Thoughts on this please

[Avalon2007]

Hi,

Looking to get my first Caterham after years of wanting one Any feedback or information on this car would be really appreciated.

http://uk.caterhamcars.com/pre-owned/1491-superspo...

I'm fairly sure the price is about right, but anything else regarding spec or what to look for upon viewing/test drive would be good to know.

Also, if anyone knows the history of the car, as I expect to keep it for many years it would be good to know anything about it.

Thanking you all in advance.
Andy.

[Orange Blackbird]

Andy

Looks nice. Only bits that I would want would be trackday roll bar, tillet seats and battery master switch. Seats are really a personal thing and worth trying both before deciding. Roll bar, I would always want the track day one for safety and use on track days. Battery master switch is a nice to have but easy to retro fit if you do track days but in no way essential. Mileage is low so hopefully nicely run in.

[downsman]

I would get them to swap the silencer to one that will have a chance of getting onto a track day.
Looks nice

[The Orig Fergie]

Looks a great car - I bought a supersport from caterham last year after a 15 year break . Great place to start! Well balanced and consequently great fun. The exhaust (peashooter) will be loud but fun although will not get you on a track . I would upgrade later unless you want it to be quiter from the start knowing you will be going on track.

Seats are a personal thing but I love the tillets and they are perfectly comfortable ( leather are prob better if you have back issues)I have tiillets with lowered floors and have no complaints despite being only 5' 7 but the view out may be tricky with aeroscreens.

Re the roll bar, the fia bar looks good but does restrict your rear view vision - but a must for the track

[Avalon2007]

Thank you for your advice, from what I understand so far, most of what you'd recommend I can change in the future.
Unfortunately I can't fit into tillet seats as I'm rather wide so the leather seat in an S3 is a nice snug fit.

Are there any areas I should pay close attention to when inspecting or should a car this new not be suffering from anything?

Andy

[Timjrogers]

I saw this car when I was down there just before Christmas, does look nice. I think it has a small crack/mark on top of one of the rear wings, so keep an eye out for that. Nothing major, just a niggle that may annoy and they may be able to sort it.

Dominic spent a long time with me trying out all floor/seat/chassis combinations and even pedal box set ups and have to say he was very helpful indeed. Unfortunately they'd sold the one I really fancied.

[Timjrogers]

I saw this car when I was down there just before Christmas, does look nice. I think it has a small crack/mark on top of one of the rear wings, so keep an eye out for that. Nothing major, just a niggle that may annoy and they may be able to sort it.

Dominic spent a long time with me trying out all floor/seat/chassis combinations and even pedal box set ups and have to say he was very helpful indeed. Unfortunately they'd sold the one I really fancied.

[The Orig Fergie]

Have seen the car in the showroom and looked ok to me (although I did not go over in detail ) Dom and the guys are very open and honest so you should not go too far wrong. You can change the bits you want when you get familiar with the car - the exhaust will be too loud for some (be fine for me coz love them noisy) but I have the small competition can and is this fine but the big can is too quite for me.

Too be honest if you have never owned one, you will drive it and be blown away, but once you have had it for a summer you get to understand what you like and need to change if any

I don't do track days as have no time and have done enough track stuff in the past etc

If you know you are going to do track days then upgrade the roll bar and exhaust, but if you see this a long way off do it later and get used to the car. The get them to play around with the set up etc


I was lucky as the car was already set up with a fairly aggressive front end but this suits me

[StEVEN7]

Alas it was sold on Saturday morning when I was there.
They had sold all the Supersports that they had fairly quickly....
One of the best variants in the range .... You have to be quick though.

Edited by StEVEN7 on Thursday 8th January 22:50

[Avalon2007]

Thank you all for your advice, I've set my heart on a Supersport. I guess from what's just been said I'll have to move quick when I find one I like the look of.

I like the idea of a very loud exhaust and as I would have got myself used to the car before doing track days it would have been fun.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply to my questions, all good advice for what is now a continued search.

Andy

[admaraujo]

Personally I would go for an SV.

[ghibbett]

Good to hear Supersports are selling quickly. The one the OP looked at was on the money price-wise IMO.

And as for the peashooter exhaust...: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBie7Tt6zQY

[Paul Holywood]

ghibbett said:

Good to hear Supersports are selling quickly. The one the OP looked at was on the money price-wise IMO.

And as for the peashooter exhaust...: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBie7Tt6zQY

That vid is great, you captured perfect sound and quality footage, can't wait till I pick mine up and have little blat days like this.
Where did you have external mic fitted?

[ghibbett]

Thanks

Mic was positioned between the exhaust tip and the rear wheel arch. It was one of those external mics that looks like a dead rat, i.e. covered in fluffy stuff to minimise wind noise.