The Cerbera began as a styling exercise, an experiment. A running prototype was unveiled at the 1993 London Motor Show where it met tremendous acclaim and following year it was decreed that the Cerbera would use a version of the raceproven TVR Speed Eight engine. TVR has at its disposal the most gruelling of engineering tests: the ultra-competitive TVR Tuscan Challenge. Speed Eight engines have been mercilessly thrashed by up to 40 racing drivers every fortnight for years! The installation of the Speed Eight in the Cerbera was significant on two counts. First, that TVR should produce its own engine was itself a quantum leap, marking the start of a transition from Roverbased V8 power to altogether more innovative and powerful 100% TVR power. Second, the installation of the Speed Eight was the first time that any company had modified a race engine for the road, rather than vice versa. An all-alloy engine with its eight cylinders arranged in a 75 degree vee, the Speed Eight delivers more torque than any other normally aspirated petrol engine of equivalent size and weight. The Speed Eight engine design draws on many F1 principles but at 121KG, it is actually lighter than most V8 F1 and F3000 engines. The Speed Eight features an extremely sophisticated water circulation system, a lubrication system that delivers oil at high pressure to the engine and at low pressure to the crankshaft, and a block so rigid that it can be used as a stressed member. Durability, survival in the Tuscan Challenge, is no surprise when you consider that the Speed Eight is fitted with extremely high quality components. Enough of the engine! The Cerbera, even a decade after it first appeared is still an arresting sight. Curvy and low slung, one of the Cerbera's great surprises is discovering the interior space with its occasional rear bucket seats. The Cerbera differs from a normal 2+2 in that its seating arrangement may be better described as a 3+1. The front passenger seat is able to slide further forward, freeing a substantial amount of extra legroom for a rear passenger. The long doors make rear access far easier than you might expect. The most remarkable part of the interior is the dashboard - it is like no other car. All the instruments are right in front of the driver. A secondary binnacle, mounted with the steering wheel on an adjustable column, houses the clock, the fuel gauge, a fresh air vent and the engine start/stop buttons. Steering wheel-mounted buttons operate main beam, windscreen washers/wipers, and the horn. The Cerbera range comprises three models. The 4.0LITRE Cerbera Speed Six has softer suspension and higher profile tyres to give a more comfortable ride and less road noise. Its focus is grand touring and its personality is like a modern rendition of the Great British G T cars of the 1960s. The Cerbera 4.2 is 'the original', the barn-storming gatecrasher that rocked the supercar establishment ten years ago. Much developed over the years it exists for those who demand a V8 just a little milder than the visceral Cerbera 4.5. If the Speed Six is reminiscent of charismatic 1960s GTs, then the 4.5 is most reminiscent of Cold War jet fighters. There is nothing else ground-bound quite like it. Its 420BHP punch is backed up by 380LB.FT of tarmac-rippling torque and it dismisses 60MPH in 3.9SECS, 100 in 8.1 and 150 in 17.9. The 4.5 embarrasses those with more cash than car knowledge - it is a serious motor car, one of the fastest in existence. Modified suspension and larger wheels and tyres to cover bigger brakes complete its armoury - the descent from 100MPH in just 3.8SECS.
Source: TVR Press Information. TVR Website November 2005.