RE: Caterham Seven 310R: PH Fleet
Discussion
m.barnes said:
Does this car really have: "£300 for Sequential shift lights" with a manual gearbox? Is this just to show when to change gear then?
I think the real benefit of this is for racing. Surrounded by 30 other 7s, all screaming at maximium revs and fighting for every apex, I imagine it would get challenging to judge gear changes by the engine note of your own car.Personally I'd choose it, just because it's cool.
SpudLink said:
m.barnes said:
Does this car really have: "£300 for Sequential shift lights" with a manual gearbox? Is this just to show when to change gear then?
I think the real benefit of this is for racing. Surrounded by 30 other 7s, all screaming at maximium revs and fighting for every apex, I imagine it would get challenging to judge gear changes by the engine note of your own car.Personally I'd choose it, just because it's cool.
HustleRussell said:
SpudLink said:
m.barnes said:
Does this car really have: "£300 for Sequential shift lights" with a manual gearbox? Is this just to show when to change gear then?
I think the real benefit of this is for racing. Surrounded by 30 other 7s, all screaming at maximium revs and fighting for every apex, I imagine it would get challenging to judge gear changes by the engine note of your own car.Personally I'd choose it, just because it's cool.
m.barnes said:
Does this car really have: "£300 for Sequential shift lights" with a manual gearbox? Is this just to show when to change gear then?
Also, R pack comes with Composite race seats doesnt it, so was it worth paying for them and then paying £400 for carbon leather seats?
Options seem so plentiful it gets confusing (and expensive!)
It does come with those seats, yes! I think the logic was that the car would be used more on road than track and quite a few people would be driving it so the more comfort-orientated seats would suit better. Annoyingly I prefer the composite seats from previous experience so perhaps we can get them changed!Also, R pack comes with Composite race seats doesnt it, so was it worth paying for them and then paying £400 for carbon leather seats?
Options seem so plentiful it gets confusing (and expensive!)
SpudLink said:
Doesn’t the ‘R’ pack come with a lighter flywheel? Presumably that explains the ‘hitherto unknown appetite for revs’.
I’ve heard that if you have the windscreen but not the side windows, you can end up fighting for breath because it creates a partial vacuum. Is this something owners on here have experienced??
Yes, you're correct. Sorry, forgot to mention that.I’ve heard that if you have the windscreen but not the side windows, you can end up fighting for breath because it creates a partial vacuum. Is this something owners on here have experienced??
m.barnes said:
Yep, I appreciate the benefit, I have the digital performance steering wheel on my bmw and its makes gear changes much easier than rev watching, just wondered when it mentioned sequential which box the car had
The 620R has a six speed sequential box as standard, all the others have a five or six speed manualOn the vacuum - yes, that happens. Scares passengers like you wouldn't believe.
On my car I have captive nuts inside the scuttle, so screen to aeroscreens is a five minute job. The fiddliest part is attaching the mirrors to the cage and getting the positions right. I have two small screens however, not one large one, so I can easily transport them to a trackday, swap, enjoy aero on track and then chuck a roof up if it pees down on the way home. Best of all worlds.
On my car I have captive nuts inside the scuttle, so screen to aeroscreens is a five minute job. The fiddliest part is attaching the mirrors to the cage and getting the positions right. I have two small screens however, not one large one, so I can easily transport them to a trackday, swap, enjoy aero on track and then chuck a roof up if it pees down on the way home. Best of all worlds.
Wolvesboy said:
Sorry to spoil the fun fellas but £38k for a 7?
Way to pricey and far more enjoyable "toys" out there for that money.
They are too expensive for what they are but residuals blah blah blah. You can buy a lot of stuff for £38k but what car can you buy new which is more enjoyable?Way to pricey and far more enjoyable "toys" out there for that money.
SpudLink said:
Doesn’t the ‘R’ pack come with a lighter flywheel? Presumably that explains the ‘hitherto unknown appetite for revs’.
I’ve heard that if you have the windscreen but not the side windows, you can end up fighting for breath because it creates a partial vacuum. Is this something owners on here have experienced??
Yeah a windscreen without doors isn't a very nice experience.I’ve heard that if you have the windscreen but not the side windows, you can end up fighting for breath because it creates a partial vacuum. Is this something owners on here have experienced??
Before I bought my clear aeroscreen I used to use the wind deflectors on trackdays. They help a bit, but they're only really any use when you have a helmet on. They're better than having side screens on on a trackday though, you just need to mount the side mirrors to the windscreen instead.
I find the aeroscreen fine regardless. I sit nice and low in my car and breathing is never a problem, even at motorway speeds. I keep it on unless I'm touring, in which case the windscreen goes back on instead. A hat and some eye and ear protection are a must though.
I just earlier put my windscreen back on in preparation for going to the Silverston Classic this weekend. It really only took me 10 mins to switch over. Once you know what you're doing it's really easy.
I've just modified the side screens on my Seven by cutting away most of the top frame and making polycarbonate windows. I now have an unobstructed view and the ability to use my halfhood in really bad weather. This was suggested in the Lotus Seven Club magazine, and having tried it, it is a shame Caterham don't redesign them.
I love the way I can just jump in the car and drive off without helmet or goggles, but we do still use ear defenders even with the screen.
I love the way I can just jump in the car and drive off without helmet or goggles, but we do still use ear defenders even with the screen.
m.barnes said:
Also, R pack comes with Composite race seats doesnt it, so was it worth paying for them and then paying £400 for carbon leather seats?
Options seem so plentiful it gets confusing (and expensive!)
It's not as simple as the race seats being better. Different people find different seats more comfortable. Given the car has lowered floors, the tillet seats will place you very low indeed, and anyone under 5'9" would probably struggle to sit at a comfortable height.Options seem so plentiful it gets confusing (and expensive!)
It's a matter of personal preference rather than one being better than the other. That said, the leather seats are likely more comfortable for road use, which this car will see mostly.
SpudLink said:
I’ve heard that if you have the windscreen but not the side windows, you can end up fighting for breath because it creates a partial vacuum. Is this something owners on here have experienced??
Definitely; when my car was in road spec (windscreen but no doors) I found this a big problem at anything above 40/50mph, and ended up wearing a helmet despite having the full screen. On the plus side, doing so gave kids the opportunity to point and shout "It's the Stig!" as I went by...Wolvesboy said:
Sorry to spoil the fun fellas but £38k for a 7?
Way to pricey and far more enjoyable "toys" out there for that money.
I can't think of anything new for 38k that comes close to a 7 (although, in fairness, you don't need to spend 38k on one).Way to pricey and far more enjoyable "toys" out there for that money.
If you're talking new then the argument changes since under 20k will get you a very similar 7 used.
Its funny - Sevens have traditionally been fairly depreciation-less. All that's happening is Caterham have plotted the used prices against a traditional depreciation curve, and shifted the starting price up. So now, you get a really fun car that does depreciation like a stone in the first five years. Yay!
But seriously, the extras on a "standard" car are what drive it up. This is a dream spec, every option ticked vehicle. Part of the fun of a Seven is tweaking it yourself. You definitely don't get half the fun for half the money.
But seriously, the extras on a "standard" car are what drive it up. This is a dream spec, every option ticked vehicle. Part of the fun of a Seven is tweaking it yourself. You definitely don't get half the fun for half the money.
I did say 'sorry' as I knew my comment would kick up a fuss! A good example at 20k used is much more like it. I just think that 38k is a lot of money for that type of car where the doors/ roof are pretty flimsy. A mate had a Westfield Seight that he built. Awesome, awesome car but it just felt like a go kart with some extra trim! Maybe I'm just too used to a bit of comfort whilst travelling at speed.
Wolvesboy said:
I did say 'sorry' as I knew my comment would kick up a fuss! A good example at 20k used is much more like it. I just think that 38k is a lot of money for that type of car where the doors/ roof are pretty flimsy. A mate had a Westfield Seight that he built. Awesome, awesome car but it just felt like a go kart with some extra trim! Maybe I'm just too used to a bit of comfort whilst travelling at speed.
As an owner, I completely agree with you! £38000 is a hell of a lot to spend on a fun car that 90% of owners will do less than 2000 miles a year in. When I bought mine, I knew the sensible thing to do was to spend the £20000 I had on a higher spec 2nd hand car. However, I had always wanted to build one, fortunately, I wasn't desperate to have loads of power, and only spent £150 on optional glass fibre seats to just keep a Sigma engined Seven under my limit 
Brilliant fun, but not free from depreciation particularly if you do 5000 miles + a year. However, I don't plan to sell until I can't get in it.
I did say 'sorry' as I knew my comment would kick up a fuss! A good example at 20k used is much more like it. I just think that 38k is a lot of money for that type of car where the doors/ roof are pretty flimsy. A mate had a Westfield Seight that he built. Awesome, awesome car but it just felt like a go kart with some extra trim! Maybe I'm just too used to a bit of comfort whilst travelling at speed.
I wouldn't apologise. £38k is mental, especially given some of the issues you still face as a buyer from a low volume supplier. The price is up with the big boys, and the quality and customer side is slowly catching up, but as far as I can see, if you didn't give the brand a lot of slack, there's a huge amount of room to be disappointed with what you get (or don't get, given how much still seems to be missing from each kit when delivered). Caterhams are a wonderful thing to own and drive, but I doubt I would ever buy one new. The lure of building a car with my son is strong, but to make it the car I really want in Caterham form is simply too expensive even now. I would have to go kitcar. Gone are the days of spending ~£20k on a pocket rocket you build yourself.
I do say all of this as an owner and fan of the product, if not the brand, if that makes sense.
I do say all of this as an owner and fan of the product, if not the brand, if that makes sense.
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