1996 TVR Cerbera

Our seller is a TVR fan through and through and had owned a 2001 Tuscan. It had a TVR 4.3 conversion but soon after purchase he realised it was not really the car he wanted. Car sold, money invested…

Fast forward to 2015 and the TVR itch needed to be scratched once again and this time there would be no mistake. However, now with a daughter, the Cerbera would fit the bill nicely.

But not just any old Cerbera would do. Our seller had spotted a picture of a Cerbera with wide arches and that was exactly what he wanted. Oh, and he wanted to fit a Maserati engine and quad lights a la Tuscan. A tall order? Not if you are determined and not in a rush…

The tricky part was finding the arches and the quad lights and figuring out how to mate a Maserati engine with a manual gearbox. Where there’s a will there’s a way.

The good old internet put our seller in touch with the owner of the wide arch Cerbera who allowed lots of photographs to be taken and the car driven.

A donor car was sourced, as was a Maserati 4.7-litre V8 engine and the other innumerable parts that would be needed and so it began.

Once the project was underway, any ideas of keeping costs down went out of the window and the decision was made to either replace or renew all the mechanical bits.

The end result, we are sure you will agree, is really quite stunning.

The shy and retiring need not apply, not least because the Cerbera is painted in a rather distinctive shade – Candy Purple no less. You will note the black accents (splitter, spoiler, mirrors, front and back window trim).

The eagle-eyed may spot the modified BMW M4 bonnet scoop, necessary to incorporate the increased height of the Maserati engine.

Also worthy of note are the aluminium front grille, the quad Tuscan style headlamps with LED DRL lights. Cool, eh?

Wheels are 20x10s at the front with 255/35 tyres, with 20x11 with 305/30s to the rear. Rubber band tyres…

Stunning though the five-spoke wheels are, there are some marks in places which can be seen in our pictures.

The brakes are on display, with HISpec 6-pot MegaMonster grooved brakes up front, and AP Racing drilled discs to the rear. This car ain’t short of stopping power!

That striking paint finish does have a few blemishes we should mention, the most noticeable on the bonnet where we suspect the heat of the engine has caused the paint to bubble up. You will also find the odd stone chip here and there.

We also note some marks to the Cerbera’s A-pillars, which may need addressing.

You wouldn’t expect a car this eye-catching to come with a plain interior. And so, open the doors and once again prepare to be wowed.

Tuscan front seats are fitted, and hugely comfortable they are too, hugging and supporting in all the right places.

The whole interior has been retrimmed in a heady mixture of black and red Alcantara and leather. Not only does it look great, but it also smells divine.

Note the stainless-steel dashboard surround, a lovely touch, plus the SPA gauge for oil pressure and coolant temperature.

A pedal box from the Tuscan sits below decks, the aluminium pedals being ideally placed to help with those snappy heel and toe gearchanges.

The boot is nicely trimmed and is ready to accept a modicum of luggage should you be brave enough to take the Cerbera away on a touring holiday.

Sitting proudly beneath that sculptured bonnet is that 4.7-litre Maserati V8. It’s a powerful beast and it runs two maps (eco and full power).

Select the full power mode, any why wouldn’t you, then expect to find 477.9bhp lurking under your right foot. That’s with the exhaust valves open, cats deleted and no resonator box. The sound is enough to truly waken the dead. Use with care.

In more restrictive eco mode, and with the exhaust middle section with resonators fitted (included in the sale), you will have to make do with 446.4bhp and a more hushed driving experience, though all things are relative.

There’s a lot to take in when inspecting the engine bay, but it all looks shipshape to us.

The Cerbera comes with a raft of paperwork from its early days, and we can see that it was loved and cared for. However, it’s what has been done by our seller that will interest most.

In addition to the works we have already mentioned, here’s a list of other items worthy of note. Forgive us if we miss something out…

The engine is mated with Tremec TR6060 gearbox from a 2015 Camaro ZL.

ECU is an EMU Black by Ecumaster running two maps.

Manual 90mm throttle body.

Modified front air intake and air box.

Bosch 044 fuel pump.

Aluminium radiator with silicon hoses.

New gearbox crossmember to act as a chassis stiffener.

Refurbished and power coated differential.

Refurbished steering rack.

Modified Maserati F1 clutch.

Gaz Gold pro dampers.

New springs, front 450lbs, rear 325lbs.

Modified front wishbones and track rods.

Chassis stiffened, hot zinc sprayed and powder coated.

Full nut and bolt kit by RT Racing.

Bespoke chassis brace.

Bespoke stainless-steel exhaust.

Shortened prop shaft.

PowerFlex bushes all round.

New wheel bearings.

New upper and lower ball joints.

New drop links and track rod ends.

New cooper brake lines and HISpec braided brake lines.

New PTFE fuel lines.

New heat shields (under bonnet, engine bay and tunnel).

New window door and boot seals.

Windscreen wiper motor and mechanism refurbished.

Phew!

For the first 4000-5000 miles after the build was finished our vendor "drove the car like he'd stolen it " just to test all the components and parts that had put together.  After that it has been used as a normal GT car doing 3 European trips. The total mileage the vendor has done since the build was finished is around 20,000.

The car is MoTed until 18th November and other than a few advisories for tyre wear etc, the MoT history of late is impeccable. 

We know this car will not appeal to all, but we cannot help being wowed by the attention to detail and the drive and ambition of our seller to complete this outlandish project.

The workmanship speaks for itself and though we always encourage the inspection of our cars, in the case of this mad, bad Cerbera it really is essential. Form an orderly queue.

We can’t help but gaze upon it ourselves in awe as we wander through our warehouse packed full of gorgeous cars. You cannot help but be drawn to it.

The driving experience is second to none. Fast is an understatement. Too fast for the road, well that’s your call.

So, if this unique Cerbera has got your pulse racing, be prepared to pay between £50,000 and £60,000 we estimate.

Viewing is always encouraged and as stated this car is located at THE MARKET headquarters near Abingdon; we are open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm and to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.