I am looking to buy a TVR Chimera in the next few weeks, but wife is keen on getting a car she can drive to. To make a TVR safer for my wife I was thinking of some sort of Wife mode (like the teenager keys on some cars).
My first though was something in the air intake to reduce the air flow, possibly by using a couple more throttle bodies.
Any other ideas?
"Drew.H" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
IAM or RoSPA course?
Swap a couple of 'plug leads around. That should reduce power output a bit.
Alternatively, some sort of stop under the throttle, to limit travel, perhaps. IIRC, the pedal travel is pretty long anyway, so you tend not to get WOT accidentally anyway.
/looks over shoulder/ The best answer is of course to buy a £1k shopping trolley for her to kill instead.
If an adult can't be trusted to drive a car capable of high speeds safely and within their limits, they shouldn't be driving. I take it it is fitted with a throttle pedal?
Buy an aftermarket rev limiter, set it to say 3500rpm and have a secret switch...
Alternatively fit 200 BHP of nitrous and give her a go in a car park. That should scare her enough to not want to drive it?
On the open road I think she would be fine, she is not a speed freak. Its just setting off from junctions, she tends to get over enthusiastic. The possibility of a doughnut when pulling out of a T-Junction is my main concern.
I gave my mates brother a go on a 250bhp road/drag (mostly drag) bike once.
1425 big bore and huge flat slides, 14.5 compression, Nitrous on the fast action throttle open exhaust. It was stupidly violently fast. Needless to say it wasnt actually mine, as I like a little control!Setting off was always going to be an on off affair as the carbs broke the vacuum and you accidentally get way too much power and wheelspin. You couldnt set of gently. It was stall or pray and hang on... It couldnt cruise. It was on/off... Corners were not really possible! Traffic wasnt either. Scared the shit out of him much to my amusement. Scared the shit out of me too befdore that and I have had some very powerful 2 wheelers. He was used to a 125 and a ford sierra. No way he could control that. Some vehicles DO need taming a bit for the inexperienced. In the same way bikes have size and hp limits.
She has an MGF VVC at the moment, I thought it would be good practice, but the bloody thing handles to well. Its the torque when setting off from a junction that is my main worry.
The MGF is for sale, incidentally.
May not even need that, she only ever drove my Dutton Phaeton once, leaving a nice 11 on the road.
You're not married are you ;o)
"Drew.H" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:
Would marriage make me somehow come to realise my beloved was incapable of improving her skills?
Somehow, I suspect the answers to that may go off-topic very rapidly...
Nah, seriously - SWMBO would get the hump FAR more seriously from finding out I'd put a hidden numptyswitch in to protect her from her own incompetence than from me suggesting that, since it's a bloody quick car, advanced training would be a good idea...
She is not bothered about performance, just looks, so a "Safety" or "Eco" switch may go down well. However if I suggest she gets some advanced training I'd get some verbal and an argument if its that dangerous/fast you're not having one. Like I got when I bought the Blackbird.
SWMBOs don't listen and therefore can be told (I hope she never read this) ;o)
The VVC can be accused of many things, but "handling too well" isn't one of them. It's a roly-poly jelly bean of a car that has more in common with standard saloon/hatch cars than with sports cars in the handling department. If that's the sportiest thing that she's driven then a TVR is going to come as a bit of a shock. A TVR is, after all, a car that spends most of its life planning how to commit suicide and take the driver with it.
Given your description of your wife's "talent" it would be insane to let her drive a TVR. It might be more sensible to look at some other car for you to get your jollies. If you want to go all chest wig and goolies hanging out while keeping your wife alive and the car in one piece consider something with switchable traction control and ESP.
Unfortunately that does leave you with a list of hairdresser's cars. Audi TT, Mercedes SL, Lambo Gayardo, Nissan 350Z, Porsche Boxster. I'm sure others will be able to stick in some other cars with driver safety aids as standard.
I love how you just threw the Gallardo in there like it was in someway comparable to the others and not a 500bhp, £130k supercar hehe!
May I also suggest the Pagani Zonda, I think they have switchable TC.
To be fair though, as Burgerman said, a Chimera doesn't just need your average level of self control. One slight slip and you could very easily find yourself in a hedge.
What Adrian said, then. Driving course. The only vehicle I've ever spun on a junction was a 2.25 109" LandRover...
Richard
I think your wife would be better employed following you in a tow truck. Just in case!
Depends; if mine discovered that I had restricted the car she would *not* be happy.
If I suggested that her driving were not up to scratch for a 300+ bhp rear wheel drive car she would refer me to her ass - but get over it...
It drops the suspension to the floor remove handling, adds loads of filler and fibreglass to ruin aerodynamics and add weight, and sticks a big open cone filter on the suck in warm air and stifle performance?
One hella key.
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