Thursday 30th May 2013

Chris Harris video: Morgan vs Caterham

Chris explores the wonders of back to basics British sports cars with a Morgan and a Caterham Seven

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I have only ever owned one Caterham and it was perhaps the most exciting car I'll ever have in my garage. It was crazy fast, but the part if owning it I remember most fondly was how different the driving experience was to even the fastest cars I drove for my day job. This sounds glib and obvious, but if you hammer around in something outwardly uncompromising and speed-focused like a 996 GT3 RS, the Caterham always made it feel like a Mondeo afterwards.

Can you get a Morgan sideways? Seems so

Because there really is nothing quite like a Caterham. There are faster cars, there are cars with downforce and lord knows what else, but sitting squished against the transmission tunnel and the chassis bars, gripping the 'ickle wheel, you do sometimes wonder if driving nirvana begins and ends with a small car from Dartford.

This version is a Supersport R. I wanted a non-loopy Seven because I thought it would make for a better on-road video. Then I jumped in it and couldn't believe how fast it was! Over 180hp from the Ford Duratec and a 535kg kerb weight. That makes this supposedly ordinary one about as fast the craziest R500 from a decade ago.

The Morgan 3 Wheeler couldn't be less similar to the Seven. In fact it couldn't be less similar to any other car on sale. It's already a small cult and a few days in one makes you understand why. Feeling the lazy pulses of that V-twin through the bodywork, learning how to place the car (is it a car?), drinking in the responses of people to what must be the best-received machine on UK roads right now. It makes people smile - it is The Happy Car and that's an epithet many drivers' will find hugely attractive.

It's also a right old challenge to drive fast, and having just spent some time in a Jaguar C-Type I now know what inspired the driving position.

You can probably tell that I enjoyed my time with both of them.

Hope you enjoy the vid.

[Alex Gurr]

Couldn't agree more....pure motoring enjoyment.

If you want to have even more fun though, come and join us racing. We had 38 cars on the grid for our first race of the season....just brilliant!