TVR Griffith

TVR Griffith

Overview
Manufacturer	TVR
Production	1991–2002
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car Roadster
Body style	2-door convertible
Related	TVR Chimaera Melling Wildcat
Powertrain
Engine	4.0 L - 5.0 L V8
Chronology
Successor	TVR Tuscan Speed Six

The TVR Griffith, later models being referred to as the Griffith 500, was a sports car designed and built by TVR starting in 1991 and ending in 2002.

Like its forerunner namesakes, the Griffith 200 and Griffith 400, the modern Griffith was a lightweight (1048 kg or 2310 lb) fiberglass-bodied, 2-door, 2-seat sports car with a V8 engine. Originally, it used a 4.0 L 240 hp (179 kW) Rover V8 engine, but that could be optionally increased to 4.3 L 280 hp (209 kW) in 1992 with a further option of big-valve cylinder heads. In 1993 with a TVR-developed 5.0 L 340 hp (254 kW) version of the Rover V8 became available. All versions of the Griffith use the Lucas 14CUX engine management system.

All models use a five-speed manual transmission.

pre-cat Griffith

Although the Griffith was almost mechanically identical to its sister car, the Chimaera, it had a different body design and was produced in much smaller numbers. Well-maintained examples generally command higher prices on the secondhand market.

The Griffith was a lightweight, high-power, and well-balanced car. The speed six Griffith proposal never became a production reality; by the time it was launched it had morphed into the TVR Tuscan Speed Six.

In Japan, a special edition "Blackpool B340" was sold. This car was featured in Gran Turismo and Gran Turismo 2 (in the former as the Griffith 4.0 in the NTSC and PAL versions).

In 2000, TVR announced that the Griffith production was going to end. A limited edition run of 100 Special Edition (SE) cars were to be built to mark the end of production. Although still very similar to the previous Griffith 500 model, the SE had a hybrid interior using the Chimaera dashboard and Cerbera seats. Noticeably, the rear lights were different along with different door mirrors, higher powered headlights and clear indicator lenses. Some also came with 16-inch wheels. Each car came with a numbered plaque in the glove box including the build number and a Special Edition Badge on its boot. All cars also had a unique signature in the boot under the carpet. The SEs were built between 2000 and 2002, with the last registered in 2003. A register of the last 100 SEs can be found at TVR Griffith 500 SE Register.

Every year, to celebrate the TVR Griffith, their owners have a meet called "The Griff Growl."^[1]

In 2008, Al Melling Sports Cars unveiled the Melling Wildcat, a roadster heavily based on the Griffith but powered instead by a variant of TVR's later AJP8 engine.

Specifications

Engine

Rover alloy V8

1996 5.0 litre V8

Valvetrain setup: 2 valves per cylinder, Overhead Valve

Model	Capacity (cc)	Power (bhp)	Torque	Max speed	0-60 mph (s)	0-100 mph (s)
4.0	3,950	240 hp (243 PS)	270 lb·ft (370 N·m) at 4000 rpm	152 mph (245 km/h)	4.7	12.1
4.0 HC	3,950 Hi-Lift Cam	275 hp (279 PS)	305 lb·ft (414 N·m)	158 mph (254 km/h)	4.7	12.1
4.3	4,280	280 hp (284 PS)	305 lb·ft (414 N·m) at 4000 rpm	158 mph (254 km/h)	4.6	11.3
4.5	4,495	285 hp (289 PS)	310 lb·ft (420 N·m)	158 mph (254 km/h)	4.6
5.0	4,988	340 hp (345 PS)	350 (320 with catalyzer) lbf·ft	169 mph (272 km/h)	4.1	10.5

Transmission

Transmission: 5-Speed Manual (Rover LT77 or Tremec T5)

Suspension

Front: Independent, double wishbones, coil-over gas dampers, sway bars

Rear: Independent, double wishbones, coil-over gas dampers, sway bars

Brakes

Front: 260 mm (10 in) ventilated disc brakes

Rear: 260 mm (10 in) ventilated disc brakes

Wheels Front: 15 in aluminium alloy

Rear: 16 in

Chassis/body

Body Panels: Glass fibre

Fuel Capacity: 57 Litres (12.5 Imp. gallons, 15.0 U.S. gal)

Weight: 1060 kg (2336 lb)

Length: 3,892 mm (153.2 in)

Height: 1,205 mm (47.4 in)

Width: 1,943 mm (76.5 in)

Wheelbase: 2,282 mm (89.8 in)

Front track: 1,460 mm (57 in)

Rear track: 1,470 mm (58 in)

Ground clearance: 146 mm (5.7 in)

Production by year

^[2]^[3]

1992: 602
1993: 230 (169 2DR + 61 500)
1994: 292
1995: 284
1996: 288
1997: 232
1998: 231
1999: 187
2000: 90
2001: 82
2002: 64

References

External links

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 200 Tasmin 280i Tuscan SE Tuscan Speed Six 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

TVR road car timeline, 1956–present
Type	1950s				1960s										1970s										1980s										1990s										2000s										2010s
Type	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	Coupé		Grantura									Tuscan V6/V8					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
convertible / sports car	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