Hello, I've ordered a Supersport 140

[framerateuk]

anniesdad said:

I'm sure it will! Vented discs and quad piston calipers are a cost option (£670.00), I was looking to spec. these but was told by the salesman that they're not necessary at 140bhp levels of power. They're standard on the Superlight R400 upwards. I've got the standard floor, as you say composite seats and I'm 5'11" and shrinking so I don't think I need it.

I've not driven a car without the quad piston calipers, but I gather you don't need to press them as hard as the standard calipers. They'd be useful if you started doing lots of trackdays, but for a road car they probably aren't needed.

[anniesdad]

JONSCZ said:

Anniesdad. Congratulations on the spec and good luck with the wait - it'll be worth it. I love my Caterham.
Oh and just to let you know that if you do "stuff it into the scenery", I know a really good, professional 'Accident Claims Management Company' in Bury I can recommend...
Cheers,
Jon

If it did come to that I'd be at the mercy of the insurer, just like anybody else. On the claims handling front I'd like to think I kinda know what I'm doing though, cheers.

[anniesdad]

framerateuk said:

They'd be useful if you started doing lots of trackdays, but for a road car they probably aren't needed.

That mirror's mine and my salesman's thoughts.

[Andy Bell]

i have a weird combination of a AP Racing brake bias valve and AP Racing uprated brake master cylinder with standard brakes. Lets just say a heavy foot is required for stopping power. I am half tempted to consider going back to standard master cylinder (I still have it) but will give it a few trackdays.

That coupled with pagid RS15's means you can get some great braking control on track but on road its a bit scary mary

[framerateuk]

Andy Bell said:

i have a weird combination of a AP Racing brake bias valve and AP Racing uprated brake master cylinder with standard brakes. Lets just say a heavy foot is required for stopping power. I am half tempted to consider going back to standard master cylinder (I still have it) but will give it a few trackdays.

That coupled with pagid RS15's means you can get some great braking control on track but on road its a bit scary mary

Mine's the 4 pots with race brake cylinder (I think, from my comparison photos), but I'm not sure about the bias valve.

I use the standard road pads and the stopping power is great. The pedal feel got a bit mushy at Llandow the last time, so uprated fluid is going in next week. I'll stick with the road pads though since they seem to be doing a good job and it's not in the braking areas I'm loosing time on track, it's the cornering speed itself!

[ghibbett]

anniesdad said:

I've got the standard floor, as you say composite seats and I'm 5'11" and shrinking so I don't think I need it.

If you haven't already, it's well worth sitting in a car with lowered floors. I am a mere 5ft9 but after back-to-back tests between normal and lowered floors down at Caterham South, the lowered floor option certainly makes you feel like you're sitting in the car.

[coppice]

I am 5-11 and would have sold my 2007 car if the lowered floor hadn't transformed the driving position.

[anniesdad]

coppice said:

I am 5-11 and would have sold my 2007 car if the lowered floor hadn't transformed the driving position.

Should that say wouldn't have sold your (old) car?

[anniesdad]

ghibbett said:

If you haven't already, it's well worth sitting in a car with lowered floors. I am a mere 5ft9 but after back-to-back tests between normal and lowered floors down at Caterham South, the lowered floor option certainly makes you feel like you're sitting in the car.

Cheers. I know it helps with things like CoG and I do want to feel as though I'm in it as opposed to on it as you say.

I intend on going to Caterham Mids to have a nosey around at their cars and to have a look at some of these options in real as opposed to virtual life. Hopefully next week.

[framerateuk]

coppice said:

I am 5-11 and would have sold my 2007 car if the lowered floor hadn't transformed the driving position.

I'm 5'8" and have the lowered floors (though with the leather seats). Driving position feels good, I wouldn't want to be any higher or lower.

[Andy Bell]

6ft4in and needed lowered floor and to make my own foam seat before i felt like i sat in the car. I also had problem with rollcage clearance so if you drive just draw an imaginary line in a picture from roll bar at back to the thing that would hit the ground and imagine what happens if you are upside down that should drive need and I would say from resale value lowered floors are well worth it

[SidewaysSi]

anniesdad said:

SidewaysSi said:

I would be very interested to know how this compares as a driving tool to the 996GT3 as that is a car I would want to move into in a couple of years...

Looking forward to posting up my comparison thoughts in time. My car was a Mk2 and whilst engaging at normal road speeds (steering feel, lowered stiffer suspension), made much more sense at speed (on great tarmac) and if I'm honest on track. I had a fast road geo on mine and stiffened ARB which gave better turn in than a factory setup but the car skipped around quite a bit on less than perfect surfaces, not particularly relaxing but neither should it be. I had it for 3 years and 12k miles and it was great to own, it felt much more special than the vanilla 911's. The engine is fantastic, easily the best thing about the car, followed closely by the box which was very mechanical but very accurate, heavy clutch which I really liked. I did find the gearing too long, deep into 3rd you're at 100mph plus, I'd happily have sacrificed some top speed for shorter gearing...I would recommend one.

PHer Crimp a length currently owns the car and it's for sale.

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/p...

Thanks for your write up, much appreciated. It would be interesting to hear what you think about the Seven - with the narrow rear tyres and short gearing, you will soon find that you are oversteering the car on the road at 30mph. Having too high limits will never be an issue, even on the road...;)

[coppice]

anniesdad said:

coppice said:

I am 5-11 and would have sold my 2007 car if the lowered floor hadn't transformed the driving position.

Should that say wouldn't have sold your (old) car?

No- I bought a new car in 2007; it was appallingly uncomfortable . I had the lowered floor fitted later; if it hadn't sorted the problem I would have sold it. Oddly , my non lowered floor 1993 first Seven had a perfect driving position but a 2012 Sigma car I drove (with sexy new GT seats ) had lowered floor but driving position was still too high ! So they ain't all the same ...

[framerateuk]

SidewaysSi said:

Thanks for your write up, much appreciated. It would be interesting to hear what you think about the Seven - with the narrow rear tyres and short gearing, you will soon find that you are oversteering the car on the road at 30mph. Having too high limits will never be an issue, even on the road...;)

I'm switching from 15's to 13's soon. I have the wheels but I'm waiting for better weather before buying the tyres.

I hope I'm not going to loose the immense cornering grip I have at the moment? The problem I find is that the tyres are not progressive enough, it seems to snap. I'm hoping the switch to 13's will help that. (Currently using CR500 and intend to continue, only in the smaller size).

[SidewaysSi]

framerateuk said:

SidewaysSi said:

Thanks for your write up, much appreciated. It would be interesting to hear what you think about the Seven - with the narrow rear tyres and short gearing, you will soon find that you are oversteering the car on the road at 30mph. Having too high limits will never be an issue, even on the road...;)

I'm switching from 15's to 13's soon. I have the wheels but I'm waiting for better weather before buying the tyres.

I hope I'm not going to loose the immense cornering grip I have at the moment? The problem I find is that the tyres are not progressive enough, it seems to snap. I'm hoping the switch to 13's will help that. (Currently using CR500 and intend to continue, only in the smaller size).

I have not driven a Seven on 15s so can't comment, however my car (a K Series Superlight so esentially the same as a new Supersport) easily and very readily does slide on the road. It is incredibly benign and predicable which means gathering any slide is instinctive.

My car does not have massive grip however, either front or back which may make things slower for you. I have an Elise as well and that car has significantly more grip than my Caterham.

[framerateuk]

SidewaysSi said:

I have not driven a Seven on 15s so can't comment, however my car (a K Series Superlight so esentially the same as a new Supersport) easily and very readily does slide on the road. It is incredibly benign and predicable which means gathering any slide is instinctive.

My car does not have massive grip however, either front or back which may make things slower for you. I have an Elise as well and that car has significantly more grip than my Caterham.

Thank Si, it's the predictability that's the problem for me at the moment. What tyres are you using?

[SidewaysSi]

framerateuk said:

SidewaysSi said:

I have not driven a Seven on 15s so can't comment, however my car (a K Series Superlight so esentially the same as a new Supersport) easily and very readily does slide on the road. It is incredibly benign and predicable which means gathering any slide is instinctive.

My car does not have massive grip however, either front or back which may make things slower for you. I have an Elise as well and that car has significantly more grip than my Caterham.

Thank Si, it's the predictability that's the problem for me at the moment. What tyres are you using?

I have CR500s on 175/55 R13s all round. Combined with the LSD, it is very easy and predictable. However it does want to slide - turn in too fast and I get understeer but easily dialled out with some gas. Adjustable ARB at the back and I have a medium front ARB. It is definitely well worth having the car corner weighted too - I had mine done when I bought it and again by the Caterham factory last summer.

[anniesdad]

coppice said:

No- I bought a new car in 2007; it was appallingly uncomfortable . I had the lowered floor fitted later;

Get it now. Didn't realise you could have the lowered floor retrofitted. My car is coming with race seats so I think we'll be ok. I will though try a lowered floor before discounting it completely as an option.

[forest07]

[quote=Andy Bell]i have a weird combination of a AP Racing brake bias valve and AP Racing uprated brake master cylinder with standard brakes. Lets just say a heavy foot is required for stopping power. I am half tempted to consider going back to standard master cylinder (I still have it) but will give it a few trackdays.

Did you change the brake pedal to the one that suits the uprated master cylinder?

TonyR

[Andy Bell]

when I got the car it had a racing pedal (shorter) on it and I will be honest - i reckon it was a cyborg driving the car before as the amount of effort I had to put in to show 100% braking effort via the vbox was unsustainable whilst driving. I changed back to original (longer) pedal and its defaintely improved. its good for track as you have very precise control over breaking and everything is usually predictable-ish but road is a bit more interesting.

May have something to do with brake pad boxes saying 'not for use on public highways'...