Tuesday 8th March 2011

Caterham SP/300R Selling Fast

Racers line up for £60k+ Sports Prototype Series

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If you're thinking of investing 60k in a new Caterham-Lola SP/300.R to race next year, there are only eleven build slots left.

Caterham pledged to build only 25 examples of its new 300hp 'aero' machine for its first racing season, and managing director Ansar Ali expects the remaining cars to sell quickly.

"We are delighted with the way the car was received at the Autosport show in January. It's the first new model Caterham has built for 15 years but, even so, we were bowled over by the reaction and the interest, which led to several deposits being placed almost immediately.

"There are many more people who have registered their interest in buying the remaining 11 cars so I'd anticipate that our order book will be filled quite soon."

As well as individuals, several teams have placed deposits with Caterham to buy cars. The first team to order a SP/300.R was Staffordshire-based Fauldsport, the reigning Caterham Superlight R300 Teams Champion, which placed deposits on three cars.

Racing starts in 2012, when Caterham motorsport manager Simon Lambert expects a grid of around 20 cars - a handful are going overseas and thus won't enter the series.

"We'll be tied in as a part of the support package for F3 GT, and will have grids that look very healthy for sports prototype racing," he says.

On top of the purchase price, the race fees and registration will add about £5k to your budget, and there'll be limits on tyre usage to make sure costs don't spiral. Although dates have yet to be confirmed it's hoped that at least one round will form the climax of a Caterham racing festival including the Academy cars.

As for a road car version mooted in the press release when the car was revealed in January, don't hold your breath says Simon. "When somebody asks us if we'll do one, we ask them if they're going to buy it. If they say 'no', so do we, but one day somebody will probably say 'yes' and we will!"

[louismchuge]

Love their attitude to building a road version!

[[AJ]]

If the road version was a little less expensive and had a roof, I'd buy one.

[pw32]

[AJ] said:

If the road version was a little less expensive and had a roof, I'd buy one.

Buy an R500 then Cheaper and has a roof. Problem solved.

[[AJ]]

pw32 said:

Buy an R500 then Cheaper and has a roof. Problem solved.

But the R500 doesn't have a Lola chassis!

[joz8968]

[AJ] said:

But the R500 doesn't have a Lola chassis!

...Or the fantastic mini LMP2 looks!

Edited by joz8968 on Tuesday 8th March 14:18

[[AJ]]

joz8968 said:

...Or the fantastic mini LMP2 looks!

Exactly. As much as I like the 7, this just looks so much more fun. A B09/60 style roof would make a road version rather appealing.

[chazwozza]

Glad to see them doing well, surely if they sell them all, they could maybe bring the price down a tad for a road going version? Don't think it will be too practical for a trip to the shops mind....

[Mr Sparkle]

[AJ] said:

Exactly. As much as I like the 7, this just looks so much more fun. A B09/60 style roof would make a road version rather appealing.

Now that would be something.

[Banjo47]

I never quite understand why as soon as a race car comes along - and in this case a fabulous one - that everyone jumps in and wants a "road car." It is a race car, with all that that entails designed without any compromise to road going capabilities. Put a roof on? Giver it bumpers? Give it air bags? FFS!!!! Get real!

[ewenm]

Banjo47 said:

I never quite understand why as soon as a race car comes along - and in this case a fabulous one - that everyone jumps in and wants a "road car." It is a race car, with all that that entails designed without any compromise to road going capabilities. Put a roof on? Giver it bumpers? Give it air bags? FFS!!!! Get real!

Absolutely. Caterham already offer a road car that can hold its own with machinery 10 times the cost.

[Dan Friel]

Generally that's all good news. My only concern is the unspecified number going abroad, and the impact that could have on the race series. They're talking around 20 UK race cars now. Does that mean that 5 of the 11 already sold will go abroad, or am I reading too much into that??

Edited by Dan Friel on Tuesday 8th March 15:54

[Jagdave]

What a great story. It takes courage to come with something like this in this day and age. The car looks fantastic & it will be thrill to watch a full grid of these in action. Good luck Caterham!

[suffolk009]

So it's been on sale for a few weeks and by now they must surely have spoken to all their existing race customers. And they've sold just over half of them - although this may or may not include cars for title sponsors and rent-a-drive.

So nearly sold out then.

[pw32]

Dan Friel said:

Generally that's all good news. My only concern is the unspecified number going abroad, and the impact that could have on the race series. They're talking around 20 UK race cars now. Does that mean that 5 of the 11 already sold will go abroad, or am I reading too much into that??

Edited by Dan Friel on Tuesday 8th March 15:54

Dan..your maths suck 14 sold, 11 left. The rumour I heard was a fraction of the 14. The majority will be UK cars.

[Dan Friel]

Ah, misread the article! Although I probably would have cocked up the maths in any case. I too hope the majority are UK cars and that we get a grid of around 20 cars..

[soad]

What a fine looking thing!

[pw32]

Dan Friel said:

Ah, misread the article! Although I probably would have cocked up the maths in any case. I too hope the majority are UK cars and that we get a grid of around 20 cars..

To be honest some UK cars may not get entered for the series...track days etc, who knows. We had 12 cars on the grid for the first season of R300's and it was such a success it was full grid of 30 plus cars the following year. Year 3, this year is north of 30 as well.

So even if its north of 12 cars year 1 I wouldn't be unduly concerned although it would be superb 15+. It was still a whole heap of fun.

[[AJ]]

Banjo47 said:

I never quite understand why as soon as a race car comes along - and in this case a fabulous one - that everyone jumps in and wants a "road car." It is a race car, with all that that entails designed without any compromise to road going capabilities. Put a roof on? Giver it bumpers? Give it air bags? FFS!!!! Get real!

Does an R500 have bumpers? Does an R500 have air bags? What would be wrong with having something like the SP/300R with indicators so that people can drive it to the track or enjoy it on the odd early morning hoon? Radical seem to have no qualms with the concept. People jump in and want a road legal version, because it makes it a much more viable £60k proposition than just something that can only ever be driven on track.

[RS404]

Road going version of this for £60k? Sounds good to me.

[g7jhp]

[AJ] said:

joz8968 said:

...Or the fantastic mini LMP2 looks!

Exactly. As much as I like the 7, this just looks so much more fun. A B09/60 style roof would make a road version rather appealing.

Ohhh i doesn't look right!

Go and drive a 7 on the road or track and tell me it wasn't fun!