Caterham R400 Superlight

Caterham R400 Superlight 2013

I’m reluctantly selling my beloved Caterham due to a lack of use (and my son having just passed his driving test so needing to free up some cash for his insurance!).

It is my second Caterham and has been cherished during my 3 years of ownership, living in an enclosed garage on a trickle charger. I purchased it in June 2022 from GP Sevens and it has been ultra reliable and an amazing car to drive. The car currently has 12,450 miles on the clock. I generally use the car on the road only, with the exception of one track evening at Donington Park in April where it performed incredibly. It is always run on super unleaded.

Original specification:

• R400 superlight

• 2 litre Ford Duratec engine with dry sump

• Series 3 chassis (narrow body)

• Lowered floors

• F1 paint scheme (a £3k option!) – note all stripes are painted and not vinyl

• 6 Speed Caterham gearbox (a must have option and the best gearchange I’ve ever experienced)

• Lowered floors

• Carbon dash

• Carbon front wings

• Removable momo wheel

• Leather seats

• Four-point harnesses

• LSD

• AP Racing Big brake kit

• Aces Shift light

• Heater

Factory Upgrades

18 months after it’s original registration the car was significantly upgraded at Caterham (at great expense):

• Wheels upgraded to later Apollo spec; 13” dia, 6” wide front, 8” wide rear, black painted centres with polished rims – these are the same as the current 420r wheels

• 220 bhp engine upgrade consisting of the roller barrel throttle assembly and carbon air box (the induction noise is definitely the highlight of the car), along with supporting mods such as upgraded injectors & loom)

• At the same time the exhaust was upgraded to an R500 spec, along with some cosmetic niceties such as carbon indicator pods and carbon effect vinyl boot cover.

Subsequent Upgrades

• The car then received a gorgeous Raceco titanium exhaust silencer (£800) which keeps the exhaust noise surprisingly low and enables the induction noise to shine through. It runs with no CAT but it doesn’t stop it getting through the MOT.

• The car is on Nankang AR1 tyres which provide incredible grip and steering feel yet are fine as road tyres. The fronts are 185/60 R13 and the rear are 205/60 R13.

• The car is supplied with a half hood . As anyone who has owned a Caterham knows, these are a far better solution than the ugly factory hood, being quick to put up, easy to stow in the boot, better looking, and enabling cabin ventilation so you don’t steam up.

• A USB socket was installed by GP Sevens prior to my purchase, meaning you can charge your phone, but more importantly provides a perfect spot to plug in the trickle charger when parked in the garage.

• The car is PPF wrapped to the nose cone, chassis sides & rear arches

Service History

• The original Caterham log book shows services stamps as follows:

o July ’14 – Caterham (1,000miles)

o Sept ’17 – Chapman Cars (5,479 miles)

o Jan ’19 – GP Sevens (7,079 miles)

o Jun ’22 – GP Sevens (9,364 miles)

o Apr ’23 – NJ Potter (10,521 miles)

o May ’24 – NJ Potter (11,700 miles)

o May ’25 – NJ Potter (12,293 miles)

• As you can see the mileage I have completed since purchasing the car in June ’22 is embarrassingly low! I have had the car annually serviced despite the very limited mileage.

• I’ve completed a few small upgrades including 3D printed quad lock phone mount, wrapped the exhaust primaries and installed a high level brake light on the roll bar. I have also just added new rubber gaskets around the dials and have replaced the battery ready for the new owner as it was 6 years old. The wheels have been ceramic coated.

• The car has just passed its MOT on 16th May. I have always used Nick Potter in Market Harborough who provides fantastic service and knows these cars inside out.

• He also serviced the car on 16th May ready for sale. The work included oil change, filter change, new rear discs and pads, and brake fluid. The clutch fluid was changed in May 2024.

Spares

• The car will be supplied with the spare exhaust too (which has a CAT). I’ve never even tried it but I would expect it to be a little louder than the Titanium exhaust.

• I run the car with an exposed foam air filter as it adds a slightly louder induction bark, but the carbon air box (and matching smaller foam filter which sits inside) will also be supplied and can be swapped in 30 seconds.

Other

• I am based in Melbourne in South Derbyshire (DE73)

• Please feel free to call or message if you have any questions.

• The car is currently on a private plate (W90 RAR) but will revert to its original plate of GN62 HBD when sold.

• The car has two keys, service book, and a file of invoices