TVR Tasmin

TVR Tasmin
Overview
Manufacturer	TVR
Also called	Tasmin, 280i, Tasmin 200
Production	1980 - 1988
Designer	Oliver Winterbottom
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-dr coupé 2-dr convertible
Layout	FR layout
Platform	TVR Wedges
Powertrain
Engine	Ford Cologne V6, Ford Pinto Straight 4
Transmission	4/5-spd MT 3-spd AT
Chronology
Predecessor	TVR 3000M/Taimar
Successor	TVR 350i

The TVR Tasmin or TVR 280i is a sports car designed and built by TVR from 1980 to 1988. It was the first of TVR's "Wedge"-series which formed the basis of nearly their entire 1980's lineup. It was available as a fixed head coupé, both as a 2-seater and as a 2+2, or as a 2-seater convertible.

History

The Tasmin was the first production car in the world to have both a bonded windscreen and also to incorporate the aerial in the rear screen heater element. As with all TVRs, the running gear was located in a tubular spaceframe steel chassis which was powder coated for extra corrosion resistance. Much of the running gear was sourced from Fords of the period. The suspension and steering was sourced from the Ford Cortina, with TVR engineered rear wishbones. Gearboxes were from the Cortina, Granada, and Sierra. Brakes were discs all round, with the front units from the Granada. The differential (and rear brakes) was from the Jaguar XJ-S.

The engine was the Ford 2.8 Cologne V6 with Bosch fuel injection producing 160 bhp (119 kW; 162 PS). An automatic gearbox was available, making it the first TVR to have this as an option. The styling of the car was by Oliver Winterbottom who had previously styled the Lotus Elite S2. Beside the Cologne V6 engine the Tasmin was also available with a 2.0 litre Ford Pinto. This car, presented in late 1981, was called the Tasmin 200 and was an attempt to make a car cheaper than the standard Tasmin 280i.^[1] It was priced at under £10,000, but with an engine producing only about 100 bhp (75 kW; 101 PS) it wasn't a big success. Only 16 Tasmin 200 coupes and 45 convertibles were made in total.

In 1981 a series II car appeared, a vast improvement over the series I. In 1984 the Tasmin name was dropped and the car was renamed TVR 280i, although the name remained in use within the TVR factory. Early 350i's were also referred to as the "Tasmin 350i".^[2] TVR's consistently inconsistent badging policy resulted in the cars appearing as Tasmins, Tasmin 280i's or just plain 280i's as the Tasmin name was dropped.

The 2.8-litre "Cologne" V6 had already been certified for US sales, and thus TVR returned to the US market after a six year hiatus.^[2] The Tasmin was the last TVR to be exported to the USA, with the last car brought over in 1987, this being a series II 280i. A number of reasons are cited for TVR's withdrawal from the US. These allegedly include a deteriorating relationship with the import agents and the distribution network, warranty problems and liability insurance premiums rising from $160K to over $1M.

The Tasmin did not start out very strongly, with TVR production reaching a low of 121 in 1982. By 1985, yearly production had increased to 472.^[3] In total, 1,167 V6 cars were produced.

Specifications

Tasmin 280i

• Engine: Ford Cologne V6
• Engine Capacity: 2792 c.c (2,8 Litres)
• Power Output: 160 bhp (Series 1), 150 bhp (series II)
• Torque Output: 162 lb·ft (220 N·m)

Tasmin 200

• Engine: Ford Pinto straight 4
• Engine Capacity: 1993 cc (2.0 L)
• Power Output: 101 bhp (75 kW; 102 PS)
• Torque Output: 112 lb·ft (152 N·m)

Transmission

• Tasmin 200, 280i
  • Transmission: 4-spd Ford manual gearbox, 5-spd Ford manual gearbox, 3-spd Ford automatic gearbox

Suspension

• Front: Double Wishbones
• Rear: Semi trailing arms

Brakes

• Front: Disc brakes
• Rear: Disc brakes

Chassis/Body

• Chassis: Tubular spaceframe steel chassis
• Body: Fibreglass body panels

Performance

Tasmin 280i

• Acceleration 0-60 mph (97 km/h): 8.0 seconds, 8.2 seconds (automatic gearbox)
• Top Speed: 130 mph (210 km/h) (Series 1), 128 mph (206 km/h)^[2]

Weight

Weight: 1,074 kg (2,368 lb)

Tasmin 200

• Acceleration 0-60 mph (97 km/h) : 9.0 seconds
• Top Speed: 110 mph (180 km/h)

Weight

• Weight: 971 kg (2,141 lb)

References

External links

• Hemming Motor News feature on Martin Lilley
• TVR Wedgepages

v t e TVR models Current models Sagaris Tuscan S Historical models 280i 350i 350SE 350SX 390SE 400SX 420SE 420SEAC 450SE 450SEAC 1300 1600M 2500 2500M 3000M 3000M Turbo 3000S 3000S Turbo 5000M Cerbera Chimaera Grantura Griffith Griffith 200 Griffith 400 Griffith 600 S S2 S3 S3C S4C T350C T350T Taimar Taimar Turbo Tamora Tasmin 200i Tasmin 280i Tuscan Se Tuscan Speed 6 Tuscan V6 Tuscan V8 Typhon V8S Vixen Vixen 1300 Vixen 2500 Vixen S2 Vixen S3 Vixen S4 Racing cars and prototypes Cerbera Speed 12 T400R Tina Trident Tuscan Challenge Tuscan Speed 12 Typhon GT

v t e TVR road car timeline, 1956–present
Type	1950s				1960s										1970s										1980s										1990s										2000s										2010s
	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3
Owner	Trevor Wilkinson										Martin Lilley																	Peter Wheeler																					Nikolai Smolenski									Les Edgar
2 seat coupé	Coupe		Grantura									Tuscan					1600M/2500M/3000M/3000S																																Typhon	Sagaris
	Jomar								Trident			Vixen																																Tuscan/T400
																																															T350
2+2 coupé																																									Cerbera
convertible / sports car	Open Sports								Trident								1600M/2500M/3000M/3000S																			Griffith											Tamora
	Jomar																														S/S2/S3(C)/S4C/V8S							Chimaera
TVR Wedges																									Tasmin/280i							420SEAC		400SX/400SE/450SE
																												350i/350SX
																													390SE/420SE				450SEAC		350SE
Speciality/Racing Cars	Cerbera Speed 12 · Tuscan Speed 12 · Tuscan Challenge · T400R · Typhon GT