---
title: 'TVR Sagaris Review'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=PSlHRkRytt0'
video_id: 'PSlHRkRytt0'
date: 2026-07-28
duration_sec: 1057
channel: 'Throttle House'
---

# TVR Sagaris Review

> Source: [TVR Sagaris Review](https://youtube.com/watch?v=PSlHRkRytt0)

## Summary

The video is a detailed review of the TVR Sagaris, a rare British sports car known for its lightweight construction and powerful naturally aspirated engine. The hosts explore its driving dynamics, philosophy, and quirks, offering a comprehensive look at this analog machine.

### Key Points

- **Rarity and Price** [01:13] — The TVR Sagaris is a rare, hand-built British sports car with only about 200 units made, priced at £50,000 when new.
- **Engine and Performance** [02:24] — The car produces 400 horsepower from a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated straight-6 engine, with independent throttle bodies and a flat torque curve from 2,500 rpm.
- **Lightweight Design** [02:11] — The Sagaris weighs 1,000 pounds less than a Lotus Evora, contributing to its agility and responsiveness.
- **No Driver Aids** [05:09] — TVR deliberately omitted ABS, traction control, and airbags, believing they provided a false sense of confidence and bred complacency.
- **Chassis Construction** [04:43] — The car uses a tubular frame steel chassis with fiberglass panels, essentially a giant roll cage with lightweight bodywork.
- **Driving Experience** [06:05] — Despite its power and lack of aids, the Sagaris is surprisingly easy to drive, with excellent feedback through the seat, hands, and feet.
- **Reliability Concerns** [08:18] — The car broke down during filming, highlighting reliability issues that contributed to TVR's demise.
- **Top Gear Connection** [16:29] — The specific car featured was driven by Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear, adding to its pedigree.

## Transcript

>> You're watching Throttle House. I'm Thomas. >> And I'm James. >> [music]
However you want to say it, it remains the final production offering of car manufacturer TVR, a company named because its creator just grabbed some letters from his own name. Thanks, Trevor.
British through and through, it is a handmade lightweight no-nonsense sports car that thanks to local owner Rob, now gets to appear on Throttle House. Only about 200 were made, and it was 50,000 British pounds sterling when it was new.
This particular car has already had a bit of a life [music] in the spotlight, which we'll get to later. But all you need to know for now is that like the ancient battle-ax it's named after, it is not a product of complexity.
is not a product of complexity. >> [music]
that is a long throttle pedal. You got to bury your foot deep in there and then that will get you to 60 miles an hour in 3.7 seconds. it's analog and it's powerful. This weighs 1,000 lb
less than a Lotus Evora. And yet somehow from its naturally aspirated straight-6, it makes the same it makes the same 400 horsepower.
400 horsepower. In 2005. went mad for the E46 M3 engine only a few years before. This has 40 more horsepower than the M3 CSL and a lot less weight to move. It achieves its
horsepower with a big 4 L of displacement, independent throttle bodies and by being okay with decades of trial and error by its own customers on previous TVRs because apparently with the Sagaris, it finally got quite a bit
more reliable despite its enhanced power. And somehow it's not that scary to drive. The driving position is great. The shifter feels great. The throttle pedal long throw but light. The
clutch reasonably weighted. Lots of control, feels good. The torque curve is flat from about 2,500 rpm. That's my foot to the floor there. It builds but not so much. You've basically got all of that torque down
low thanks to the 4 L of displacement. And for the same reason I guess, it doesn't sing on its way up. It's quite deep, it's quite guttural.
It's British. Someone made this while drinking a bottle of water. Bottle of water. Bottle of water.
Okay. So, it is quick. It is No, it is it's I asked Thomas if he wanted to come with me for this, but apparently I've got a bad reputation with him of spinning in dangerous cars.
That's okay. It's lighter this way. experiences out there. What a wonderful, wonderful thing.
about the Sagaris is that it's not a normal car. normal car. Most modern cars or most cars ever are unibody chassis. That means they're a bunch of steel shapes kind of put
together roughly in the shape of a car, then some steel panels put over top. This is a tubular frame steel chassis with fiberglass panels. That means that with fiberglass panels. That means that this is basically a giant roll cage with
some paper mache on the outside. But, that's not the only reason it's It's also light because it has absolutely no safety systems whatsoever.
That's right. No anti-lock brakes, no traction control, and no airbags. Why? Well, then TVR boss Peter Wheeler genuinely thought that they provided a
false sense of confidence. They would breed laziness, complacency, and the driver was better off in a car that required attention and skill. A car that simply handled well, assuming you knew how to handle it.
Interesting philosophy. Let's see.
direction is really really no Notice me See me fly out of the seat. I didn't expect it to turn in that hard. turn in that hard. Unreal. Wow.
too, is just it's so delicate. It's just unreal. And it's so delicate. It's just unreal. And you know what? get instantly afraid in them. This is not one of those. I just kind of
you hook into it. You connect to it right away. It's just the it's the gift of lightweight.
is and what it isn't. How it works. When you do this, it does that. It really is making me responsible. Right? It's like ask not what your car could do for you,
ask what you can do for your car. I'm valuable. This is the first time I've felt valued in my life. >> [snorts] dashboard for fuel. It's actually a TVR just threw in a
those and it goes away. You just kind of you just do this. Just this motion and fixes the problem.
not because it's over boosted. That's just because the car is light. The philosophy works. It really does. There's no complacency. I'm aware of the fact there's no ABS, but it it's not it's not
>> it's not an issue. Since I can detect the limit the brakes [music] and the tires so easily through my butt, and the tires so easily through my butt, and my hands, and my feet,
control. I'm responsible. >> [music]
I spent a bit more time soaking up what is one of the great driver's cars. And eventually, I started wondering why this company isn't still leading the charge of performance cars. Then, just as I pulled in to chat to James, the Sagaris
decided it was done functioning for the day. And as I rolled in using silent momentum only, I remembered why TVR is no longer with us.
>> That counts. This is actually a better angle anyway. >> Uh >> Great. And it looks good stationary as >> good thing. >> So, it's surprising because like you
hear that's that much horsepower, you hear no driver aids, you hear all of >> Right? >> knuckles are white before you've even >> No. >> It drives incredibly nicely and easily.
>> immediately died when we drove it. >> That No, there would be no planes. >> Yes. In heaven, there's no planes when I'm trying to make a video for YouTube >> Yeah. >> We actually are investing in some
>> [laughter] >> So, check out the side exit exhausts. >> I know. They are really cool. I don't >> Okay. >> and from a very reliable source, it was
>> Okay. >> that they are side exit like that because when they were doing the testing to get type approved, they disconnected one of them, the one facing the sound tester,
kept it like that, which is >> I hope that's true. >> I know. It's like the Colin Chapman thing where he sent Lotus Sevens across >> and Lancia did something similar. >> I don't think it's true. That one's not
>> Oh, really? Okay. Uh another another potential legend, actually, these louvers on the hood, louv- louvres, louvres. But they're not because they're shape in the fender. >> Yeah.
>> Right? Um now, I think the legend went that they were cut out and then stones would get kicked up and hit the windscreen, so TVR was nice enough to >> I've heard that's not true. I've heard that potentially the truth is it was too
came out of the fiberglass mold, so they just said >> [laughter] >> The attitude about everything we love.
"Yeah, no, it's fine. Yeah. No." >> So, you're making a car that's going to be like people's lives are going to depend on this and you're >> Learn how to drive, son. >> It is at least painted exquisitely in
>> Is that the name? >> Chameleon orange. So, it does change from. I must see yellow. I see a sort of a this car? >> What I see a TVR cuz you can't see
>> I see a British Viper. >> Oh. >> This gives me this at least the same vibes and that same road presence as when we drove that Viper ACR, which was oh my god, look at that.
There's not a part of it that I don't like. Do you know what I mean? Like >> I I'm not a huge fan of this style of uh rear wing situation here. Anyway, I love that you can see the roll
cage stitched through the glass here. That's really really cool looking. This is the Brits realizing and I'm not just disparaging the Brits. >> Yeah. >> But this is the Brits realizing what you
want in a sports car. Looks, sound, everyone's now going, "Hang on, we should make resto-mods to recapture >> Yeah, and this is 2005. >> It is everything that you want in a
sports car. There's There isn't actually a single thing I'm You know what? I wouldn't mind some ABS. Just because then you don't have to be don't mind the no traction control thing, that's fine. But ABS
>> It's lovely, yeah. >> It's a It's a comfort, you know. stuff the Brits were making at the time. You got the Lotus Elise. >> And then you got the Noble M400. >> Yeah, well there's also like an Aston
>> Yeah, but that's real That's a real car. >> It's yeah. >> How do you open the hood? making the Ford GT at the time. >> That's true, yes.
That's all the horse That's You have to unscrew that one, but to take >> Okay. >> And then do a little quarter turn. >> Like that. >> Yeah. And then you take the whole thing.
>> pick up this piece of fiberglass. >> Doesn't look very heavy. >> Individual throttle bodies? >> Yeah. >> Mid-mounted? It's a really cool looking thing.
And I see the radiator fans going up that way. Air comes in there, I guess. >> Timeless. If this came out today >> You you could tell me this is a modern >> I know. >> You see that? Just Just for the driver.
was just in the sun. >> [laughter] bump. That's what it looks like inside. the the boot opens by pressing the Sagaris logo. I like that the the
wing mirrors. Like it's clean without doing electric recessed door handles >> Well, there's a lot of funny buttons. You want to take a look inside? >> Yeah, I just got to be I got to be careful about this thing.
>> This is how you open the door. Watch this. Yeah. Look at this. >> Oh. >> [laughter]
three buttons. >> Listen, this was designed by four of the >> Okay. >> Are you ready? >> Graham Brown, Lee Hodgetts, Darren Hobbs, and Martin Smith.
>> Sounds like I'm doing the register for the rugby team. >> Thanks, boys. >> Yeah. No, it's uh it's lovely and spartan and very Well, you know what? I would say driver focused, but it's
>> the transmission >> takes center stage. prioritized in the cabin. >> Yeah, it's a hell of a tunnel. pedal for the for the clutch. You just hover your foot over the clutch and like
there's no I'm on the door. Like I'm just I'm sitting on the door frame. >> thirds, it's fifths. You're in the >> sounds. This feels like the inside of a Hummer H1 where it's got like a giant
>> Yeah, yeah, yeah. And then nothing's labeled, right? Like that's the door, window switches. No idea what that one does. >> It's a mystery item. >> Um these I assume are climate control.
>> Yeah. Uh you you can see the roll bar. It's just it's really cool. Yeah. >> Um Yeah, I don't know. There's not honestly trimmed, it's nice. The driving position is good despite the fact that I am like
>> Yes. >> [laughter] how not scary it is. >> No, I that is the easily the biggest >> Yeah.
something like I >> The visuals of it, yeah, being inside with the roll cage. >> Yeah, no, it's so easy to drive, so easy just perfectly intuitive and feedbacks brilliantly.
It's a it's a really, really cool car, really is. TVR with the latest TVR. from here, from what I've heard. >> This is when they fixed the handling.
>> When we first started trying to film TVRs about 57 years ago, there was rumor that it was coming back and they were redoing the Griffith. >> And then there was like EVs or not EVs. Um and that hasn't actually changed in
>> But I did say when I was driving it, China, >> Don't you buy TVR and start making a Lotus Electra alternative. leave it alone. >> Leave Britain alone.
>> Um one final fun fact about this particular car. >> This is the car that was actually in Top Gear that Jeremy Clarkson drove all >> All right. So, once again, with Jeremy Clarkson's sloppy seconds.
Why does that keep happening? >> We signed a contract for one of them. >> We signed a contract for one of them. >> That's yeah, that's true.
is not. It's refreshingly analog, hardcore, and yet somehow could do the date night duty just fine, as long as you're okay with ubering home. Could it sound better? Yes. Could it have benefited from maybe an airbag or
Also, yes. It's not perfect, but it looks the part, drives like the bee's knees, and is 100% And that's pretty cool. Thanks for watching.