Hyper rare TVR T440R for sale

Many ‘wows’ were experienced, especially those caused by a real 1992 Lancia Delta WRC in full Martini equipment and an Alpine A110 rally car with a PH sticker on the wings. But it was the TVR Car Club exhibition that amazed me. There, in the front and center of the stands, was one original TVR Speed ​​12 prototype from 1997. A car that I could have sworn didn’t exist, but there it was, beautiful in reflex purple, waiting for an extensive restoration. And if that’s not enough, the car parked next to it is the one we have for sale here: a bona fide T440R.

Also known as the TuscanR, Typhon and T400R at various points during development (we’ll get to that), the T440R followed in the Speed ​​12’s footsteps as TVR’s ticket to Le Mans. The company tried and failed to enter the Speed ​​12 in the legendary 24-hour race, but the abolition of the GT1 rules at the turn of the millennium meant that the only place it could still compete was the British GT Championship. Unwilling to let the Le Mans dream die, TVR set about building a new purpose-built racer to compete with Ferrari 360s and Porsche 911s in the LMGT class for 2003. However, the FIA required at least two variants to be built to be allowed through the door, so one was badged as the T400R with a 4.0-liter six-cylinder and another as the T440R with a 4.2-liter engine.

Remarkably, the car we have here, ZNG, is believed to be the one and only T400R. The 4.0-liter engine has long been discontinued, but in its place is a new 4.4-liter inline six-cylinder with a power output of 400 hp to 440 hp, comparable to that of the original factory T440R. Complicated, right? But like any TVR, just because it left the factory in a certain condition wasn’t a sign that it was finished. And it will come as no surprise that the company has fitted a supercharger to the third car and given it the aforementioned Typhon moniker.

Anyway, back to the car in question. Although the engine has undergone a number of modifications over the years, the rest of the car remains the same. The T440R is built around a tubular frame chassis with an aluminum honeycomb floor, integrated roll cage and carbon fiber bodywork. It tipped the scales at just over a tonne and, thanks to its CAD-developed shape resulting in a slick 0.32CD, is said to be capable of over 200mph. An incredible feat considering it was built from the ground up in a factory that resembles a blacksmith’s workshop.

Like the Speed ​​12, there is an element of mystery to the T440R. No one knows exactly how many they made, no one can quite remember which one was called what, and most stories from former TVR employees are contradictory at best. But this one is perhaps the most famous of the bunch, as it was a former press car (and piloted by Clarkson pre-new Top Gear) and occasionally appears on a show. The seller is looking for £249,990, which makes this comfortably the most expensive TVR compared to the original Speed ​​12 (with another to follow soon). But there’s only one that looks like it, and the other hasn’t been seen in decades. So act now, because you may not get a second chance.