There are very few iconic cars that have survived the ravages of time as unscathed and widely loved as the Caterham Seven. For decades now the original Lotus Seven design has been lightly breathed on to keep it feeling relatively contemporary, in terms of mechanicals at least. The CSR unveiled by Caterham
last October is the first real re-work of the traditional Seven and as such is probably the most significant event in the car's history for many years.
Immediately obvious is the new F1-style inboard suspension on the front of the car that transforms the looks. Behind the broader nose lurks a bespoke Cosworth fettled 2.3-litre four-cylinder unit pushing out 260bhp and 200lb.ft of torque ensuring that the CSR retains the Caterham tradition of giant killing performance; how does 0-60mph in 3.1 seconds and 155mph all out strike you? The customary awe inspiring handling will also be present thanks to that nifty new front suspension set-up, which has been fine tuned on the racetrack.
Sixty of the £34,000 cars have already been ordered and the first lucky customers will be receiving their cars next month. We're jealous, and we hope to lay our hands on one some time in the summer, so watch out for the story in the main
Road Tests page.
Dave Jenkins - 29 Apr 2005