Meet The New 500-HP TVR Griffith: TVR's Epic Sports Car Comeback

As you probably already know by now, the Griffith is powered by a naturally-aspirated, 5.0-liter Cosworth V8 engine that sends 480 horsepower to the rear wheels through an old-school six-speed manual gearbox. It's front-mid mounted and dry sumped, creating a low center of gravity and a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. 0-62 mph takes less than four seconds, and the Griffith will go on to a top speed of over 200 mph. It's remarkably light, too, with a dry weight of just 1,250 kg resulting in a power-to-weight ratio of 400-hp-per-tonne. That puts it in McLaren 570S territory. We have the legendary Gordon Murray, who helmed the design of the McLaren F1, to thank for the Griffith's lightweight construction.

The Griffith is the first production car to utilize Murray's revolutionary iStream construction technique, which streamlines the manufacturing process with pre-assembled parts to cut costs and build cars more quickly. Its chassis consists of a tubular steel frame with bonded carbon-fiber panels providing extra rigidity. The Griffith also has double wishbone suspension with adjustable coilover dampers. With its naturally-aspirated V8 and traditional six-speed manual, the Griffith is clearly designed to put a smile on the face of driving purists. Unlike previous TVRs, however, the new Griffith is equipped with an assortment of modern electronic aids such as ABS, traction control, and fully electric steering.

TVR has taken a similar approach with the interior, too. The cabin is minimalist and decidedly driver focused, yet features a centrally mounted infotainment system with a Tesla-style portrait screen. TVR says that the 90,000 GBP ($117,882) Launch Edition of the Griffith, limited to 500 units and slated for production next year, has nearly sold out. Welcome back, TVR. You've been missed.