British automaker Caterham is unveiling its latest addition to the Seven range: the Supersport. According to the company, the new model is derived from the Caterham Supersport championship, which basically means it is street legal race car.
Fitted with a 1.6-litre Ford Sigma engine tuned by Caterham, the Supersport delivers 140bhp to the 13 inch wheels wrapped un CR500 Avon tires via a quick shifting 5-speed transmission and even though that might not seem to much, we are being told that this new version is able to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.9 seconds.
The Caterham Seven Supersport can also reach a maximum speed of 120 mph (200 Km/h), and that is because the car weights as little as 520 Kg.
Some of the car’s motorsport derived features include a limited slip differential, uprated springs and dampers, stiffer anti roll bars, a track style dashboard with integrated gear up lights and an aero screen plus lightweight race seats with a 4-point race harness.
The Caterham Seven Supersport price starts at 19,995 GBP for the ‘self-built’ variant and at 22,995 GBP for the factory built version.
Caterham Press Release :
Caterham Cars’ first brand new addition to the world-renowned Seven
range in two years – the Supersport – is one of the purest versions yet
of the iconic British sportscar.
Derived directly from the race car that competes in the
highly-successful Caterham Supersport championship, the road-going
edition borrows all of the track version’s performance essentials and
then, for good measure, is fine-tuned for the road.
Priced £19,995 (incl tax) in self-build form, the 140bhp Supersport
carries the DNA of Colin Chapman’s 1950s concept of ‘less is more’ and
remains true to his philosophy of lightweight, minimalist machines that
place outstanding handling characteristics and the thrill of driving at
their core.
A Caterham Motorsport-tuned 1.6-litre Ford Sigma engine, five-speed
‘sprint’ ratio gearing, lightweight flywheel and race-prepared
suspension with CR500 Avon tyres on 13” wheels promise a raw and
unadulterated driving experience – not for the faint-hearted but
certainly for driving purists at home both on the road and on the track.
Weighing just 520kg, the Ford powerplant will propel the Supersport
from 0-60mph in 4.9 seconds and will achieve a top speed of 120mph
without breaking a sweat.
Equipped with a motorsport-honed limited-slip-differential and
gearing with sports driving in mind, the Supersport also features
uprated springs and dampers borrowed directly from its race car cousin,
stiffer anti-roll bars, track biased dash with integrated change up
lights and an aero screen. Composite race seats and a four-point race
harness instead of standard seat belt complete the track-inspired
experience.
Engineered for the track but at home on the road, the latest Seven
packs an unrivalled punch for its price tag too. Factory-built, the
Supersport will cost £22,995 with enthusiasts able to purchase in
component form for £19,995.
The Supersport is unveiled just over two months after Caterham
launched its extreme new sports racer, the SP/300.R to great acclaim at
the Autosport International Show.
Caterham Cars engineering director, Mark Edwards, said: “The SP/300.R
was our first brand new model for 15 years. But the Supersport is all
about our roots. The Seven was born out of motorsport and this new model
illustrates the values – accessibility, affordability and unadulterated
fun – that have made Caterham the iconic brand it is today and which
will ensure the Seven’s continuing global success.
“We’ve built faster and more powerful accelerating cars before, but
the Supersport’s character, value and low running costs have generated a
machine that will excite sportscar fans, including those on a budget.”
The Caterham Supersport Championship represents the third rung of its
‘motorsport ladder’ and is Caterham’s fastest-growing series. With 14
rounds over seven race weekends, the championship heads to the new
Snetterton 300 circuit on 24-25th April.
