TVR will use a version of the 5.0-liter “Coyote” V8 from the Ford Mustang, tuned by race-engineering specialist Cosworth. The company responsible for a string of successful Ford-based Formula One engines recently fired up the new TVR engine on a dynamometer, and announced plans for a TVR assault on Le Mans in 2018, according to Autocar.
The Coyote V8 will power all new TVR sports cars, with outputs ranging from 450 horsepower to more than 500 hp. Each engine will be hand assembled at the same Bosworth shop that builds all of the company’s racing engines. Modifications from the base Ford design reportedly include a lighter flywheel, dry oil sump, new exhaust manifolds, and TVR-specific engine-management software.
TVR has several new models planned, though, so the full extent of modifications across the range will probably be more extensive. It’s expected to offer standard and high-performance versions of the base road car, plus a track-day special and a spec-series racer along the lines of the Lamborghini Huracán LP602-2 Super Trofeo and similar racing models.
The carmaker also claims that racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans will be “front and center,” and that it plans to unveil a racing version of its new sports car at the event in 2017, and compete in 2018. A race-tuned version of the Coyote V8 already exists, and proved so powerful that it broke Cosworth’s dynamometer on its first test.
The unveiling of TVR’s racecar should coincide with the first deliveries of customer cars. TVR started taking deposits in June, and by September it claimed it had already filled the 250 orders for the first year’s production.
