A British road-legal racing car is up for auction and, as it’s a totally unique model, is expected to fetch more than £200,000 when it goes under the hammer.
The TVR Cerbera Speed 12 never actually made it into production, so the lucky new owner can be sure they’ll have a completely exclusive model out on the road.
The Blackpool-assembled 2000 TVR Cerbera Speed 12 shot to worldwide fame when it was used as a model for the Gran Turismo computer game.
Racing favourite – the gran-turismo.fandom website says TVR has featured in every main Gran Turismo game to date.
Looking like a race car that just happens to be legal to drive on the road, the Speed 12 was so powerful and difficult to drive as a prototype that the decision was made not to push forward a manufacturing run.
TVR, and then boss Peter Wheeler, were not known for shirking away from a challenge, but even the company’s top man (who raced other models in his spare time) thought it was too much of a handful for buyers.
Designed with the intention of keeping up with the famous McLaren F1, the Speed 12 has a 7.7-litre V12 petrol engine.
The power unit made around 850bhp, while the car only weighed about 1,000kg, so acceleration was ferocious.
TVR built one Speed 12 road car – made up from road car, prototype and racing parts – and sold it to a buyer that Wheeler himself personally vetted to ensure it was going to the right home.
If you happen to have a few hundred thousand pounds going spare, then you might want to pay a visit to Supercar Fest in Northamptonshire on May 20th, where Silverstone Auctions will be organising the sale.
Shy and retiring types need not apply.
The TVR Cerbera Speed 12 features a 7.7-litre, 840bhp V12 engine. Read More