Both the S and the Griffith were pure sports cars, with little attempt at designing in any practicality. Boot space was limited (particularly with targa panel inside) and the ride of each car was very firm.

It was time for a slightly softened (relatively) car, V8 engined, with more luggage capacity. John Ravenscroft and Peter Wheeler set about carving the shape of the Chimaera from foam models. TVR folklore has it that the indicator recesses at the front of the car were actually a result of Peter Wheeler's dog - Ned - taking a chunk out of one of the moulds. Mr Wheeler liked it, so it remained a feature of the car. The air intakes at the front of the car are larger than those on the Griffith. This is probably to cool the catalysts, which had become mandatory by this time. Dimensions are similar to the Griffith, with the Chimaera only two inches longer, to create boot space.

The underpinnings are based on the Griffith, with different dampers, and a rear anti-roll bar was installed from day one. The Chimaera was going to host the AJP8. This was an engine designed by Al Melling who'd had a hand in many race engines in the 1980's. Together with TVR, they set about designing a brand new engine and associated running gear. However development was taking longer than desired, so the trusty Rover V8 (tweaked by TVR Power) was slotted into the Chimaera with a capacity of 4.0 or 4.3 litres. Again in line with 'softening' the car, the 4.0 litre has a softer cam than earlier units, giving less harsh characteristics. A Rover gearbox, Sierra rear axle and a Quaife differential were employed. The Rover gearbox was replaced in later years by a Borg-Warner sourced unit.

The Chimaera is still selling well, and undergoes minor changes from time to time. The latest models undergone the following changes:

• Front grille replaced with a single horizontal slat like the Cerbera
• The bonnet has larger vents and is slightly higher near the windscreen.
• The boot has a longer tail lip and the front indicators aren't mesh.
• Inside the car the latest have different tell-tale lamps for ice warning/indicator/main beam/etc.
• The spare wheel relocated to the centre of the boot.
• Door button is now on the wing mirror (like the Cerbera)
• The most obvious change in recent times has been to the rear lights.

Before	After