TVR LINK-UP PROMPTS SERIOUS INTEREST IN FORMULA E SERIES

The reborn TVR marque, which is soon to start production of a new Griffith model, has linked up with Formula E as a backer and could field its own team in the category.

The British-owned firm has inked an agreement that meant it backed the Monaco race last weekend and it will also be supporting the London E-Prix later this year.

TVR was bought in 2013 by Les Edgar and the firm will open a new factory in south Wales. Edgar explained that alongside the road-car production, there was an interest in joining the grid of the all-electric championship.

“As a sports car company, we need to be in racing; all sports car companies need to prove their mettle,” Edgar explained. “Racing is one of the ways to do that.

And the pressure that racing at the level that Formula E brings to ensure that you’re at an optimal position with your manufacturing processes, the use of energy is phenomenal, and we’re embracing that whole challenge to help us to design and develop future TVRs.”

The company’s managing director Jim Berriman stopped short of saying that the firm would be on the FE grid, although he said TVR would be in discussions surrounding the fourth generation of Formula E cars.

“We’re excited to see what impact we have,” said Berriman. “We’re really looking forward to July when we can be back on home turf in London, and making a bit of noise around there. We’ll just see how it goes. We’re going to be getting involved [in the Gen4 discussions] just carefully listening and watching. This is our first formal step into this arena.”