[1]We have an unbridled focus on American cars here at powerTV. Yet there is a whole world of cars and brands, some new, some old, some dead, and some coming back from the brink. Besides, just because your car was made in England or Russia doesn’t mean it can’t have a good ol’ American V8, right?
Such is the case with TVR, a semi-defunct British supercar maker now in the hands of 30 year-old Russian tycoon Nikolay Smolensky. Pistonheads [2] reports that TVR’s first new car since the Russian Revolution could be powered by the LS9 engine found in the Corvette ZR1.
TVR was founded immediately following World War II in England, and it eventually rose to be the third-largest maker of specialty automobiles in the world. A typical TVR coupe or convertible featured a tubular metal frame wrapped in fiberglass, using either an in-house six or eight cylinder engine. The company was divided up over the years, and Smolensky bought what was left of the automaker back in 2004 for about $25 million.
TVR has not actually built a car since 2006, and yet it seems Smolensky is determined to make some kind of sports car. TVR will no longer make its own engines, and they are looking to court other small manufacturers like Lotus to help them build the actual car. The latest rumors indicate the car will be called the MD-1, a convertible that will be powered by the 638 horsepower supercharged LS9 engine. Originally slated to debut this summer, the unveiling has been pushed back until later this year. It might not be American, but we can appreciate any car with an American-made LS9 under the hood.