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

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.

 

[Agent Orange]

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

[Agent Orange]

coppice said:

but if you love 'em you really don't want anything else.Nor do you care about the fact that other folk don't like them. I've had them for the last 15 years and nothing I have driven - EVEN a well specced Golf !- comes near.

Drove a Gallardo a few months before the Caterham test drive. Caterham gave biggest smiles.

[Agent Orange]

jason61c said:

caterham fleecing customers again! Bet this cost them at least £1000 in development and biscuits.

Where as a new M3, M5 costs xx million/billion dollars for basically the same as the previous package?