Stillborn TVR Griffith to now go electric

Five years after it revealed its concept for a reborn TVR Griffith, TVR will launch a pure-electric version that will go on sale by 2024.
 
As well as announcing the battery-electric TVR, the Welsh-based car-maker said it had agreed to sponsor two rounds of the Formula E electric race series.

 
Commenting on the Monaco e-Prix (April 30) and London e-Prix (July 30-31) deal, TVR chairman Lee Edgar said that the new partnership with the all-electric motorsport series marked a "turning point in the strategic decision of the British high-performance sports car manufacturer as they accelerate their plans to electrify the brand".
 
Edgar said the car-maker would introduce the pure-electric Griffith variant in 2024.

 
TVR said it had formed a joint-venture with South American lithium mining firm Ensorcia Metals to fund the development of the battery-powered sports car.
 
No details were released on the new zero-emissions TVR, nor were any updates given on when exactly the Ford Cosworth V8-powered version will finally be introduced.

 
Instead, reports suggest TVR is finally primed to move into its new factory near Cardiff in the "coming months", although the building is said to still need a further 18 months of renovation before a car will actually roll off the production line.
 
That timeline suggests no actual TVR ­– combustion or EV – will be launched until the first half of 2024, at the earliest.

 
Originally, the all-new TVR Griffith was scheduled for a 2019 debut before it was hit with numerous delays.
 
Created to be a back-to-basics Porsche 911 rival, the two-seat Griffith was based around the iStream modular architecture designed by legendary ex-McLaren F1 designer Gordon Murray.

 
It employed a construction that used a steel frame with carbon fibre-bonded inner panels to improve its rigidity and strength, while keeping its weight down to 1250kg.

It will be powered by a mega-horsepower Cosworth version of Ford’s 5.0-litre Mustang V8, developing 375kW.
 
Back in 2017, TVR claimed a 0-100km/h time of less than four seconds for the rear-drive, front-engined sports car, along with a 320km/h-plus top speed.