In today’s crazy world of hypercars, manufacturers are competing to build the most rapid cars the world has seen.
However 20 years ago, the idea of a road car weighing 1,100kg with nearly 900bhp wasn’t so much unprecedented as unhinged.
Said car was the TVR Cebera Speed 12, dubbed the ‘world’s most dangerous car’.
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Although it may look like a race car, the TVR Cerbera Speed 12 happens to be legal to drive on the road.
It was that powerful and difficult to drive as a prototype, though, the decision was made not to push forward a manufacturing run.
Never ones to shy away from a challenge, TVR and its then boss Peter Wheeler – who raced other models in his spare time – thought it was too much of a handful for buyers.
Only one TVR Cerbera Speed 12 was built – made up from road car, prototype and racing parts – which was then sold to a buyer Wheeler himself personally vetted.
Fast forward to today, and the Speed 12 has popped up at auction and has sold for a staggering amount.
Has the new owner bitten off more than they can chew, though?
Designed with the intention of keeping up with the famous McLaren F1, the Speed 12 has a 7.7-liter V12 under its hood.
Its previous owner utilized the skills and experience of the original TVR race engineers to further optimize the Speed 12’s performance.
The engine was remapped and many of the components were replaced with uprated items.
The car now weighs around 1,000kg, whilst producing around 850bhp and over 900 lb-ft of torque.
TVR Cerbera Speed 12 auction price
Having found fame when it was used as a model for the Gran Turismo video game, the Speed 12 was bound to attract significant attention when it headed to auction.
When it recently went under the hammer with Silverstone Auctions, it generated some frenzied bidding from as far afield as Switzerland, New Zealand, Australia and the US.
It was eventually sold to a British buyer for $750,000 – around double the expected price.
