Melling Griffon - TVR Griffith reinterpretated

[go.pawel]

Found on Autocar's site:

Lancashire engine guru Al Melling is launching a 170mph, front-engined two-seat sports car, designed to replace the TVR Griffith, the failed Blackpool car company’s most famous model.
Called the Melling Griffon, it is similar in size to the Griffith and is powered by a further-developed, 460bhp 4.7-litre version of Melling’s AJP8, the flat-crank, two-valve V8 he designed in the early 1990s.

The new car is designed to be the car the TVR Griffith would now have been, had it remained in production. First buyers will get cars early in 2008 at a price close to £50,000. Initial production rate will be 300-400 units a year.

“The Griffith was always the most popular TVR,” said Melling. “It is still highly recognisable on both sides of the Atlantic and it’s a tragedy it was allowed to die. But we’re doing something about that.”

Melling, whose business interests were recently rationalised into one NASDAQ-listed group, has pushed the Griffon to the top of his priority list because he believes there is urgent demand for a £50,000 bespoke British roadster. But he is also continuing to work on the 200mph V10-engined Hellcat super-coupé revealed earlier in 2007.

Melling and his Rochdale-based company have been closely associated with TVR and its successive managements for years. First they operated parallel businesses in the same county, then Melling designed engines for TVR (notably the AJP8 and Speed Six), plus a still-born six-speed gearbox. Finally Melling became a bidder for TVR, when it hit the buffers in 2006 under the management of Russian-born Nikolai Smolenski. Melling was not successful in buying TVR, but he believes his association with its customers gives him insight into their future requirements, hence the Griffon.

The Griffon, which will be built at Melling’s Rochdale HQ, has all-new suspension and a tubular spaceframe/backbone chassis designed to correct what Melling sees as key engineering shortcomings in the original TVR. Itwill make its debut at the Autosport show at the NEC in January 2008.

[Rockefella]

This car would probably sell if it didn't look like a Gen2 Miata with a screwed up Maserati GranTurismo front-end.

[Ferrer]

This car would probably sell if it didn't look like a Gen2 Miata with a screwed up Maserati GranTurismo front-end.

Yes it certainly doesn't seem to look very good at all...

So instead of the million horsepower 300mph supercar we are getting this...?

[Coventrysucks]

First buyers will get cars early in 2008 at a price close to £50,000. Initial production rate will be 300-400 units a year.

BMW Z4 M Roadster £42,750
Mercedes SLK 55 AMG £49,640

Both "170mph" (de-restricted) roadsters, both with dealer networks, proven build quality, warranties, filled to the gills with all sorts of options - necessary or not, and benefiting from decades and billions of whatever currency you choose in R & D.

No, people would definately rather have a 16 year old design from a marque with no track record, an engine with a good reputation for performance, but a bad reputation for reliability, an options list of "Colour: Yes/No" and that has been cobbled together in 6 months, in someone's shed, and they'll pay more for the privilege, please.

Of course, as an alternative you could have a 16 year old design from a marque with a patchy track record, an engine with a good reputation for performance, but a bad reputation for reliability, an options list of "Colour: Yes/No" and that was cobbled together in 6 months, in someone's shed, and all for just £10,000.

I speak, of course, of the TVR Griffith. (And that doesn't look shite, either.)

Melling, whose business interests were recently rationalised into one NASDAQ-listed group, has pushed the Griffon to the top of his priority list because he believes there is urgent demand for a £50,000 bespoke British roadster.

TVR were producing "£50,000 bespoke British roadsters" with 170mph potential and Al Melling engines.

Such was the "urgent demand" that the company became a huge success, and is, today, Britain's leading independent sports car...

Oh.

As that didn't work, Melling's idea to sate the "urgent demand" is to make exactly the same thing, but with an even older design, that has been made to look shite?

Welcome to "Fail", Mr Melling...

[Pando]

So instead of the million horsepower 300mph supercar we are getting this...?

You're arguing this isn't a step towards the right direction?

Although the Hellcat project is still up and running.

[Ferrer]

You're arguing this isn't a step towards the right direction?

Although the Hellcat project is still up and running.

It was just sarcasm. To be brutally honest I don't care much about the british sportscars built in a shed. There are some which are interesting, but mostly they simply are not my type of car.

[Mr.Tiv]

I'd rather spend the money to have a LHD Griffith 500 federalized. He's ruined what I've always thought was a brilliant design.

[Estroflessione]

The Sagaris is the best. With no doubt!

Estroflessione

[Rockefella]

The Sagaris is the best. With no doubt!

Estroflessione

Awesome!!!11!

[dydzi]

Initial production rate will be 300-400 units a year.

why are companies of that kind always saying this? is that like they really believe they're going to sell that much? if i were them i'd be glad to sell 5-10 of them

[TVR IS KING]

There are so many things wrong with that thing.