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TVR AJP8 (Speed Eight)

The AJP8 is TVR’s own V8 engine, designed in-house in the mid-1990s. The name comes from the designers — Al Melling, John Ravenscroft, Peter Wheeler.

Spec at a glance

Section titled “Spec at a glance”
  • Configuration: 75° V8, dry sump
  • Capacities: 4.2 L and 4.5 L variants
  • Power: roughly 350 bhp (4.2) to 420 bhp (4.5), depending on tune
  • Construction: aluminium block and heads
  • Cars: TVR Cerbera (V8 variants), Tuscan Speed Eight, Griffith 500 (limited use)

Known weak spots

Section titled “Known weak spots”
  • Cylinder head porosity — early heads have been reported as porous. Coolant in the oil after a hot run is the typical symptom.
  • Followers and cam wear — service history really matters.
  • Bespoke electronics — the original ECU (Lucas-developed for TVR) is no longer supported. Most current owners are running either a reflashed original ECU, an emulator board, or a modern aftermarket ECU (MBE / TunerStudio).
Section titled “Related deep dives”