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History1988 - The Tuscan name was resurrected again when TVR launched the one-make Tuscan Challenge race series at the 1988 British Motorshow at the NEC. This was really designed to publicise the new S Series model and plans to fit it with a Holden V6 3800cc engine. But the popularity of the new race series overshadowed the road car plans and it was never developed further.
The race car however proved an instant success, due in part to the first batch being sold for £16,000+VAT to entrants on condition that they compete in 6 or more of the 12 races in the championship. Failure resulting in a bill for the balance of another £16,000 at the season end. 1989 - The chassis was based on the TVR S series road car, but with extra work to allow for the more powerful engines of the racers. The original cars were fitted with a TVR Power produced 4.5 litre Rover V8 producing over 400bhp with a Borg-Warner T5 gearbox. However as the Rover V8 engine supply was drying up and it was reaching its maximum power outputs TVR owner Peter Wheeler commissioned a new engine which was called the AJP V8. This produced 536bhp, could reach 60mph in just over 3 seconds, 100mph in 6.9 seconds and go on to a top speed over 190mph. The racers were all fitted with factory supplied sealed identical engines to ensure they all competed on an equal basis. 
TVR Tuscan Racer
2002 to 2004 - The race series became known as the Dunlop TVR Challenge and in 2003 a new car called a Sagaris which had been developed from the T350 was brought in with an intention to run alongside th Tuscan racers and ultimately replace them. However the sale of TVR by Peter Wheeler to Nicolai Smolensky effectively ended everything when the new owner withdrew factory support for the series before the 2005 season had started.
TVR's Motorsport Director managed to acquire the rights and the series was kept going but as TVR had sold off all its racers this was on a much smaller basis. The series then continued under a new format as it merged with the TVRCC Challenge Cup that consists of a wide range of TVR models, so that the grid now features a more diverse range of TVR models in one race and the series is split into three categories |
Technical SpecificationsTVR Tuscan Racer
Engine: 4.5 TVR Power Rover V8 Capacity: 4441cc Power: 400bhp Torque: 279lbft Top Speed: 190mph TVR Tuscan Racer
Engine: 4.5 TVR AJP V8 Power: 536bhp Torque: 380lbft Performance: 0-60mph 3.1secs 0-100mph 6.9secs Top Speed: 190mph+ Production Numbers:
Tuscan Racer - 43 |
Useful Links
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Dunlop TVR European Challenge: The Official Dunlop TVR European Challenge website, providing the latest and in-depth information on the TVR Challenge |
