RE: Caterham spots a gap, goes for it

RE: Caterham spots a gap, goes for it

Monday 12th November 2012

Caterham spots a gap, goes for it

New Supersports R replaces Superlight R300



We make it the 10th Caterham spun off the long-serving Seven. You'll be hard pressed to spot a missing niche within the Dartford firm's line-up, but it's found one and launched the Supersport R to cover it.

This installs the two-litre Ford Duratec engine in place of the 1.6-litre Sigma unit in the standard Supersport to create a faster version of what the firm describes as a 'track-oriented road car'.

The Supersport mini-range slots in above the Roadsport and below the frenetic Superlight R300 (or rather, replaces it. See below for the update), both of which are also offered with the two-litre engine.

Power from 182hp Ford 2.0-litre
Power from 182hp Ford 2.0-litre
In this guise it costs £27,995 fully built and makes 182hp - up 5hp on the other two-litre cars - to record a 4.8-second sprint to 60mph according to the firm.

Equipment includes a limited slip-diff, four-point race harnesses, composite seats, 'race dampers' and a push-button start. It also comes with the Supersport half doors and aero screen.

In a statement Caterham boss Graham Macdonald described it as "well-balanced, satisfying and fun in terms of the driving experience it offers". Although the same could be said of all Caterham's range.

The launch marks a welcome reminder after all the hoopla of the Renault link-up that Caterham is a supplier of bare-bones, lightweight machines fitting an original description of the term sports car.

Please, have fun playing around with Renault and Alpine in creating a new range, but we're sincerely looking forward to writing about the 21st version of a Caterham 'Seven' here in 2018.

Update: What Caterham neglected to tell us was that the new Supersport R actually replaces the Superlight R300.

According to Caterham's PR company: "You can technically still buy a Superlight R300, but they feel you'd be mad to given the Supersport R ticks the same boxes."

The Superlight R300 was more expensive as £30,995 built, but as someone below points out, the Supersport R doesn't get the six-speeder.

 

Author
Discussion

Agent Orange

Original Poster:

2,194 posts

245 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
Caterham haven't slotted the R below the R300 have they? They've replaced it with the R surely? The R300 is no longer available according to their website.



Edited by Agent Orange on Monday 12th November 13:51

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
More special editions than even Lotus!

Pugsey

5,813 posts

213 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
I'm confused (easily done I'll admit). +5bhp more than the R300 and what looks to be approx the same starting price doesn't compute to be slotted in below it (the R300).I always thought the R300 was the least 'frenetic' of the 'R' Caterhams too.

truck71

2,328 posts

171 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
And why is Rebecca Brooks driving it?

Ozzie Osmond

21,189 posts

245 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
truck71 said:
And why is Rebecca Brooks driving it?
Quick getaway? biggrin

framerateuk

2,730 posts

183 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
This is replacing the R300 by all accounts.

It's just a bit of rebranding by the looks of it since the spec is pretty close to the old R300.

A Scotsman

1,000 posts

198 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
£28k price tag won't attract a huge number of punters.

suffolk009

5,344 posts

164 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
Does anyone else prefer the older style racing stripes they used to put on the bonnet? You know the nose ring that blended into a line?

And I don't get the need to need to stick CATERHAM down the sides of the car (or about a dozen other places either). For a pared down car they do go heavy on the logo.

JackP1

1,269 posts

161 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
Ozzie Osmond said:
Quick getaway? biggrin
hehe

timrw81

244 posts

187 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
There's always been some discrepancy over power/weight ratios and 0-60 times in Caterham's line-up. If the figures are correct, I would assume it's down to gearing affecting the Supersport R's 0-60 performance compared to the R300. The R comes with a 5-speed gearbox as standard with a fairly short 1st gear and the R300 with a 6-speed, with a long 1st.

This looks to me like a brilliant spec for the money and I think it will do very well in terms of sales as it starts with loads of performance goodies and the engine can be tuned well beyond 182bhp as and when wanted.

Well done Caterham.

BertBert

18,953 posts

210 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
Interesting "slotting in behind the R300" positioning there Mr PH Writer. Did you get that from the boys at Caterham or just make it up yourself?
Bert

thinfourth2

32,414 posts

203 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
A Scotsman said:
£28k price tag won't attract a huge number of punters.
You could get a well specked Golf for that money

In resale grey and black leather of course

TheEnd

15,370 posts

187 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
It kinda looks like just another Caterham like they've been doing for years.

framerateuk

2,730 posts

183 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
A Scotsman said:
£28k price tag won't attract a huge number of punters.
That's not a huge price compared to the rest of the range. You can spec a 1.6 Roadsport/Supersport upto that price without too much trouble.

Given that they've sold plenty of R300s I can see these selling as well. I also bet most of the Supersport R's sold will be north of 30k.

Pugsey

5,813 posts

213 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
TheEnd said:
It kinda looks like just another Caterham like they've been doing for years.
smile Do you know, you right - I CAN see a similarity to previous Caterhams. Well spotted!

5pen

1,874 posts

205 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
suffolk009 said:
Does anyone else prefer the older style racing stripes they used to put on the bonnet? You know the nose ring that blended into a line?

And I don't get the need to need to stick CATERHAM down the sides of the car (or about a dozen other places either). For a pared down car they do go heavy on the logo.
I'm sure you can still have the old style stripes if you prefer. They are painted though, I'm guessing the new style double stripes are decals and possibly cheaper (for Caterham if not the customer).

No compulsion to have the CATERHAM logo on the side either I wouldn't have thought.

It does look as though this has replaced the R300. Does it have the 6-speeder?

BertBert

18,953 posts

210 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
5-speed as standard

Si_man306

456 posts

184 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
truck71 said:
And why is Rebecca Brooks driving it?
Is this perhaps the new 'niche' they're talking about?

NickGibbs

1,247 posts

230 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
Agent Orange said:
Caterham haven't slotted the R below the R300 have they? They've replaced it with the R surely? The R300 is no longer available according to their website.



Edited by Agent Orange on Monday 12th November 13:51
Good spot - when I wrote this last Friday, the R300 was still there on the website. I know because I looked at it for some of the specs! Quite an important fact to miss from the press release, Caterham

NickGibbs

1,247 posts

230 months

Monday 12th November 2012
quotequote all
Agent Orange said:
Caterham haven't slotted the R below the R300 have they? They've replaced it with the R surely? The R300 is no longer available according to their website.



Edited by Agent Orange on Monday 12th November 13:51
Okay, just talked to Caterham about this. Yes, they've pulled the Superlight R300, taking their PR agency by suprise, hence the lack of mention in their press release.
A quote from Caterham's PR company (who've now been brought back up to speed):

"You can technically still buy a Superlight R300, but they feel you'd be be mad to given the Supersports R ticks the same boxes as the Superlight R"

The Superlight R300 was more expensive as £30,995 built, but as someone pointed out, the Superports doesn't get the six-speeder.