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Modern F1 cars disguise their performance so well it can be hard to remember the driver behind the wheel is managing savage acceleration and G forces that would reduce a normal human to a pool of pulp.
Video: Ride onboard with this heroic TVR mountain pass attack
So allow us to reinject the drama of motorsport with this video of a TVR Griffith 400 being manhandled up a Swiss mountain pass. Modern-era TVRs weren’t exactly renowned for their road manners, but they didn’t even have a patch on this thundering classic.
Managing armfuls of steering lock from the get-go, piloting this TVR up the Tarmac seems as much about driving as hanging on for dear life and hoping for the best as the car squats and the bonnet yanks itself towards the horizon under hard acceleration.
Not that there is much opportunity to give it the beans. Even the lightest throttle application has Griffith snapping towards the cliff edge, demanding comical levels of steering correction. Straining on the leash like the mystical animal – half lion, half eagle – that bore its name, the video of this TVR is truly an epic demonstration of car control and bravery.
It’s also a great advert for TVR, a company sadly missed. Unburdened by the need for ABS, traction control or airbags, modern TVRs offered huge performance, stunning looks and a rewardingly challenging driving experience at a knockdown price, something we’ll probably never see again under the asphyxiation of modern regulations.
Welcome to Goodwood Elevenses, a helping of motoring-related amusement to help break up your day. Watch the last video: Lamborghini Diablo GTR one-make racing is a V12 symphony
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