▁between ▁the ▁TR 6 ▁and ▁the ▁TR s ▁it ▁replaced ▁was ▁its ▁sty ling . ▁ ▁The ▁front ▁and ▁rear ▁ends ▁of ▁the ▁car ▁had ▁been ▁rest y led ▁by ▁German ▁coach builder ▁K arm ann , ▁giving ▁the ▁car ▁a ▁more ▁contemporary ▁appearance . ▁An ▁anti - roll ▁bar ▁was ▁added ▁to ▁the ▁front ▁susp ension ▁as ▁well . ▁ ▁TR 7 ▁and ▁TR 8 ▁ ▁The ▁Tri umph ▁TR 7 ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 4 . ▁While ▁all ▁previous ▁TR s ▁were ▁evolution ary ▁designs ▁developed ▁from ▁the ▁TR 2 , ▁the ▁TR 7 ▁was ▁an ▁all - new ▁design ▁ow ing ▁nothing ▁but ▁its ▁model ▁design ation ▁to ▁the ▁earlier ▁TR s . ▁While ▁the ▁TR 7 ' s ▁unit ▁body ▁and ▁w edge ▁shape ▁were ▁advert ised ▁by ▁Ley land ▁as ▁major ▁improvements , ▁these ▁were ▁offset ▁by ▁the ▁TR 7 ' s ▁return ▁to ▁a ▁four - cy l inder ▁engine ▁and ▁a ▁ ▁live ▁rear ▁ax le . ▁ ▁The ▁TR 7 ▁was ▁initially ▁available ▁as ▁a ▁coup é , ▁with ▁a ▁convert ible ▁version ▁being ▁developed ▁after ▁the ▁launch ▁of ▁the ▁coup é . ▁A ▁prem ium - grade ▁version ▁using ▁the ▁R over ▁V 8 ▁engine ▁was ▁developed ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁project . ▁ ▁The ▁TR 7 ▁convert ible ▁was ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 . ▁Also ▁introduced ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁was ▁the ▁Tri umph ▁TR 8 , ▁a ▁prem ium ▁V 8 ▁version ▁of