Caterham R500 Superlight Revealed
Leaked R500 details forces Caterham to bring forward unveiling
Mmmm...
We are used to Caterhams being very quick, but this one can crack 0-60mph in 2.88 seconds, making it one of the fastest accelerating cars on the road.
It uses a 2.0 litre Ford Duratec engine tuned to produce 263bhp and has an all-new electronic dashboard, including keyless ignition.
The car does get a launch control like the one fitted in the RS Performance RST-V8 but won’t get paddle shift, instead getting the option of a Caterham Motorsport engineered sequential gearbox.
Weighing just 506kg and producing 263bhp, R500 is the most potent race-tuned production Seven yet and pushes out 520bhp-per-tonne.
Fed by its roller barrel throttle bodies, the normally aspirated, four-cylinder engine is tuned by Caterham Powertrain (CPT) to unleash 263bhp with 177 lb-ft of torque transmitted to the rear wheels.
Avon CR500 tyres are fitted and a suspension set-up that includes weight saving aero wishbones and fully adjustable dampers.
To shed a massive 9kg from the already featherlight chassis utilised by the R400, more carbon and Kevlar features than before, thinner body panels have been utilised right through to aluminium rear light housings.
Discreet exterior styling tweaks carried over from the flagship CSR models offer both form and function - the carbon winglets increasing downforce and the cat’s tongue grill aiding cooling and aerodynamics.
A carbon leather boot cover and clear rear lights are also new.
On sale immediately, the factory built Superlight R500 starts at £36,995.
We want one, in that colour please...
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