First time Caterham buyer from an exige

[GFWilliams]

I just bought my first caterham, a 150hp Sigma. It feels rapid on the road up to illegal speeds, then it is quite slow over those speeds. Also, in the dry it can always hook up the power pretty well, so I guess that means more power would be more fun!

[jimmy7]

I wouldnt rule out a 140-160bhp version, although possibly a little biased. I came from a 250bhp VX220 into mine and yes it doesnt have the outright speed in a straight line, it has plenty for the road, I can work up and down the box and im rarely into licence loosing speeds, it just carries so much speed in the corners and lets you brake so much later. The sensation of speed is so much more in the Caterham especially with the aeroscreen on.

I was dead set on buying an R300 until I had an extended test drive in a 270r and I have to say im not disappointed. Still yet to make it out on track and possibly may miss some extra performance there but will see.

My other half insists on the full screen and side screens on when she is in the car!

[bcr5784]

Another consideration is the likely weight of the passengers - far more than almost any other car -which might influence your choice of engine. Whatever engine you go for an S3 with just a 60kg driver and a deflector or Brooklands screen is going to be a very noticeably faster car than a similarly engined SV with two lardy passengers and a full windscreen.

[Amris]

I love these threads as you get a huge variation in opinion on the best Caterham. The imo the model, power and setup are all increadibly subjective to personal requirements. The one thing everybody is in agreement on is its that they are most involving and fun car you can buy even outside of its price bracket.

Many of the owners like myself have test driven or owned Elise / Exiges and can testify that your heading down the right path. I would say get yourself down to a dealer for a couple of hours, try as many variants as you can and just go from there. My only advise would be don't be put off by some of the older models, its all to easy to just go for the newest faster model you can afford but many people are of the opinion that some of the higher bhp k series cars are the most characterful so make sure you try the full spectrum

[KieranR]

Thanks all for the Comments.

I've been away thinking about it and somehow ended up back at bookatrack yesterday.

I think my minds made up that I'm going to have to get myself one, much to my wife's displeasure as she's trying to get me into an evora.

I also think that if we intend to do a few trips with it a sv would make the justification a little bit easier.

I just need to get out in one now .... oh and put a for sale add in the exige.

[JONSCZ]

Kieran, hopefully YHM (worth checking 'junk folder', too).
Cheers

[scatty72]

The worst thing we did was going into that show room Rozzer.... Ha ha ha.

Mrs scatty still hasn't mentioned the Bookatrack calling card yet....

[scatty72]

The worst thing we did was going into that show room Rozzer.... Ha ha ha.

Mrs scatty still hasn't mentioned the Bookatrack calling card yet....

[KieranR]

Reviving an old thread.

Right the exige sold and in between now and then a good friend managed to sort a few of us a slalom day at bookatrack which I thoroughly enjoyed. The great thing was I got the opertunity to drive both body's.

I think with the right shoes a s3 is for me so now I'm on the look out for a nice duratec car......

[mike150]

I went to extent of getting on a plane last Saturday and flying over to Caterham South to have a look after deciding a month ago I NEED another one! I had an R400d before so I want at least that again, really it's enough for the road but more is always better!

I test drove an R500D and a 620S, the R500 is full of character with lots of induction noise and pops and bangs on the overrun, its quick enough feeling like a revvy tuned R400d which it is. The 620s is mad, I expected it to have a noticeable supercharger whine but it can't be heard, it's really quick and grunty, it definitely has more go than you need on the road but I like it, it might be a handful on a B road though but maybe no more so than an R500d as it has a nice smooth power curve where the R500d has a jump in power in the midrange. The R500 was not a great example and needs a lot of TLC and is not priced well enough with this in mind, there are no 620s's available yet with a 10 month lead time + its a lot of cash for a 7. They have 2 R400's but the colours are not nice imo.

I want a manual S3, they tell me SV's make up 70% of orders now but they just feel too big for me.

Looking an R400, 500 or maybe a 620s.....................

Is it worth buying a new 420R at just under 40k???? It would be a Mazda 5 speed boxed one as the 6 speed box is £2500 extra and the consensus is that it's not worth it.

[KieranR]

mike150 said:

I went to extent of getting on a plane last Saturday and flying over to Caterham South to have a look after deciding a month ago I NEED another one! I had an R400d before so I want at least that again, really it's enough for the road but more is always better!

I test drove an R500D and a 620S, the R500 is full of character with lots of induction noise and pops and bangs on the overrun, its quick enough feeling like a revvy tuned R400d which it is. The 620s is mad, I expected it to have a noticeable supercharger whine but it can't be heard, it's really quick and grunty, it definitely has more go than you need on the road but I like it, it might be a handful on a B road though but maybe no more so than an R500d as it has a nice smooth power curve where the R500d has a jump in power in the midrange. The R500 was not a great example and needs a lot of TLC and is not priced well enough with this in mind, there are no 620s's available yet with a 10 month lead time + its a lot of cash for a 7. They have 2 R400's but the colours are not nice imo.

I want a manual S3, they tell me SV's make up 70% of orders now but they just feel too big for me.

Looking an R400, 500 or maybe a 620s.....................

Is it worth buying a new 420R at just under 40k???? It would be a Mazda 5 speed boxed one as the 6 speed box is £2500 extra and the consensus is that it's not worth it.

I know what you mean, although I have seen a 620s in the classifieds today.

I'm sure I saw a r500 om ebay last week in yellow but I can't see it listed now????

[mike150]

KieranR said:

I know what you mean, although I have seen a 620s in the classifieds today.

I'm sure I saw a r500 om ebay last week in yellow but I can't see it listed now????

Where did you see the 620S? If its the grey demo one Caterham have its an SV so not for me.

The Yellow R500 was the one I looked at. It wasn't so good up close.

As there are literally only 3 cars in the UK that fit my wish list and one of them is a new 420R! I have a fear I would want a 620S in the future though.

Edited by mike150 on Thursday 1st December 17:36

[grenpayne]

mike150 said:

Is it worth buying a new 420R at just under 40k???? It would be a Mazda 5 speed boxed one as the 6 speed box is £2500 extra and the consensus is that it's not worth it.

I've been out of 7 ownership for 2 years now (forever house came up for sale but needed lots of renovation) and it's realistically at least 18 months before I'll be able get another. However, it's not stopped me looking! I'd want to get the same spec car as you ie R400D, R500D or new 420R. Now, I had an R300K car before and one of the best things about it was the 6 speed gearbox, it was so involving it made the car what it was. Notwithstanding the Duratecs have bags of torque, does the Mazda 5 speed box still have that involvement? I would spend the extra £2500 if it had to be done, so I'm interested as to why the consensus it not to?

[mike150]

grenpayne said:

I've been out of 7 ownership for 2 years now (forever house came up for sale but needed lots of renovation) and it's realistically at least 18 months before I'll be able get another. However, it's not stopped me looking! I'd want to get the same spec car as you ie R400D, R500D or new 420R. Now, I had an R300K car before and one of the best things about it was the 6 speed gearbox, it was so involving it made the car what it was. Notwithstanding the Duratecs have bags of torque, does the Mazda 5 speed box still have that involvement? I would spend the extra £2500 if it had to be done, so I'm interested as to why the consensus it not to?

I've read other owners experiences, I have owned a Westfield with a 5 speed type9 and the R400 with the Caterham 6 speed and drove the 620s with the Mazda 5.

The best fun from memory was the Caterham 6 but I doubt it's any better as the ratios are almost too close to have faster acceleration, but it is fun and that's the most important bit.

The type 9 has a very short 1st, a very long 5th and the rest widely spaced, not good in a 7 type car with a good engine.

The Mazda box worked well but I couldn't really judge it as it was only a short drive in a car with 310bhp. The ratios do look a lot better than the type 9 and I can't believe that a 6 speed is worth £2500 anyway.

[grenpayne]

Thanks Mike, I guess the age old advice of drive the different cars to see applies. I had heard the Mazda ratios were better, but haven't seen what they are. Although I'd pay it, £2500 extra for the 6 speed is somewhat taking the piss I think!

[bcr5784]

grenpayne said:

. Notwithstanding the Duratecs have bags of torque, does the Mazda 5 speed box still have that involvement? I would spend the extra £2500 if it had to be done, so I'm interested as to why the consensus it not to?

I'm not convinced the "CONCENSUS" is not to - even though that is my personal view. Just try both yourself and form your own view. Only you can say whether you will find the ultra close ratios of the 6-speeder more involving or simply irritating. The Mazda ratios are (I believe) 3.13, 1.88, 1.33, 1 .81 The old T9 was 3.65, 1.97, 1.37, 1, 0.82. So the Mazda ratios are quite a lot more sensible and, while still a bit wide are, arguably, closer to ideal than the 6 speeder's.

According to my calculations the current (i think) 3.64 bmw diff and Mazda box gives 41, 68,97 and 129 at 7500 in the first 4 gears with 13 inch wheels.

The 6 speed with the 3.64 diff and 13 inch wheels gives 48 in first, 64 in second, 81 in 3rd 98 in fourth 114 in fifth and 129 in 6th at 7500. Going for 14 or 15 inch wheels would give more relaxed cruising.

Edited by bcr5784 on Friday 2nd December 08:53

[Aeroscreens]

Pretty sure my standard Type 9 was

1st - 3.36, 2nd - 1.81, 3rd - 1.26, 4th - 1, 5th - 0.82

and I managed to put up with those ratios for 16 years with a 3.92 diff for track, sprints and tours.

Last year I changed to an SPC rocket ratio gearset with

1st - 2.29, 2nd - 1.61, 3rd - 1.225, 4th - 1, 5th - 0.87

These really suit the torquey Zetec and I find I change up and down the gears far more for fun than before, so I guess its just a case of 'horses-for-courses' and no one answer will suit everybody....

[battered]

I think that it was Road and Race Transmissions that did a higher first and lower top gear for the Type 9 to give a similar result to yours, Aeroscreens. It was relatively cheap, at £500 (10 years ago) for a gearbox off the car to be stripped, fettled, 2 new gears, reassembled. That made it a lot cheaper than the 6 speed which at the time was £1500 second hand when you could find one.

I found 2-3-4 on my 7 (std Type 9, 13" wheels, 1.4kss) to be fantastic for road use. 5th was a tad high but useful on the motorway, 1st was crap.

I'd regard this kind of solution as better value than a 6 speed.

[theturbs]

mike150 said:

...Caterham South... have 2 R400s but the colours are not nice imo.

Hi Mike - are these Duratec-equipped cars? I have just had a quick look on the Caterham Pre-owned Car Locator and can't see them.

Thanks

[mike150]

theturbs said:

Hi Mike - are these Duratec-equipped cars? I have just had a quick look on the Caterham Pre-owned Car Locator and can't see them.

Thanks

They have a pearl pink 420R at 38000 and a magenta one with red tinted carbon with 171miles at 42000, it's as new obviously