TVR T350C

The T350C offers a similar driving experience to the Tamora, including the usual TVR thrills and compromises. While the newcomer's coup

Supermodel looks and girl-next-door prices. It's no wonder red-blooded enthusiasts will spend a lifetime saving for a TVR. For the cost of a BMW M3, you can get behind the wheel of a machine that appears as exotic as any continental supercar.

The new T350C is no exception. Based on the Tamora and powered by the same 350bhp, 3.6-litre straight-six engine, it's a seriously attractive car. Although the Tamora was labelled plain and bulbous compared to such TVR classics as the Griffith and Chimera, the T350C is both shapely and stylish.

Amazingly, development work in the wind tunnel is partly responsible for this spectacular appearance: the low nose that rises up cleanly, plus the sweeping roofline and sharply cut-off rear are all designed with stealth in mind. It might be hi-tech, but it certainly works from an aesthetic point of view, while details such as the headlights incorporating air vents underneath, and the rounded glass tailgate with drilled aluminium hinges, all add to the classic lines.

From the side, the T350C looks just like the Tamora, but the rear is all-new, with tinted lights that run from top to bottom and meet the drilled rear splitter panel and twin exhausts. The interior is the same as the Tamora's, too, but the glass hatch offers a boot that's surprisingly spacious, and there's even a luggage cover, which may surprise those fans used to the company's traditionally basic approach. Inside, there's the usual TVR driving environment of comfortable seats, thick carpets and distinctive switchgear. The large transmission tunnel pumps out a lot of heat on a long journey, so air-conditioning is a worthwhile optional extra.

Unsurprisingly, adding a roof to the Tamora chassis has given the T350C increased rigidity, and it feels stiff and solid on the road. The suspension set-up is firm, particularly at the rear, and on bumpy country roads the car will jump around a bit, but grip levels are strong and the turn-in is sharp. Push on a little harder and the nose will run wide, but, in true TVR fashion, oversteer is always available. Too much throttle on the exit of a corner will induce the tail to slide, and, although this is controllable, you have to be quick to correct it. Drive sensibly, however, and the T350C is involving and fun.The gearbox is the five-speed unit from the Tamora, and it's easy to use once you master the elbow-out technique needed to avoid knocking the transmission tunnel. As you'd expect from a TVR, engine performance is strong, and once you push through the long throttle pedal travel - a good idea on a car with more than 300bhp - it gives great acceleration. What's more, the throaty soundtrack encourages you to stay in a lower gear all the way up to the 7,500rpm red line.

The T350C offers the full-on TVR experience and, while not refined, it could be a usable everyday car.