Caterham launches 485 Final Editions for Europe
Caterham is making way for new products in Europe; time to sign off a much loved 7 flagship
The origin story of the Seven 485 was always a heartening one. Caterham’s European and Japanese customers loved 7s, but were really after something a bit more… silly. Denied the supercharged screamers we get, the continental range didn’t really have an appropriate flagship. So, the customer always being right and all that, Caterham made one. And probably made a few UK customers jealous in the process. The 485 launched just over a decade ago (including a Nurburgring onboard as part of the PR), complete with 240hp from the 2.0-litre Duratec, an 8,500rpm redline, a Sport button and a 525kg kerbweight. All with Euro 6 compliance. No wonder they were popular.
But now, after a decade on sale, production of the 485 is coming to an end as Caterham will introduce ‘new products in our European line-up’. To mark the occasion, a Final Edition is going into production, with 60 standard cars (in regular or large chassis) and 25 CSR-spec examples to be made. There’s also going to be 10 FEs for Japan. All of them will come with Final Edition embroidery on sports seats, a carbon dash, a numbered plaque, black badges and black stripes.
Caterham says that the Final Edition ‘showcases the very best specification available on the product while continuing to allow customers to customise a vehicle to their own taste’, so there will be five colour options available as well as the usual range of Seven options. This is Verdes Emes, with Golden Saffron, Viper Blue, Volcano Red and Viola Parsifae also offered. Extras are as might be expected and include carbon goodies, better dampers, a proper roll cage, quick-release wheels and lowered floors. Mechanically it’s as per previous 485s, with 228hp, 151lb ft and a six-speed manual.
Olivier Jouanne, European Territory Manager for Caterham, said: “Revealing our Seven 485 Final Edition is a bittersweet moment for us and our customers. On the one hand it marks the end of an era for one of our most iconic European models. On the other, with only a limited number available, customers now have the possibility to own the last highest-revving, naturally aspirated Seven to ever be produced, giving them the chance to drive a piece of Caterham history.
“It’s been an incredible decade for the 485, which was an incredibly popular product in Europe, particularly our DACH markets. For now, we are looking ahead to the additional production and engineering capacity, that will give us the space to focus on expanding our European product offering.”
For PHers on the continent, both versions of the Final Edition are on sale now, priced from €67,495, or £58k at current rates. And if Caterham news (as well as the weather) has you searching for a Seven, PH - of course - has you covered. A 420 is probably as close as we get here to a 485, and this R - with a dry sump, lightweight flywheel and six-speed - ought to be brilliant fun.
ETA; There's an interview with one of the the technical leads of the project on Youtube somewhere, and he is very clear that what they've achieved in terms of weight and dimensions wouldn't be possible on a product that wasn't designed to be EV and EV alone.
Its such a nice shaped car, would have been on my bucketlist if it not was EV, I still follow it though
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