Every year, a fresh batch of cars from abroad becomes legal to import into the USA thanks to the 25-year rule, but very few match the style and performance of the TVR Cerbera. This rare British beauty is powered by a 4.2-liter flat-plane-crank V8, paired with a Borg Warner five-speed manual gearbox, and weighs about 2,400 pounds (1,088 kg). Recently, Jay Leno had the chance to sample one of the very few in the states, and it’s a peach.
Brought over by Gavin Bristow and the folks over at TVRGarage.com, this is a 1997 TVR Cerbera 4.2 which means that it makes around 360 hp (268 kW). TVR also made an inline-six version of the Cerbera and a more aggressive version of the same V8 that displaced 4.5 liters and made about 420 hp (313 kW). Thanks to the lightweight construction, all three benefited from a good power-to-weight ratio.
Bristow points out that many people know these cars today due to the “Playstation games” of the past. That’s likely true thanks to Gran Turismo specifically, but some of its unique features help it maintain its allure. It has a clam-shell hood for example, the engine is set far back in the chassis, and the door eschews handles for poppers that are hidden under the wing mirrors.
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The interior is similarly unique, with leather covering nearly every surface. The steering wheel itself houses not only a climate vent but also the clock and the fuel gauge. Additionally, it features buttons for the wipers, the washer fluid, and the fog lights. The seating arrangement, referred to by Bristow as a ‘3+1’, allows the front passenger seat to sit far enough forward that two adults can comfortably fit on that side.
As is the case with any passionately built automobile, it’s the drive that needs to do most of the talking. The flat-plane crank provides what Leno calls “plenty of power” before remarking that “it feels like a modern car.” It really does sound fantastic and is a good reminder that long before Ford or Audi, TVR dropped a flat-plane crank V8 in a production sports car.
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Throughout the video, he praises the engineering feat that TVR undertook to build its own engines. Rather than relying on a mix of parts from other automakers, the Cerbera is a passion project driven more by heart than by intellect. The world, and now the US, is better off for having that kind of love.