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You know the Caterham Seven? The plucky little super-light sports car that was once a Lotus? Yeah, it's been getting somewhat complicated of late, with bigger, more powerful engines, Nürburgring lap records and even now a model with a colossally powerful supercharged engine and Bugatti Veyron-baiting performance. Caterham is now part of a conglomerate that includes a Formula One team, is prepping a new mid-engined coupé road car and is working with Renault to design and build a new range of Alpine sports cars. This, then, is the antidote to all of that.
This is the Seven 160, the cheapest Caterham for a long time and one that is powered by a dinky little three-cylinder turbocharged Suzuki engine. It costs just £14,995 and yes, you can build it yourself if you like. Caterham reckons it'll take you a few days' solid work to do so, if you're working on your own.
With just 80hp from its 660cc engine, we're not talking a staggering top speed here. In fact, the Seven 160 tops out at a mere 100mph, but with a brisk 0-60mph time of 6.5 seconds, it's all about having fun at sensible, safe, even legal speeds. This car marks a return to the Caterham style of old - affordable fun.
The car has a simple live rear axle and has been tuned for handling finesse, says Caterham, rather than all-out speed.
Anything else?
Caterham Cars CEO, Graham Macdonald, said: "As the Caterham Group as a whole grows and expands into new sectors and industries, our commitment to keep evolving the Seven is very much alive. The 160 offers something truly different to the entry-level market. It's more economical, more accessible and every bit as fun on the road as other Sevens but has its own unique personality. The engineering challenges we faced when developing the new vehicle were significant. The engine, suspension and the overall dynamics all needed to work in harmony and the various arms of the Group have been successful in pooling facilities and expertise to achieve that."
Neil Briscoe - 22 Oct 2013