New here from the States... question about SV-R?

[fengshui]

I am new to the forum, but no stranger to fine British autos. I drive a MY2002 Rally Blue WRX tuned to about 300hp w/ STi suspension and grippy tires. Lately, I have been feeling that every car coming out these days is just getting heavier and heavier, requiring mass horsepower to move them along. At the advent of the release of the Celica powered Elise in the USA, I am looking to get a timeless car that will provide the fun of the Elise but will absolutely hand it its backside on a track, on twisty roads, and will do it in style. To this end I was considering a Superlight R, but it appears that Caterham is on the verge of releasing a racer/road car based on the upcoming SV-R. It will, hopefully, feature double wishbone rear suspension, and a much cleaner front suspension with full wrap around front fenders. It will also provide a bit more room for cross country touring (something else I want to do with it). I guess I am looking for input on wether those of you who know these fine cars think the SV-R is worth waiting for. Financially I should be able to order one when they are ready to ship them, and hopefully we can get them here in the states.

Thanks for such a great forum on TVRs, Lotui(or is it Lotuses?), and other fine cars. There is a fan base in the USA for these great cars we can't seem to get.

-Chris

[fengshui]

I hope they manage to get it fast as a road car as well, and that the double wishbone rear and front suspensions carry over. Right now it only seems as fast as the R400 with all the aero parts installed. Hopefully they are able to give it a similar ride to the Superlights while retaining its Seven looks.

chris

[fengshui]

Correct. The only engine options are the Crossflow 1700cc and 2.0L Zetec. They don't make a R400 over here per say, the best they offer is the "Superlight R" which I suppose you can upgrade and tweak the engine to turn it into a R400 of your very own. Since I won't have the resources to get one until a year or two anyways, I can wait and see if the SV-R road car has the superior ride due to the suspension changes or not. Plus being able to fit more stuff (whether its bags or people's backsides) is always a plus with the roomier SV. If Caterham USA offered the engine equivalants they do in the UK, then I'd be all over a R400 or R500. But alas the best we can get is a ~200hp Supersport Zetec but the price goes through the roof. At any rate I'll be awaiting the SV-R and bringing my Scooby to the track (after it gets new rotors/pads/lines).

Chris