Caterham Superlight R500
Can Caterham get any more extreme!?
They've been quiet for a while but now Caterham have played another high card with the new Caterham Superlight R500.
Weighing just 470 kg, the lightweight Seven packs a monstrous 530bhp per tonne punch from the specially bored 1998cc K Series engine. Impressive figures but the real clout comes from the 190lb ft of torque that kicks in at less than 4,000 revs flinging you up the road at a truly indecent pace.
The minimalist cabin is dressed with lightweight carbon-fibre trim, carbon-kevlar race seats and the classic Superlight Stack speedometer. New lightweight 13-inch eight-spoke wheels shod with Avon CR500 tyres help convert the raw power into road performance, whilst the AP Racing brakes have been fine-tuned at endurance events at Nurburgring and in the USA.
Fully adjustable dampers allow those buying the R500 evolution for track day fun to fiddle to their heart's content and bore fellow track day goers with riveting tales of suspension set up.
On sale from end of April, the Superlight R500 evolution is priced at an eye watering £42,000!
Engine 4 cylinder 1998cc MG Rover K Series, prepared by Minister Racing Engines
Power: 250bhp at 8000rpm
Torque: 190lb ft at 4000rpm
Power to Weight: 530bhp per tonne
Top Speed: 150mph
0-60mph: 3.2secs
Weight: 470kg
Mpg: Who cares?
Mpg: Who cares?
Links
S2000 would do the trick . . . 240/208 iso 250/190 But impressive . . . and a looker. Bit strange tires. Want one in lemon yellow.
www.ukintpress.com/engineoftheyear/18-2.html
>>> Edited by dinkel on Thursday 8th April 11:41
I guess Caterham are sticking to their knitting with the K (and enjoying a good deal with MG Rover). Plus they're probably watching what the likes of Raceline & Minister are doing with the Duratech.
Don't knock a K until you've driven a Caterham powered by one (especially if it's a VHPD or above)
Dave Tripp said:
Back in the early 70's, I was in Atlanta, and one of the boys who worked for Jimmy Downing (Mazda Kudzu, HANS-device, etc) gave me a ride in his Lotus 7 Series 4. The original owner managed to get it into the Chattahoochee River; the boys pulled it out and replaced the Lotus engine with one of Jimmy's old Mazda rotaries. Given dinkel's comment below about that sweet Honda engine, and the link to the international engine awards, it is interesting that the Renesis was the overall winner last year. Now THAT would be a tool and a half...
So RX8 Wankel in a Catherham: must be room enough!
and a good idea I did not came across yet.The 42k price tag for the R500 Evo (why could they not come up with a less "done already" name?) is too steep, IMO, but some people will stump up - not many I guess, but some just want the absolute top model that a factory produces, and this happens to be it for Caterham.
Also note that you are not simply losing 1 sec to 60 in going from a 7 to a Tuscan. You're losing handfuls of time around a lap of any circuit you care to mention, and the absolute shame of being lapped on many too if you stay out for more than a few laps
The Caterham is simply one of the quickest road usable tools out there (still, after over 40yrs). And a K series on throttle bodies at 8500 revs sounds brilliant, so I'm not 100% convinced that the Tuscan wins here either.
A more interesting bet is the SV with a bike V8 in it (two bike 4's glued together). Not a Caterham product, but I believe the engine is around the same weight as a K, and produces 320bhp!
murph7355 said:
( . . . )
Also note that you are not simply losing 1 sec to 60 in going from a 7 to a Tuscan. You're losing handfuls of time around a lap of any circuit you care to mention, and the absolute shame of being lapped on many too if you stay out for more than a few laps
. . . and you catch a cold in the 7 for sure!
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