Automobiles Review

Tag: Caterham

  • Caterham Make Le Mans 24 Hours Debut

    caterham-24h-lemans-THUMBCaterham is going to participate for the first time in the Le Mans 24 Hours this year which will take place on 22nd and 23rd of June this year. In addition, the British company aims to investigate the viability of producing a customer Sports Prorotype package in the future.

    The team will compete in the event with the Caterham SP 300R model which is a supercharged, mini Le Mans-style sports prototype. It has achieved glowing reviews from customers and media so far. In addition, there will be also the crew Caterham engineers, technicians and data analysts who will add the future success of the brand.

    As a matter of fact, Caterham has an abundant heritage in motorsport. For instance, the most famous car of the company is the iconic Seven which was initially designed to be a race car for the road and its ‘ladder’ of highly-competitive one-make race championships is widely acknowledged as one of the finest in existence.

    In addition, Le Mans 24 Hours will also be the first foray into international sportscar racing for Alexander Rossi. The Caterham Motorsport #41 LM P2 car will make its on-track premiere at the official ACO test at Le Mans on 8th and 9th of June. The official race will happen as mentioned above on the 22nd and 23rd of June.

    2012 Caterham SP 300 R
    2012 Caterham SP 300 R

    Source: Caterham

  • TEASER: Caterham Introduces Entry-Level Version Of The Iconic Seven

    Caterham-Seven-THUMBCaterham has just released a dark teaser photograph of their upcoming new entry-level version of the iconic Seven model. The new vehicle is designed to pay homage to the brand’s engineering DNA of “adding lightness”. Therefore it is going to be equipped with a super-compact, flexible and EU6-compliant engine.

    In addition, the Caterham promises that the new model is going to e offered at an affordable price under £17 000. This year, the British brand celebrates 40 years of developing and manufacturing the Seven. Consequently, the designers decided to bring as close as possible the new “Seven” to its simple design roots but remain true to Caterham’s mantra of delivering “accessible fun”.

    Back in the days, Colin Chapman designed the original Seven with the aim to have totally “fit-for-purpose” design and to deliver exciting driving experience. With that in mind, the new entry-level Seven is planned to be simple, easy to run and an intuitive drive.

    Furthermore, Caterham’s minimalist DNA philosophy is applied to every aspect in the new upcoming vehicle. This also includes the unit it is equipped with and therefore it is expected that this would be the most fuel-efficient Seven ever built.

    The car hasn’t been named yet, however it is planned for it to be launched in autumn this year. The first deliveries are expected to happen before the end of 2013.

    Source: Caterham

  • Caterham Seven Limited Edition Commemorates The Iconic Seven Model

    Caterham-Seven-Limited-Edition-pack-THUMBCaterham Seven Limited Edition comes to celebrate 40 years of producing and developing the iconic Seven model. This LE variant includes a special and stylish limited edition pack, which will be available only to the first 40 individuals who will purchase it.

    In fact, the pack is designed in order to bring back the memories of the early Sevens and includes expensive optional equipment. To be more precise, the limited edition “40 Years of Caterham” pack includes the following:

    • Grey painted chassis that replicates the original Lotus Seven colour
    • Ruby red ‘40YOC’ paint
    • Bespoke bonnet stripes
    • Hand-tailored leather seats with grey piping
    • Grey leather dashboard
    • Bespoke tunnel top with grey handbrake and gearstick gaiters
    • Numbered dash plaque
    • 15” silver alloy wheels with Caterham embossing
    • Avon ZV3 tyres
    • ‘40YOC’ wheel centres and ignition key

    Caterham Cars is present on the market with its emblematic Seven model since 1973. Back then the original owner, Graham Nearn, acquired the rights to the model from Colin Chapman. In addition, Nearn continued Chapman’s original philosophy of “adding lightness” and placing the driving experience at the heart of the engineering process.

    Source: Caterham

  • Caterham Supersport R Completes Iconic Range of Sevens

    Caterham-Supersport-R-THUMBCaterham Supersport R is the latest addition to the iconic range of Sevens. The two-liter Supersport R packs 180 hp (132 kW) and track-bred dynamics, and it is an elaborate version of the standard Supersport.

    Nevertheless, the new edition has many circuit-orientated performance essentials and is equipped with bigger engine and a five-speed gearbox, which delivers astounding performance. Furthermore, the new 2-litre Ford Duratec unit has proven its durability and performance on the track, having been developed during three years in Caterham’s R300 race championship.

    In fact, the Supersport R shows the brand’s aim to develop the iconic Seven, which it has been engineering and building for nearly 40 years. And it is more than obvious that this model will grab the attention of driving enthusiasts.

    The performance of the car is very impressive an given that it is combined with the accessibility of the suspension specification, this makes the vehicle perfectly balanced, satisfying and fun in terms of the driving experience it offers.

    Another highlight here is the front-mounted Caterham-developed Ford Duratec engine, which pairs up with a limited-slip differential to further improve its performance credentials. On the other hand the Avon CR500 tyres, Supersport dampers and race springs allow a highly-focused handling. Aerodynamics is further enhanced by the overall weight of the car which is just 535kg.

    At last, the interior of the car includes bespoke Supersport steering wheel, integrated change-up light, composite race seats and four-point race harnesses. An aero screen comes as standard.

    Caterham Supersport R
    Caterham Supersport R
    Caterham Supersport R

    Source: Caterham

  • Caterham Superlight R600 – 275HP and 270Nm

    Caterham has announced their latest model the R600. This is the quickest Caterham Seven race car ever made.

    With stunning performance potential and all the character of existing Caterham circuit cars, the new supercharged incarnation of the Seven will represent the top echelon of the Caterham racing spectrum in the Superlight R600 Championship from 2013.

    Powered by a supercharged, 2-litre Ford Duratec engine, producing 275bhp, the R600’s dedicated championship will further extend the Caterham Motorsport ‘ladder’, currently topped by the hugely successful R300 series.

    The R600 race car is priced at £44,995. It will be the first Seven ever to feature forced induction technology, making it the fastest ever production Seven and a natural progression from the advances made with Caterham’s sports prototype, the SP/300.R, which uses a similar power plant.

    Caterham is expecting at least a16-car grid for the debut championship season in 2013, with 30 cars anticipated to compete the following year.

    Simon Lambert, Caterham’s Chief Motorsport and Technical Officer, said: “Caterham racing just got even more interesting.

    “As the fastest Seven we’ve ever built, this will provide our existing R300 racers with a real step up and a new and exciting challenge, even for experienced drivers. The R600 represents an increase in aggressiveness, although the linear power delivery of the supercharged engine makes it superbly driveable, much like the R300.”

    A clear development from the Academy, Roadsport, Tracksport, Supersport and R300 race cars, the R600 will transfer driving characteristics inherent to all Sevens but will be more aggressive – with 200lb-ft of torque, it represents a 13% increase on the current top-of-the-range road-going Seven, the legendary Superlight R500.

    Meanwhile, 275bhp is directed to the rear wheels through a six-speed, sequential gearbox.

    The headline specification also comprises a Titan limited-slip differential and Avon radial slicks or wets, for increased traction and quicker lap times.

    The latest variant of the Seven can be bought as a new car or existing R300 owners can upgrade their vehicles to R600 spec. Exact price will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

    Caterham Superlight R600
    Caterham Superlight R600
    Caterham Superlight R600

    Source: Caterham

  • 2012 Caterham SP 300 R

    Finally, the mighty Caterham SP 300 R will be ready for testing by the customers. They will get the chance to put the new car through its paces for the first time on Thursday, 1 March. This race car is built with only one purpose – to give maximal thrills to its driver. The project is co-developed by Lola Cars and will sit alongside the legendary Seven in Caterham’s product portfolio.

    “The SPR is very quick and a little like a formula car in that I could feel the downforce working and giving it lots of grip and balance. It was great fun to be able to give it a blast in Jerez and I look forward to testing Caterham’s road and race cars more often.”, commented Heikki Kovalainen.

    “We can’t wait to see how our customers react to the SP/300.R, it’s a real thrill to drive and very engaging so we know they’ll love it. These coming weeks are the culmination of a massive effort from a big team of people and we are very close to achieving our objective, so it’s very exciting for everybody involved. Over the coming months, there will be numerous opportunities for people to experience the SP/300.R.”, Simon Lambert, Caterham Motorsport Manager added.

    The SP 300 R is powered by a 2.0 liter Ford Duratec engine with 304PS (224 kW), which is coupled with a Hewland semi-automatic FTR gearbox. The overall weight is just 600 kg (1 323 lbs). This means a power-to-weight ratio of 500BHP per tonne.

    The performance is astonishing – 0-100 km/h in 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 274 km/h (170 mph).

    Other interesting point are the full race suspension, 13” race rims with Cooper Avon Tyres, an integrated roll-cage, a 6-point harness, a fire extinguisher and fuel cut-off switch. There are also AP racing brakes and steering wheel with data display.

    The price for this toy is £60 000.

    2012 Caterham SP 300 R
    2012 Caterham SP 300 R
    2012 Caterham SP 300 R
    2012 Caterham SP 300 R

    Source: Caterham

  • Caterham Seven Team Lotus Special Edition

    Caterham has announced a new Team Lotus Special Edition Seven model. The vehicle is created specially to celebrated the company’s new ownership. The upgrade package will be limited to just 25 units and can be applied to any variant up to the top-of-the-range Superlight R500 with 263BHP.

    For £3 000 more, your car can be painted in the famous green and yellow colours of Lotus and will come with a raft of bespoke Team Lotus additions. The upgrade package will also include an invitation to a customised tour of the Team Lotus F1 factory in Hingham, Norfolk.

    “Caterham Cars is starting an exciting and hugely important chapter, so it’s entirely fitting that we celebrate our opportunity to take Colin Chapman’s ‘less is more’ philosophy global, with this special car.” Commented Caterham managing director, Ansar Ali.

    “Owners of the Special Edition Sevens will have not only a fabulous British sportscar, but a genuine piece of automotive history in their garage.”, he added

    Caterham Seven is priced at £13 650, excluding the upgrade package.
    Caterham Seven Team Lotus Special Edition

    Caterham Seven Team Lotus Special Edition

    Source: Caterham

  • Caterham Supersport

    Caterham has introduced the new Supersport model, which is derived directly from the race car that competes in the highly-successful CSC (Caterhmam Supersport Championship).

    Caterham Supersport is powered by 1.6 liter Ford Sigma engine mated to a 5-speed gearbox. The car features „sprint” ratio gearing, lightweight flywheel and race-prepared suspension with CR500 Avon tyres on 13” wheels.

    The curb weight of Supersport is 520kg and the acceleration is more than awesome – 4.9 seconds to 60 mph and a top speed of 120mph.

    Caterham Supersport also features a motorsport-honed limited-slip-differential and gearing with sports driving in mind. The uprated springs and dampers are borrowed directly from its race car cousin, stiffer anti-roll bars, track biased dash with integrated change up lights and an aero screen.

    Supersport is priced at £22 995, but the real enthusiasts will be able to purchase in component form for £19 995.

    “We’ve built faster and more powerful accelerating cars before, but the Supersport’s character, value and low running costs have generated a machine that will excite sportscar fans, including those on a budget.”, commented Caterham Cars engineering director, Mark Edwards.

    Caterham Supersport

    2011 BMW Z4 GT3
    2011 BMW Z4 GT3
    2011 BMW Z4 GT3
    2011 BMW Z4 GT3

    Source: Caterham

  • Hire a Caterham 7 from five locations across UK

    You will be available to hire a Caterham Seven from June to August inclusive. If you book one of the two-seater British sportscars from five locations across the Country, you will be eligible to win a place on a Caterham Drive Experience track day in September.

    Prices for hiring a Caterham start from £150 for the day, £295 for two and from Friday to Monday for just £395, which is perfect value for money. Most of the rental sports cars start from £700-800 per day. (more…)

  • Irmscher 7 Turbo – simplicity and pure adrenaline

    Undoubtedly attractive, the Irmscher 7 Turbo will make its first public appearance at the next week’s Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland. (more…)

  • Caterham Cars to showcase at Tokyo Motor Show 2009

    At this year’s 41st Tokyo Motor Show, the European manufacturers presence is hyper small. Among the only three European representatives is Caterham Cars, which will showcase three of its latest models – Superlight R300 EU4 (Japanese premiere), CSR 175 EU4 (World premiere) and Roadsport EU4. (more…)

  • Caterham R500 made from LEGO bricks

    There is almost no one, who doesn’t heart about the outrageous Caterham R500. It became so famous with the times, which this superlight car achieved over the racing tracks.

    Top Gear didn’t miss to test drive it and The Stig come round the track in 1.17.9, which is 5 fastest time on Top Gear’s Lap board (below). This small impressive car captured the hearts of millions motor sport fans across the wolrd. (more…)