TVR Sagaris
The TVR Sagaris is a track-focused two-seat coupé built at TVR’s Blackpool factory between 2005 and 2006. Developed from the T350 platform and aimed at owners who wanted a road car they could take straight onto a circuit, just 213 cars were produced before the marque’s collapse. This page is an overview of the model: history, key specifications and a few notes on the engineering behind it.
History and concept
Section titled “History and concept”The Sagaris was first shown as a concept at the MPH03 show in 2003 and reached production in 2005. The brief was a car that could endure track use without modification, which is why the bodywork is so heavily vented — the bonnet, front wings, sills and rear deck all carry intakes or extractors to keep brakes, engine bay and cabin cool during sustained hard driving.
Like other TVRs of the Peter Wheeler era, the Sagaris was sold without ABS, airbags, traction control or stability control. Wheeler’s view was that such systems encouraged overconfidence; the chassis was instead engineered to be communicative and progressive.
Chief Engineer Daniel Boardman is credited with refining the car significantly over earlier TVRs — eliminating bump-steer, working with Bilstein and Multimatic on damper tuning, redesigning the bonnet for clearance and airflow, and improving the door seals. Jeremy Clarkson called it “the best TVR ever made.”
A Sagaris 2 prototype with a revised rear end, exhaust and cabin was shown in 2008 but never reached production.
The name is taken from the sagaris, a light single-handed battle-axe used by the Scythians.
Engine
Section titled “Engine”The Sagaris uses the 4.0-litre version of TVR’s in-house Speed Six straight-six, in a high-output state of tune.
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Type | TVR Speed Six, inline 6-cylinder |
| Displacement | 3,996 cc |
| Bore × stroke | 96 mm × 92 mm |
| Compression ratio | 12.2:1 |
| Valvetrain | DOHC, 4 valves per cylinder |
| Peak power | 406 bhp (303 kW) @ 7,000 rpm |
| Peak torque | 349 lb·ft (473 N·m) @ 5,000 rpm |
| Gearbox | 5-speed manual |
See the Speed Six engine guide for service notes and known weaknesses common to all Speed Six cars.
Chassis and brakes
Section titled “Chassis and brakes”Suspension is fully independent at both ends, with double wishbones, coil-over gas dampers and anti-roll bars front and rear. Braking is by ventilated discs all round.
| Item | Front | Rear |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | Double wishbones, coil-over gas dampers, anti-roll bar | Double wishbones, coil-over gas dampers, anti-roll bar |
| Brake disc diameter | 322 mm (12.7 in), ventilated | 298 mm (11.7 in), ventilated |
Dimensions and performance
Section titled “Dimensions and performance”| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Wheelbase | 2,360 mm (92.9 in) |
| Length | 4,056 mm (159.7 in) |
| Width | 1,849 mm (72.8 in) |
| Height | 1,176 mm (46.3 in) |
| Kerb weight | 1,078 kg (2,376 lb) |
| Top speed | 185 mph (298 km/h) |
| 0–60 mph | 3.7 seconds |
| 60–0 mph braking | 2.9 seconds |
Production and racing
Section titled “Production and racing”Total production was 213 cars over the 2005–2006 model years. A Sagaris fitted with a 420 bhp Supersport Speed Six was campaigned in the 2011 British GT Cup, taking wins at Oulton Park and Brands Hatch.
Buying and ownership
Section titled “Buying and ownership”Many Sagaris running-gear and chassis parts are shared with the T350 and late Tuscan; see the Tuscan, Tamora and T350 page and the Speed Six engine guide for cross-model service information. The TVR specialists and suppliers list covers shops familiar with these cars.
Compiled from a Wikipedia-sourced community upload — always verify figures against original TVR documentation or a marque specialist before relying on them.