Given the success of the three-cylinder Caterhams, it should come as little surprise that a once a £15k kit has now become a £30k classic racer Seven. The original 160 was launched to considerable acclaim, with the retro-themed Sprint follow-up selling out in just a week. A move to combine the accessibility of the three-cylinder engine with the focus of the more senior Sevens looks entirely logical, then, and also highly desirable. The result, as you'll probably know, is the Seven SuperSprint.
Not that you can buy one, of course. The 60 Caterham Seven SuperSprints allocated for production sold out within seven hours of its Goodwood Revival launch. That's 60 cars for at least £29,995 too, the optional weather pack - boasting as it does such decadent luxuries as a roof and doors - adding another £2k to that.
So what are those 60 buyers in for this summer? Firstly, and as importantly as anything else, they'll experience the unmitigated joy of using a daft little sports car in the real world. Kids on school holidays want to sit in it, old boys who once raced are interested in it, even those who really don't want to pay attention to the car everyone is looking at can't help but sneak a glance. 'Lovable' is probably stretching a bit far, although it's hard to imagine a car more effective at garnering public affection than a Seven. The more so with this particular car, the SuperSprint additions really nicely done and evoking a cool retro vibe without falling on the side of pastiche. The decals, the steel wheels and the quilted leather give the SS a very different vibe to something like the Duratec-engined cars, yet it's a separate and discrete appeal. While obviously similar, they can engage different people and not compromise the other, which is quite a neat trick to pull off.
It's a different experience from the driver's seat, too, for good and for bad. Despite some crummy switches still being carried across, the materials and the attention to detail in the SuperSprint make it somewhat more inviting than the usual confines of a Caterham. The leather smells nice, the dials look cool and, once you've worked out how to avoid getting your leg stuck, the steering wheel feels great, too. In fact, while your entire body will thank you for getting a proper windscreen and doors, the car looks so spot-on without them that you'll probably go without. Probably.
Obviously those 60 buyers - it feels like they should be referred to as five dozen, but we won't - have no choice over the powertrain: it's the same 660cc, Caterham Works-tuned, 96hp three-cylinder turbo for all. Like the more humble three-cylinder cars, power is transmitted through a Suzuki five-speed manual gearbox, although the SuperSprint has the added benefit of a limited-slip differential.
There's a lot to like about the powertrain, but it's hard to be unequivocally positive. It sounds great, fizzing, whooshing and parping through the rev range like a Giulia Quadrifoglio - if the Giulia was in Micro Machines. The little triple revs with real enthusiasm as well, even if the last few revs beyond peak power feel superfluous, and makes for suitably swift progress - 96hp with 490kg is similar to 200hp and 1,000kg, don't forget.
The process though doesn't feel quite as harmonious in the SuperSprint as it does in other Caterhams. There's less lag than you might expect, although clearly more than with other models, and with a car as responsive to inputs as a Seven, that's not ideal, and can make for a disjointed power delivery. And while short ratios are great for a sense of acceleration, the large gap between third and fourth can disturb your rhythm a little. Finally, it's worth noting that the four-cylinder, five-speed Sevens use an MX-5 gearbox; this one uses the gearbox from a Jimny and, simply put, it's just not as enjoyable to use: more awkward, less precise, too heavy at times.
We're working in the upper echelons here, though. For the vast majority the SuperSprint's effervescent, indomitable nature will be manna from heaven against so many sanitised sports cars. The way it thrums through gears and zips its way around the speedo being a welcome world away from normality. For those who have experienced other Caterhams at this money, though, the SuperSprint's powertrain just isn't as satisfying as either the Sigma or Duratec-engined Sevens.
The same consideration extends to the dynamics, too. Because while there's much of the joyful and addictive handling delicacy of a Seven here, the Supersprint's more prosaic origins - specifically that live rear axle - can frustrate at points. Again we're talking about more committed driving, but then who is really buying a narrow body Seven to potter around in? If that's really your intention, get a Morgan - at least then you'll both fit. Up to a point the SS is fabulous: poised, adjustable to your every whim and immensely rewarding because you're such an integral part of the process. Beyond that though, and at the sort of point where many Sevens are so immense, the Supersprint doesn't deliver. The rear axle doesn't deal with bumps as it should, and the larger wheel lessens the immediacy of the connection with the front one. They're small deficiencies, but noticeable ones.
Ultimately, it's still a right old hoot. It's hard to imagine a car with so little weight and such fantastic inherent balance not being entertaining, really. The Seven scoots around bends in whatever fashion you desire, and the lack of assists is never an issue - it seldom is with Caterhams, in fact, because the feedback is so transparent.
There's little avoiding the fact, however, that that the grin is broader and the giggles more maniacal in Sevens other than the SuperSprint. The urgency, excitement and reward takes tangible steps up as you move through the Caterham range, which is understandable as you're spending more money. Trouble is the SuperSprint costs what others do: a factory built 310R would be £30,500, an equivalent 360R just £2,000 more. For us they deliver a more authentic Caterham experience, without a steel wheel or decal in sight.
That being said, those who are getting a SuperSprint will love it (bear with, because that sounds contrary). It hasn't been purchased for how it drives; it's been purchased for how it looks. That it can back up such a successful retro aesthetic with so much of what makes the Seven a joy on the road means that the car has done its job. But please, Caterham, can we have this look with a big engine? That could be spectacular.
SPECIFICATION - CATERHAM SEVEN SUPERSPRINT
Engine: 660cc 3-cyl turbocharged
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 96@7,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 79@3,400rpm
0-62mph: 6.5sec
Top speed: 100mph
Weight: 490kg
MPG: TBC
CO2: TBC
Price: £29,995 (sold out)
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