RE: Caterham AeroSeven Concept

[Roma101]

Looks like a robot from the front.

[ewenm]

craigbunyan said:

dantournay said:

I'm in the minority then. I think it looks awesome

Me too - modern, confident and dynamic.

I wonder if it would be getting so much hate if it wasn't a Caterham?

I don't dislike it but I still think it's just a sideshow (like all these track-only or nearly track-only cars). The beauty of the 7 is that it is flexible enough to be a beast on track and yet still a fun touring vehicle.

I'm interested in the new road car! Come on Caterham! Show me more!

[dapearson]

That looks feckin hideous.

[RobM77]

ewenm said:

craigbunyan said:

dantournay said:

I'm in the minority then. I think it looks awesome

Me too - modern, confident and dynamic.

I wonder if it would be getting so much hate if it wasn't a Caterham?

I don't dislike it but I still think it's just a sideshow (like all these track-only or nearly track-only cars). The beauty of the 7 is that it is flexible enough to be a beast on track and yet still a fun touring vehicle.

I'm interested in the new road car! Come on Caterham! Show me more!

Whilst I agree with Ewen on those points, and I love the Caterham 7 as it stands now, I was commenting purely on a styling point of view - I think it looks utterly hideous. Another thing worth mentioning is that strangely, unlike the 21, this new concept/car looks clearly like a 7 in an ugly dress. Even though the 21 has a greater claim to looking like a 7, retaining the cockpit and upright headlights of the 7, it somehow looked like a different car, unlike this offering.

Nevertheless, styling is just one thing, knowing Caterham I'm sure this'll be great to drive and very fast too. Caterhams are fantastic, but year on year they're gradually looking out of date compared with other trackday offerings with aero and fully independent suspension. There's still a case for the basic 7, because they're such good fun, but I can understand Caterham wanting to stay at the front of the fight.

[ravon]

As a CSR owner, what a sad end to a great car. What could Caterham's management have been thinking ?
Don't like the cheap and nasty engine position that Ansar Ali has chosen for his new car, but at least his concept has some style, is Caterham led by an accountant by any chance ?

[darth_pies]

OwenK said:

Many have tried to rebody the Seven - and to my knowledge, none have succeeded (in making something that looks good). Something about the proportions and layout of the platform just doesn't work for anything besides the traditional Seven silhouette.

[anonymous-user]

ravon said:

As a CSR owner, what a sad end to a great car. What could Caterham's management have been thinking ?
Don't like the cheap and nasty engine position that Ansar Ali has chosen for his new car, but at least his concept has some style, is Caterham led by an accountant by any chance ?

Some would say that the CSR was a fugly S3, others really dislike like the SV. Personally I don't think many of them are 'great' looking cars. That is what sets the owners apart, all about function.

[Stew2000]

It looks cool. but at the same time outdated and generic.

[Evo]

ChrisG99 said:

Reminds me of a Basking Shark

I was going to say whale shark, but I'll save the effort of finding a picture.

That sums it up perfectly lol

Caterham - Listen to your audience -NO NO NO NO NO

[pw32]

So, in summary I'd say its looks have been well received.

[zebedee]

ravon said:

As a CSR owner, what a sad end to a great car. What could Caterham's management have been thinking ?
Don't like the cheap and nasty engine position that Ansar Ali has chosen for his new car, but at least his concept has some style, is Caterham led by an accountant by any chance ?

What on earth is a cheap and nasty engine position

[ravon]

Yonex, didn't say it was a "great looking car", simply a "great car", in that its a great car to own, drive and track day, with a wonderfully compliant chassis, and just a bit more space, compared to a De Doin car. But park it beside a De Dion car and it looks awful, really bloated, but without the ability to directly compare with the standard dimension car it looks fine.

This new creation makes me think that Caterham's management must be suffering with a bit of "Emporers New Clothes" syndrome. Surely somebody ( maybe the cleaners ? ) would have said, " this styling ( ? ) has to be a joke " ?

[dantournay]

pw32 said:

So, in summary I'd say its looks have been well received.

lol. The aero package is the obvious improvement they could make to modernise the 7 and the video makes it look better resolved than the renders suggest.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXgj14wum8s

[ravon]

Sorry Zebedee, I mean buying in a complete transverse drive train from a front wheel drive production car, which is very cost saving, and easy to install, then selling it to the gullible as " mid engined".

[MX7]

MX7 said:

CrutyRammers said:

Donkervoort ?

Thanks.

Edit: Nice Dax.

I forgot another I quite like.



Actually, a few of the MEVs qualify.

[Chapppers]

That is really, really, really fking awful. I figuratively flushed something better looking not 45mins ago.

[ewenm]

Chapppers said:

That is really, really, really fking awful. I figuratively flushed something better looking not 45mins ago.

Do you think it looks worse than the BAC Mono, the Vuhl, the KTM X-Bow etc? To me they are all much the same - a lot of sharp lines and strange angles. I don't think this looks out of place amongst them. I also don't see that market as a step-change for Caterham (but perhaps they don't want a step-change from this).

[braddo]

I would be surprised if anyone at Caterham finds that front end attractive but surely it has been designed that way for functional aero - it certainly looks like it might be quite trick (e.g. smaller frontal area because air can flow through front suspension and out the side? Gives good top speed AND downforce?).

In which case, when releasing the pictures they should be making clear what aero benefits you get as compensation for the ugly front end.

Perhaps one can take this as a lesson that as soon as you get F1 aerodynamicists seriously involved, don't expect anything pretty! F1 cars haven't been good looking since the early 90s.

I am intrigued by what this car can offer.

[HustleRussell]

yonex said:

craigbunyan said:

Me too - modern, confident and dynamic.

I wonder if it would be getting so much hate if it wasn't a Caterham?

Of course not.

Trouble is most of the comments are coming from people who haven't owned a se7en, which is obviously just bought for its fantastic looks

I'm reserving judgment until I see it properly

I think the idea is exciting because the main flaw with the 7 is it's terrible aero.

I agree that the seven is not a 'pretty' or 'attractive' looking car (and yes, I do own one), but it is one of the great design originals and evidently people still like it.

[Ian974]

Well from the story update it sounds like a reasonable amount of change under the bodywork as well, pushrod suspension etc. If they've done a lot of changes to the mechanicals then wait and see how it goes I guess!