-shelled Sparco seats and even satnav!
The Typhoon’s chassis is much longer than that of a Tuscan, allowing the fitment of genuinely usable rear bucket seats, though the truncated tail means that it’s actually shorter overall than the Tuscan. However, TVR is confident it will be even more imposing, with its Ferrari 599-aping stance and aggressive front-end, the distinctive grille of which will be shared by all future TVRs.
At around £120K it will be competing head-on with cars as diverse as the Aston Martin DB9, Lamborghini Gallardo and Ferrari F430.