Caterham's Superlight Matches Ferrari Performance

[Variance]

Link: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=107033

CATERHAM, England — British sports carmaker Caterham Cars' pocket-rocket roadster, the CSR has been joined by a new, even more thrilling model, the Superlight.

It's only got a 140-horsepower, 1.8-liter Rover engine, but it weighs less than half a ton, giving it a power-to-weight ratio that matches that of the Ferrari 360 Spider and a 0-to-60 time of less than 5 seconds.

The Caterham design has a rich racing heritage; the car dates back to the original Lotus Seven from the 1960s, and has been developed — though hardly refined — over the years. Indeed, Caterham has specifically "unrefined" the Superlight, stripping out the heater, the carpets and even the windshield; a set of goggles is essential gear.

Standard equipment centers on handling performance. Thirteen-inch sport wheels with Avon's CR500 tires — exactly as used in the Caterham Roadsport race series — are coupled to adjustable suspension and uprated brakes. The driver sits in a race seat with a four-point harness and shifts with Caterham's custom six-speed gearbox.

U.K. price translates to around $40,000, though there's a discount if you buy the car as a kit and assemble it yourself.

What this means to you: The Caterham is as close as you can get to a street-legal 1960s racecar. Who needs practical when you have fun?

Edited August 27, 2005 by VarianceJ30