| While most of the cars we see on the road are | | | | in that it was a racing car converted for road use. It |
| mass-produced, by major automobile manufacturers | | | | has also been described as "One of the most |
| there are a few cars built in limited quantities for | | | | spectacular supercars ever built." |
| special purposes. There are even a few small custom | | | | It was styled by Achim Storz, a former employee of |
| building-manufacturing companies that are the dream | | | | Porsche Design. And the Porsche 962 was actually |
| come true accompanied by the sweat and hard work | | | | the inspiration for the entire car. It was equipped |
| of one individual. Such a company was TVR, founded | | | | with a Le Mans spec 2994 c.c watercooled flat-six |
| by Trevor Wilkinson, back in 1947. The company was | | | | with dohc per bank operating 4 valves per cylinder. It |
| housed in Blackpool, England and specialized in the | | | | was capable of producing 730 hp at 7,600 rpm and |
| production of sports/racing cars. | | | | 517 lbft at 5,000 rpm. According to Dauer it could |
| Each car was designed by stylists at the Blackpool | | | | accelerate 0 to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds and 120 mph |
| plant and completely custom built on the premises. | | | | in 7.2 seconds. It weighed 1080 kg. |
| The bodies were made of fiberglass with a full FIA | | | | The body was very similar to the Porsche Group C |
| rib cage. Even the seats were hand-sewn by | | | | racer, being a Kevlar body mounted over a steel |
| seamstresses on site. | | | | tubular space frame. It had large diameter wheels and |
| The company also sponsored a one-make racing | | | | tires. |
| series billed as the TVR Tuscan Challenge. | | | | But a problem that was never overcome in the road |
| One limited production car, designed specifically for | | | | use conversion was cabin size. Racing cars are |
| this race, was the TVR Tuscan Racer or Speed 8. | | | | designed to accommodate one person, the driver. |
| This was a convertible with a fiberglass body | | | | Street cars, at minimum, must seat a driver and at |
| mounted over a tubular steel chass. It was powered | | | | least one passenger. Although Dauer crammed two |
| by a 4441 cc Rover V8 engine and had a Borg | | | | seats into the cabin, it was so crowded that the |
| Warner T5.5 manual transmission. | | | | passenger's shoulder would come in contact with the |
| The TVR's were soon billed as "one of the world's | | | | driver's. The driver's head came close to touching the |
| most powerful performance cars." In 2005, the | | | | window and there was little leg room. Finally, one had |
| company ceased to be the culmination of a British | | | | to detach the steering wheel to enter and exit the |
| dream as it was purchased by the 24-year-old | | | | vehicle. This is true of racing cars. |
| Russian millionaire Nikolai Smolensky. | | | | While the car had excellent forward vision, rear vision |
| Another dream was the Dauer Racing 962 LM. This | | | | was poor. Like a truck, there was no rear window |
| car is also somewhat of a mystery as it is not | | | | and the driver had to depend on side mirrors for a |
| certain just how many were built although Dauer | | | | rear view. This would make it a choice for the driver |
| claimed he could produce fifty. Jochen Dauer was the | | | | who valued speed and performance over comfort |
| founder of the Dauer Racing Team who had already | | | | and convenience. |
| tasted success in the World Sportcar Championship | | | | However, both the cars and their creators serve as |
| and IMSA. | | | | examples of what a single individual with a dream can |
| Regardless of production figures, the 962 was unique | | | | achieve. |