Former 'Top Gear' driver names TVR Sagaris the worst car he ever drove

Ben Collins, a former driver for the popular automotive show "Top Gear," has named the TVR Sagaris as the most challenging and worst car he has encountered during his tenure. Collins, known for his role as "The Stig," singled out the British sports car, originally unveiled in 2005, for its dangerous and unpredictable nature.

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TVR Sagaris was the most dangerous and unpredictable of them all.

Collins explained that the TVR Sagaris, a two-door coupe with a fiberglass body, was equipped with a four-liter, six-cylinder engine but notably lacked essential modern safety features such as airbags and anti-lock braking systems (ABS). He characterized the ownership experience of a TVR as a three-stage process: initial functionality, an attempt on the driver's life, and eventual failure.

The Sagaris was known for prioritizing raw driving pleasure over safety and electronic aids, a philosophy that led TVR to disregard European Union safety regulations to maintain a lightweight design. This made the car demanding for drivers. However, Collins also reflected that his perspective on such vehicles has softened over time, finding many modern cars, particularly heavy electric and hybrid models, to be less engaging and emotionally resonant.

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The life of TVR owners consists of three stages: first the car works, then it tries to kill you, and finally it stops working.

He suggested that a "bad" car, in its raw and demanding nature, can sometimes be more memorable than a perfectly engineered but ultimately dull vehicle. Only 213 TVR Sagaris models were produced between 2005 and 2006, contributing to its rarity and sustained value on the secondary market, with prices still averaging around £64,695 (approximately €74,800).

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a bad car can sometimes be much more memorable than a too neat, perfectly assembled and boring good car.