When we are talking about sports cars and track racers, it pretty much comes down to two things: how much they weigh and how powerful they are.
For nearly four decades, ever since it acquired the production rights to the legendary Lotus 7, Britain’s Caterham has been fine-tuning the aforementioned recipe and now, it has prepared its most extreme plate on the menu, the new race-ready Seven Superlight R600.
The successor to the hardcore 263hp Caterham Superlight R500 produced from 2008 to 2010 will represent the top level of the Caterham racing spectrum in the Superlight R600 Championship from 2013.
It is the first supercharged production Seven and at the same time, the fastest Seven race car to date.
Power comes courtesy of a supercharged, 2.0-litre Ford Duratec inline-four delivering 275bhp and 200lb-ft of torque directed to the rear wheels via a six-speed, sequential gearbox.
Caterham won’t share the performance numbers just yet, but for the record, the 263hp Superlight R500 was capable of completing the 0-60mph (96km/h) sprint in 2.88 seconds.
The R600 also gets a Titan limited-slip differential and Avon radial slicks or wets.
The British carmaker said the latest variant of the Seven can be bought as a completely new car or existing R300 owners can upgrade their vehicles to R600 spec. Pricing will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Simon Lambert, Caterham’s Chief Motorsport and Technical Officer, commented:
“Caterham racing just got even more interesting. As the fastest Seven we’ve ever built, this will provide our existing R300 racers with a real step up and a new and exciting challenge, even for experienced drivers. The R600 represents an increase in aggressiveness, although the linear power delivery of the supercharged engine makes it superbly driveable, much like the R300.”
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