TVR is one of those private British car manufacturers that makes the kinds of cars that most standard manufacturers wouldn’t dream of pursuing. Known for styling that bordered on the insane and being one of the few low-volume manufacturers that made their own engines after years of using Ford and Rover parts, the cars have a charm and a look that’s all their own. Most people recognize the Tuscan from the movie Swordfish, or recognize the lineup from Forza or Gran Turismo. Fans of the video games especially will remember that there was one specific TVR that was all but uncontrollable. This is the story of that car, the TVR Cerbrea Speed 12.

In the mid-1990s, TVR was riding a wave of success. Owner Peter Wheeler had created numerous successful models with the design team managed by David McTaggart and felt cocky. He wanted to take on LeMans in the GT1 class, and wanted to build an all-out fighter which was code-named Project 7/12. But first, the fighter needed an engine. Essentially, what happened was that two of TVR’s “Speed Six” inline six cylinder engines were mated at the crankshaft to create a 7.7L (471 cid) V12. Instead of aluminum or an alloy, the blocks were made of steel. For racing purposes, the engines would have to be restricted to 660hp, but this is where ambition spun into lunacy: the road cars needed no such restrictions. There isn’t an accurate factory horsepower number for the “Speed Twelve” engine because the engine snapped the input shaft on TVR’s dyno, which was rated for 1,000hp.

The Speed 12 never got the chance to run at LeMans, but instead got to compete in FIA’s GT Championship series as a GT1 until rule changes made the Speed 12 ineligible for competition. In typical fashion, TVR decided to continue on with the development of the road car, which now took the name Cerbera Speed Twelve. TVR’s main goal now was to surpass the McLaren F1 as the fastest road-going car. While the race cars were working in the British GT championship (and were doing pretty well), the street prototype was being finished. Wheeler drove one home one night and presumably, scared the ever-living hell out of himself because he dubbed it too powerful for the street. This, coming from a man who was an experienced racer for TVR in the Tuscan Challenge series.

From that point forward, the remainders of the street prototype cars provided parts for the race cars until they were retired out of competition, except for one, which was found in the classified ads in 2003 for sale. Wheeler personally interviewed the buyer before allowing the sale to make sure that the car was going into good hands. The Cerbera Speed Twelve has been tested by a few magazines and journalists. EVO Magazine got to test the car in 2005 and simply explained the acceleration as “terrifying”. The engine has been worked over and now performs an honest 830hp.

It takes stones to build a car with the intent of racing at LeMans, and it takes some brass to look at the fastest car at the time and say, “I’m gonna beat him.” TVR did both.

Skip to 1:05 to hear the Speed Twelve run in anger.