Rover v8s tend to not flow air well at high RPM, so I'm not surprised by the torque falling off the way it does. It was also very knock limited due to running on 95 RON fuel. (I pulled 7 degrees from the original TVR timing)
The ignition timing ramps up almost linearly at a rate of approx 2 degrees per 1000 RPM at max load. We checked very carefully for timing anomolies during the runs (15 in all) by adding and subtracting a couple of degrees, and the results were always the same. I really need more than a morning playing, but that's all the time we had I'll be able to resample the map to put a bit more resolution in there for next time.
Not trying to teach you suck eggs or insult in any way, but just to confirm our understandings are the same, the 'max load line' is the true max load (MAP)achieved at each speed - i.e it is lower at low speed and higher at higher speed so that it moves diagonally (ish - it has a bulge) across the map. Therefore to check the ignition timing you are achieveing, you need to plot the ignition you actually measured during the run, rather than simply the top line of the map.
I assume that is what you meant?
Unless of course you re using TPS as your load input, in which case I take it all back
Have you got a log from a 'good' run showing speed, load, lambda, ignition and EGT?