| Sneak preview | Caterham Superlight R500 |
The next Caterham Superlight R500 will go from 0-60mph in 3.4 seconds and reach more than 150mph. That's the word slipping out from Caterham's Surrey headquarters, which has released a teaser image of the new car on its website.
Caterham is already describing the new R500 as having 'weapons grade driving thrills'. Power will come from a version of the existing 2.3-litre Ford engine already used in the CSR model. It's likely the engine will have a slight increase in power, but more performance will be gained by shedding weight. The R500 is expected to tip the scales at less than 500kg, giving a power-to-weight ratio of more than 500bhp-per-tonne.
This sort of power and weight balance will put the R500 firmly in the same category as the most powerful supercars. However, the new Superlight is expected to cost around £40,000 when sales start in the spring of this year.
Alisdair Suttie - 10 Apr 2008