Performance
Car, August 1988
BLOW
by BLOW
If the latest
Lotus Esprit Turbo personifies smoothness, then the new TVR, complete
with shrieking supercharger is the ultimate rough diamond by Kevin
Blick
To the already
nape-tingling rumble of the TVR's V8 has been added a new sound.
A sound like a circular saw tearing into a piece of timber, a
low metallic howl rising to a shriek. It is a sound you won't
have heard before - not unless you're old enough to remember the
days of Blower Bentleys and 6C Alfa Romeos - for it is the uninhibited
roar of a supercharger spinning up towards its 15,500rpm peak!
In the Lotus you had to listen hard to detect the engine at all.
A faint whistle and a half-smothered gasp of released pressure
were the only sounds heard from the hard working turbocharger
behind the driver. Such were the aural contrasts in this blow
by blow, supercharger versus turbocharger, comparison.
Lotus, whose
Grand Prix pedigree is second to none (even though they have enjoyed
little success in recent seasons), are in this context the engineering
gourmets - in the delicate nouvelle cuisine style perfected by
their founder, the late great Colin Chapman. In TVR's case, the
reputation is still to be made - though in their search for greater
power and speed through ever bigger capacity they have thrown
mere engineering requirements to the wind! Theirs, by contrast,
has been a rich diet of raw meat! Now the animal appeal of the
TVR, all thunder and raw edged power, has been boosted still further
by that shrieking Sprintex supercharger. While the Esprit Turbo's
brilliantly conceived but awkwardly hard edged Giugiaro original
has been superseded by svelte new designer-elegant curves. Even
the weather played a hand, typically offering us two mercurial
days at the opposite ends of the meteorological spectrum - with
opinions on the two cars under scrutiny changing accordingly.
Thursday afternoon had been wet and misty. The powerful Dales
landscape remained half-hidden from view, its peaks cloaked in
romantic cloud, the valleys softly highlighted by rain mellowed
greens and browns. In such circumstances the TVR was sadly lacking.
Hot, stuffy, noisy, harsh riding and perpetually steamed up, driving
it in the wet weather degenerated into something of an ordeal
for which there were no eager volunteers. Then Friday morning
dawned bright and clear. The TVR's clever hood was down in a moment
and all that had been worst about the car the previous day appeared
to be exorcised through the newly opened top. Suddenly the TVR
was a delight, the rumbling echo of its exhaust lost across a
thousand acres of spectacular emptiness that the sunshine had
revealed to view. Man, machine and mountains seemed to be combined
in perfect harmony.
And what of
the Lotus Esprit? Cosseted cosy and comfortable against the rain,
we had cruised north up the busy A1, marvelling at the reduction
in cabin noise levels. That wind and road roar was gone; the engine
so close behind our heads had been silenced. The ride, too, was
supple and smooth - always a Lotus strength. The sun came out
as we journeyed through the lanes, but there was sadly no soft
top to lower (though there was a large glass roof panel to lift
up or out). Sitting - almost lying - in the low-slung cabin, visibility
was poorer, with crests and dips harder to read. And though the
quiet turbo engine worked well, with as little lag as any of its
competitors have managed, it still couldn't match the instant
response of the wailing TVR. In short, where the TVR had veered
between extremes of triumph and disaster, the Esprit simply behaved
like the polished professional it now is. Maybe the peaks of triumph
weren't quite so high, but then neither, too, did the troughs
of disaster run so deep... They are unlikely competitors, you
might think, the Lotus and the TVR. But neither has quite achieved
the elite status of the metal bodied exotics; they have formed
rather a sub-supercar class. Indeed, at £29,950, the new Esprit
Turbo, with its sophisticated mid-engine layout and smooth new
looks, does appear something of a supercar bargain. The angular
and mechanically conventional TVR convertible is less obviously
in the bargain category - until you start comparing power and
performance. For both the beefy 390 SE and the red-raw 420 SEAC
models can comfortably out gun the delicate Lotus. But stretching
the dimensions and horsepower of the original Rover V8 make it
progressively less the easy-going rumbler and more the fierce
but tetchy half-race unit. This time round, however, what we had
was a TVR - in the shape of the new supercharged SX350 - that
threatened to combine all the traditional flexibility of the 'soft'
V8 with Lotus eating horsepower and torque! Though the supercharger's
role as the premier method of improving horsepower through forced
induction was usurped by the turbocharger many moons ago now,
the supercharger nevertheless survives and is starting to thrive
once again. The turbocharger is, of course, exhaust driven. Neat
in principle, it uses waste exhaust energy to drive a turbine
which, in turn, compresses intake air. But in practice there are
problems of complexity, heat and lag. The supercharger is an engine
driven compressor; installation is simpler and there are no heat
or lag problems. Sounds good, doesn't it? The SX350 puts principles
into practice using the unique Sprintex system in a conversion
developed by Yeovil-based DPR Engineering for Haughins of Barrow-in-Furness,
TVR's northern centre. In doing so, it adds £3968 to the £18,015
of the standard 350i. The Glasgow built Sprintex is a screw type
compressor, a toothed belt taking drive from the nose of the V8's
crankshaft to turn a pair of helical rotors. Having different
pitches, these progressively compress the air as they draw it
in and through the compressor. A relatively mild 6psi of boost
demands not internal changes to the engine, save thicker head
gaskets which reduce the compression from 9.7 to 9.2:1. Power
increase from the 197bhp of the standard 350i's V8 to around 250bhp
at 5000rpm, while torque is up to 275lb at 3800rpm. The only other
changes to the standard 350i Convertible were the bigger brakes
and the adjustable gas dampers of the 390 SE, which Haughins recommend
as a complementary handling package (costing about £1200). Otherwise
the SX350 specification was familiar: hand laid up glassfibre
body over multi-tube chassis, double wishbone and coil front suspension,
lower wishbone and drive shaft-cum-upper-link rear suspension.
The rack and pinion steering had optional power assistance on
our model. In all, it is a simple but effective formula and ideal
for a low volume car that is, by and large, built by hand.
The Lotus
has similar roots: swop the multi-tube chassis for a spine one,
the TVR's rear end for one of transverse links and radius arms,
and you've a not too different version of the same formula! But
sophistication has gradually superceded simplicity at Lotus. Bodies
are no longer hand laid up butformed by partially automated vacuum-assisted
resin injection. The two horizontally split halves are builtseparately
and then bonded together before painting. And the Esprit's engine
is the company's own 16valve, 2.2-litre twin-cam, now fitted with
the latest water-cooled Garrett T3 turbocharger, which blows through
a pair of pressure sealed Dellorto 45s. There's no engine management
or even an intercooler, incidentally, and power is unchanged at
215bhp at 6000rpm, with peak torque at 220lb ft at 4250rpm. The
unit is mounted in-line close behind the driving cabin and feeds
power to a transaxle that is newly sourced from Renault (it's
the GTA unit). Brakes are all disc, ventilated at the front, and
the rack and pinion steering is unassisted. The different standards
of engineering and manufacturing sophistication come over strongly.
The TVR is a simple, no-nonsense machine - a classic British roadster
if you like. But not necessarily any the worse for that. In its
light body the V8 can paint the road with great daubs of power
and torque. It's an engine of seemingly quite effortless power
- feeling almost lazy in the higher gears - but certainly no laggard
in the lower ratios, either, where a floored throttle brings instant,
roaring response. And that's the crucial difference between the
respective engines. The TVR's is pumped full of torque - so much
so that even a gentle getaway has the rear tyres chirruping on
the road. The supercharger hasn't created this - it has merely
reinforced it! Behind the deep throated exhaust, the background
shriek of the Sprintex blower has risen in pitch to its peak,
a barely audible whistle before half-revs, dumping all that extra
torque right where it's most wanted. The result is a superbly
useable engine, whose ultimate ferocity is cunningly disguised
by its massive flexibility. But fierce is certainly is: acceleration
is stunning as the rumble turns to a bellow and then a roar. At
the test track all the 20mph increments between 30 and 100mph
were demolished in just over four seconds in fourth gear, and
between 6.5 and 7.6 seconds in fifth, illustrating the engine's
flexibility. But standing start times were disappointingly little
different from those of the standard 350, with 0-60mph taking
just 0.1 seconds less at 5.9 seconds and 0-100mph taking a still
blistering 14.2 seconds. This was due to the test car trying to
pump all that muscle through a set of badly worn rear tyres which
is spun as soon as power was applied. The non-standard, high geared
390 differential on this car would also increase times.
It is a thoroughgoing
contrast to the Esprit. The Lotus turbo engine was once unquestionably
the best of that breed. It remains among the cream but others
now have learnt the turbo tricks, so it no longer has the field
to itself. Not, you begin to notice the shortcomings. There isn't
- there can't be - the immediate response of the big capacity
supercharged TVR. At lower revs, before the Garrett has build
up speed, the engine feels soft and mild - even docile sounding
with its slightly clattery four-cylinder beat. Like all turbo's,
real response is saved for the mid range when the Esprit fairly
begins to fly and, in its deceptively quiet way, to real in the
noisy TVR. Revving to a still smooth 7000rpm, the long legged
Esprit builds up speed impressively and, ultimately, thrillingly
as it rushes towards a 153mph maximum that is outstanding for
such a small engined machine. Yet, even though standing starts
acceleration is just as noteworthy - with 0-60mph taking only
5.2 seconds - and even though the turbo installation suffers minimal
lag, flicking back up to positive boost the instant the pedal
is floored, driven back to back with the TVR you continue to yearn
for the honest muscle of a big capacity engine. Each of the pair
has a tiny gearstick sprouting from a high centre tunnel. The
TVR's prods quickly and accurately through a well defined gate,
while the Esprit's Renault-based shift is equally quick - although
the second gear slot is far less well defined. Engineering is
more than engines alone, though, and the Lotus's finest shot is
its chassis. There's a balance of stability and suppleness in
it which is rare. It is taut and stable, unworried by surface
changes or irregularities. Instead, it tracks straight and true,
then responds instantly to the flick of a wrist that sets its
course through a fast, sweeping curve. The roll free chassis seems
to make few demands of the NCT tyres (195/60 front and 235/60
rear) and you can corner hard without breaching its natural neutrality
and have the front end begin to drift wide. The car is less happy
on the really tight stuff: the steering becomes much heavier on
extremes to lock and the brakes are rather too sensitive for the
light check stops often needed. In any other company the TVR's
handling would be impressive enough to carry off the honours.
Again, the car is beautifully balanced in the classical rear drive
style, moving from initial, warning shot understeer to inevitable
oversteer - with its hefty 225/50 Bridgestone RE71s to give massive
cornering grip and to help restrain the huge V8 torque. But on
fast roads, the low profile tyres thrum noisily and on the bumper
stretches the damping control isn't quite a match for the Lotus,
and though the TVR is stiffer sprung so that it rides more harshly,
it also bounces and pitches rather more too. And the exhaust bottoms
expensively over relatively small crests.
Steering on
the TVR is perhaps a happier compromise than on the Esprit. Gearing
is a little lower, so initial response is not so lively but the
(admittedly assisted) system maintains a more consistent weight
on lock and is less physically demanding. Brakes, too, are more
progressive in action. Sports cars both, each has an uncompromising
two-seater cabin, with a pair of leather clad seats wedged between
a deep, wide, centre tunnel and a broad door sill. And in each,
the driver sits low, with little view of the bonnet ahead, legs
and arms stretched. But there the similarities end: the TVR's
is a simple interior, expensively though not very tidily trimmed
in wood and leather, the Esprit's a far more stylish one, with
chic looking one piece seats and a revised version of the original
wrap around instrument binnacle. Both are fully instrumented (and
with identical VDO dials) and both have had to raid the parts
bins of the major manufacturers to find appropriate stalks and
minor switchgear. In the TVR this tends to show, while what has
been done in house - like the flimsy heater slides - stands out
like a sore thumb. Lotus have picked better from the all-sorts
packet: their switchgear looks right and works well. But neither
car can make great claims for cabin ergonomics. The Esprit's footwell
is not tiny and its pedals far too cramped. Even being careful,
we were frequently catching modest size eight feet on two pedals
at once. And while the seats look good, they lack side support
- so drivers need to be broad enough to wedge nicely between door
and tunnel when cornering. Drivers of six feet or more will find
legroom sorely lacking and the gear lever positioning awkward
- the Esprit's is a cabin best suited to those of more modest
proportions. An overriding complaint, however, is poor visibility.
That view forwards is now much improved thanks to slimmer A-posts,
but over-shoulder vision is impossible and it's hard to see much
out of the small rear window either, because of internal reflections
and paint glare between that, the sloping glassback and the engine
lid. The simpler TVR interior scores higher on basic ergonomics
- pedals are larger and better spaced, for instance - but poorly
elsewhere. With the hood up, the rear quarters are obscured, and
as we said at the start, in wet weather it's not fun at all. The
plastic rear screen mists up easily, with no means to demist it,
and the heating on our car proved incapable of demisting the front
screen, even while suffocating the cabin (a look under the bonnet
suggested that the reason might have been the removal of some
trunking in order to route the new intake system). The Lotus heating
is no great shakes either, being a crude old, inaccurate water
valve system, but it does at least work and can be adjusted. In
bad weather, the TVR is noisy, stuffy and best left at home if
you have an alternative. Thankfully, that ingenious roof does
fold down very quickly: flip the over-centre stays to release
and lower the rear hood panel, then lift out and stow the targa
roof section in the boot.
The Lotus
has a large, lift out roof panel and ours was in glass (an option)
- which added welcome extra lightness to the interior. In each
car, stowing roof panels does eat into limited stowage space,
of course. The TVR has a small conventional boot plus a sizeable
shelf inside behind the seats. The Esprit has surprisingly usable
amount of space in the rear, behind the engine - though almost
none under the bonnet where you might have expected some. Inside,
it's hopeless, however. There's nothing save a small glovebox
and bin between the seat backs, neither of which can be reached
on the move: you even have to stow your jacket in the boot! And
for a costly car, the Lotus annoyingly misses central locking
from its standard spec - a particular nuisance in such a wide,
low car. But finally, what of the contrast in manufacturing sophistication
we mention earlier? More even than in style and performance, it's
in this area that the new Esprit excels. A fresh quality is evident
from your first look at the latest Esprit Turbo. Not only is the
shape more subtle and cohesive, but there seems a new integrity
about the fit and finish - the fire engine red paint gleams with
a deep, pure shine, while panels fit with unerringly straight
edges. Inside the Esprit, it's a similiar story. The leather and
tweed cloth trim no longer has that self conscious plush look
of so many small, up market producers but instead has the tight
fit and confident execution of a serious production car. If only
it were the same for the TVR. In fairness, we are comparing what
began as an £18,000 car against a £30,000 one - though the gap
swiftly closes when you compare different models in the respective
ranges - but the TVR has shortcomings which ought not to be there
at almost any price. The fit of the panels is poor, and matching
is bad: the bonnet follows a different curve to the wings, the
door windows sit at a different angle to the screen. Even the
basic glass-fibre work on ours looked poor, with noticeable rippling
in places. It's an exciting machine, true enough, but sloppily
executed (even one of the uni-directional Bridgestones was fitted
the wrong way round on our car). With their new Esprit, Lotus
have grown up. At last the car has a maturity of style and quality
to match performance and handling standards that were never in
doubt. The TVR continures to struggle to achieve the same goal.
The performance is certainly not lacking - and in the Sprintex
version a remarkable new dimension has actually been added -and
nor do handling and roadholding give anything away to front-engined
rivals. But what's missing is a refinement to match the excitement
- that quality that could make the TVR a delight to own as well
as to drive. But what we haven't said either is that the TVR is
still the battling Blackpool independent, where Lotus have the
financial might of General Motors behind them. And the difference
clearly shows.