With the first three stages north of Launceston in the books, Glenney and co-driver Dennis Sims (Lotus Exige 350) claimed a one-second margin over Jason and John White's Dodge Viper.

While Monday's initial stages were not long tests, the outcome has set up a mouth-watering contest as the 265-car field commences its six-day, 2000km journey that criss-crosses Tasmania.

Australian Targa champion and ex-Tasmanian Paul Stokell with Kate Catford (Lotus Sport 350), are equal third, two seconds away. Stokell is locked together with Matt Close and Cameron Reeves who started strongly in a Porsche GT3 RS.

Glenney is still coming to grips with the Lotus, a radically different machine than the Subaru he drove to second place outright last year.

"Driving the Lotus is crazy different to anything else I've ever driven," he said. "It requires quite a different style, so it's all about adapting."

Jason White had a scare after the ceremonial start from the Launceston Country Club after smoke started to billow from the dash.

"I don't think we've ever had a more eventful opening day to Targa Tasmania. We left the ceremonial start at the Country Club and had smoke coming from underneath the dash and we thought car was going to burn to the ground," he said.

"It turned out to be wiring close to the exhaust, but it cut out the right hand bank on the motor, so we did the first stage on five cylinders."

In the Classic GT category, Jon and Gina Siddins had a perfect start to their campaign in the Datsun 240Z by taking a lead of three seconds over the 1975 Holden Torana of Michael and Daniel Bray.

Mick Downey and Nicholas Browne are six seconds off the class lead in their 1979 Holden Commodore VB.

Nik Prieston and Dylan Braithwaite lead the Shannons Classic by three seconds in a Fiat Abarth 131 from the 1941 open wheel Jimmy Special of Graham Copeland and Josh Herbert.

The GT4 class sees Paul Dowie and James Marquet (Audi TT RS Plus) and Luke Anear and Alan Stephenson (Subaru WRX Impreza) tied.

Only one second away is the Ben Newman and Andy Sarandis Subaru WRX STI.

Dutton Garage Early Modern sees the 2001 Porsche 996 Turbo of Peter Nunn and Keith Johnstone assume a six-second break. Adam Kaplan/Aleshia Penney's BMW M3 CSL are in second from the Mitsubishi Evo 9 of Duncan and Kelly Handley.

Darryl and Peter Marshall (2002 Ford Pursuit Ute) hold the lead in the TSD Trophy. They have five points in the penalty-based class from Peter Taylor/Tristan Taylor (Lotus Elise) on eight.

At the top of Shannons Thoroughbred Trophy is the Ford Escort Mk1 of Tyson and Celise Cowie ahead of Jack Waldron and Vin Gregory in a Mitsubishi Sigma.

Mitchell and Darryl Ringuet lead Lotus Sport 350 rivals Tony and Sandra Seymour in the Country Club GT Sports Trophy class.

Adam Sharwood and Rebeucca Sheldrick (Porsche GT3) are in front of The Spirit of Tasmania Rookie Rallye.