2004 TVR Tuscan T400R Comes to Project Motor Racing

April 10, 2025

The 2004 TVR Tuscan T400R is a carbon-chassis GT racer with an in-house engine, all built on a shoestring, a true British GT contender born from TVR’s Speed 6 legacy. Weighing 1,100 kg and harnessing around 390 bhp from rev-happy 4L inline-6, it tackled international endurance events under N-GT rules. Its front-mid engine, RWD layout exemplifies TVR’s daring engineering spirit.

• Engine: TVR 4L Speed Six straight-6
• Power: 390 bhp @ 7,000 RPM
• Torque: 420 Nm @ 5,250 RPM
• Weight: 1,100 kg
• Transmission: 6-speed sequential
• Layout: front-mid engine, rear-wheel-drive

Purpose-Built for Endurance Racing

In the early 2000s, TVR—a specialist automaker from Blackpool who’d enjoyed glory days back in the ’50s—decided on an audacious mission to get back into endurance racing. That quest would eventually harden into the much loved Tuscan T400R.

The Tuscan T400R, conceived as a purpose-built GT racer, was itself born from the remains of TVR’s one-make Tuscan Challenge series of the 1990s. Development began around 2000 on what was then internally called the Tuscan R (for “Racer”). During development, TVR launched their T350 road car which then became the monicker for TVR’s race project: the T400R (R for racing and the 400 for the purpose-built 4L engine).

Between 2001 and 2004, TVR built only seven T400R chassis, making it a rare breed indeed. The British GT Championship served as the launch pad for the program, but Le Mans was always the ultimate objective.

Technical Specifications and Design

At the heart of the Tuscan T400R was TVR’s in-house 4L Speed Six engine—a naturally aspirated straight-6 developed from TVR’s own road cars but heavily tuned for racing. TVR chose to build and develop this engine internally (rather than use an off-the-shelf powerplant) and the result was something spectacular—if you like a straight-6 wail, flame-spitting exhausts, and rev-happy engines.

The chassis was a major evolution for TVR, too. The T400R utilizes a tubular steel spaceframe bonded to a carbon-fibre composite monocoque. This led to a weight of around 1,100 kg, which put it dead in-line with its rivals in N-GT. That and a perfect 50:50 weight distribution is something you’ll love in Project Motor Racing: a car that rewards a driver who can cowboy their way around a track. The wind-tunnel-produced body meanwhile features a hostile front splitter, wide arches and a massive rear wing to ensure aerodynamic stability on fast circuits.

The result? A car that hit 322 kmh on the Mulsanne Straight and exists to be hustled about the track.

Competition and Performance

The Tuscan T400R made its competitive debut in 2001 in the British GT Championship’s GTO class and by 2003, they’d hit their objective of racing in international endurance races.

But it was during the 2004 season that the T400R finally came good. In British GT, the “Eclipse Motorsport” T400R achieved a race victory at Oulton Park and a pair of second-place finishes. “RSR Racing” (backed by self-made millionaire Lawrence Tomlinson), also introduced two T400Rs mid-season and almost won on debut at Donington. “RSR” then took the TVR internationally—to the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2004 with a striking purple wide-body version engineered by Dave Lampitt—and to the 1000km at Spa where the T400R was showing class-leading pace until an Audi LMP1 stuck it into a wall.

By the end of that glorious season, the T400R had earned itself a reputation as a fast and nimble-handling car that favoured the last of the late brakers and inspired driver confidence by being really forgiving at the limit. You’ll find that is tends to mid-corner understeer in Project Motor Racing, but some hard running will reward you with surprisingly quick lap times.

The straight-6 engine meanwhile offers a broad torque band, though you’ll find yourself a little short on power against the cream of N-GT. Despite that, on its day, the T400R can go blow-to-blow with the class leaders, particularly on tighter tracks where its inherent balance can counter a lack of grunt.

Legacy and Significance in GT Racing

The Tuscan T400R holds a special place in early-2000s GT racing lore. In an era when most GT entrants were heavily funded factory efforts or well-supported private teams, TVR from Blackpool brought a healthy dose of “by the bootstraps” ethos to the grid.

Ultimately, the T400R’s factory-supported racing career was short-lived. After 2005, TVR underwent ownership change and withdrew from motorsport, ending the program just as it was starting to get results. The car’s legacy lives on, though, and it’s become a bit of a cult favourite in GT racing history, remembered for its distinctive looks, sound, and the underdog determination it symbolized. The kind of car a true racer likes to get their hands on.

You can do that in Project Motor Racing.

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