Caterham, one of the go-to brands for kit-car fanatics, has always impressed with their ultra-lightweight sports car. They’ve proven that you don’t need big engines to put a big smile on your face.
And now, they’re set to deliver more smiles yet again.
The company will soon release an all-new, entry-level Seven which will be powered by a 660cc, three-cylinder turbocharged engine from Suzuki Motor Corporation. It will be the smallest and most efficient engine ever installed in a Seven. The new vehicle uses modern engineering to pay homage to early incarnations of the iconic Seven by utilising an extremely compact and lightweight turbocharged engine further their emphasis on lightness; like no other Seven in recent times. The ultra-efficient, downsized engine will be matched with an equally compact Suzuki 5-speed transmission, and has been adapted by Caterham Technology & Innovation (CTI) – Caterham Group’s engineering division – to complement a re-engineered chassis, which also harks back to the spirit of former Sevens with major revisions to the suspension layout. The powertrain specialists at CTI will fine-tune the engine to perfectly complement the dynamic Seven, resulting in a car capable of strong performance while delivering vastly improved fuel economy and reduced vehicle emissions. While no official output figures were revealed, we wouldn’t be surprised to see peak power close to 100 PS.
Caterham Cars CEO, Graham Macdonald, said: “It is not engine size that matters, it is the grin factor that is our barometer and we believe we have got the formula for our new entry-level vehicle just right. Our intention for this car is to offer the joy of the Seven in distilled form, so the new entry-level car is lighter, cheaper, more economical and more accessible than ever.”
Priced at under £17,000 (Rs 15.5 lakh), the new model will be launched in the UK later this year, with first deliveries expected to begin before the year-end.
