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Caterham

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alternative energy

ThoRR Electric Se7en Should Have Shocking Performance

Thor is of course the Norse god of thunder, thunder comes from lightning and lightning is made of electricity, thus naming an all-electric se7en ThoRR is appropriate. The chassis we all know and love is largely unmolested, but the powertrain is pure electrons with a Siemens 3-phase electric motor sporting a redline of 10,000 RPM, a peak horsepower of 272, and max torque of 331 lb.ft. Interestingly, there is no transmission to get in the way so this gets even closer to go-kart like driving.

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12:15 PM on Mon Apr 28 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
1,616 views, 40 comments

Latest by Bad Juju: @FreeMan: Looks like a radiator from a motorcycle, actually - they tend to be curved. Wonder which model they borrowed it from. more »

new cars

Caterham R500 Does the 0-60 Run in 2.88 Seconds

We brought you some of the first images of the Caterham R500 yesterday and today we've got all the details and the high-res images to match. Weighing in at just over 1,115 lbs, the latest kidney-punisher from Caterham features all sorts of goodies that set it apart from the more brutal CSR. Chief among them is sweet 263 HP Duratec mill and the the all electronic gee-whiz dash and keyless start. Also tossed in for good measure are thinner body panels, kevlar seats, and that new six-speed sequential shifter. All of those goodies get you to sixty in a chest-compressing 2.88 seconds, which in case you weren't paying attention is Bugatti Veyron territory. Full deets and pricing below the fold.

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6:15 PM on Fri Apr 11 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
4,323 views, 78 comments

Latest by my favorite car is a motorcycle: A duratec would be a pile of molten slag after pushing enough power to achieve a 2.9 second 0-60 time. But please, go ahead and plug in the nitrous. We're all waiting for the video. more »

new cars

Caterham R500 Superlight Pictures and Details

Following hot on the heels of the teaser image of the Caterham R500 Superlight the other day, we now have some nice, but unfortunately small images of the new car — and details. Apparently the car will be available with a 263 HP 2.0L Duratec with a redline somewhere around 8,500 RPM, a normal six-speed manual or a sweet six speed sequential box. The car also gets aerodynamically shaped front wishbones, 13 inch anthracite wheels, and launch control. What we don't know yet is the weight, but if you've got a spare £37,000 it'll get you to 60 in under 3 seconds.


[CarTribe]

11:15 AM on Thu Apr 10 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
1,776 views, 56 comments

Latest by Al Navarro: @SubyDrew: Heaters, yes. Doors, sort of. Radios? I can maybe count the cars i know with them on one hand. Maybe even three fingers. more »

new cars

Caterham Releases R500 Superlight Teaser

Modern cars continue to get bigger, heavier, and more complicated. We understand all the added safety features, electronic goodies, and interior space have their appeal to consumers, but we've gotta respect a return to the basics. What are those "basics"? Well as Colin Chapman said, "add lightness." Even though lightweight performance roadsters have taken a sharp turn towards overkill as of late with cars like the Ariel Atom 500, Caparo T1, and even the V8 RS Caterham Seven, what might we expect from this latest Caterham? More »

3:00 PM on Wed Apr 9 2008
By marnold
2,094 views, 45 comments

Latest by voodoojoo: Fast is only part of the equation. I figure most of what's going on is about hwat your brain interprets as exiting. Sure that's different for most people, but Sevens do a good job (apparently, I've driven three cars in more »

new cars

Caterham To Partner With RS Performance for V8 Seven

Sure the garden variety Caterham Seven is fast, but what if you want to smoke your buddy the shah's Bugatti Veyron on the cheap? Enter the Caterham Seven RS. Caterham has joined up with speed freaks RS Performance to bring to life a real fire breathing bug killer. RS will be dropping its race proven 40-valve, 2.4 liter RST-V8 into the fully massaged carbon fiber and space frame Seven chassis. That engine will be available in supercharged form up to 500 hp (coming in at 10,000 rpm - wow!). With the whole assembly clocking in at 500 kilos, the Caterham Seven RS will sport a 1000 hp per tonne power to weight ratio - besting the Veyron - all at a price of £115,000. Full raft of details and the spec sheet below the fold.

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4:45 PM on Tue Feb 26 2008
By Ben Wojdyla
4,687 views, 61 comments

Latest by MeDuh: Bigger news. Ariel seems to have decide they want in on the supercharged RST fun: [www.pistonheads.com] more »

part ii: the dragon caught, captured and killed

Jalopnik Presents The Se7en Se7en Se7en Awards

To recap: About 55 Se7ens from USA7s descended on the idyllic hamlet of Deal's Gap to beat the bejesus out of the Dragon. Naturally, Jalopnik was there. You can read all about the exploits in yesterday's Se7en, Se7en, Oh My Se7en! . Today we're going to focus on some of the individual cars that piqued our fancy and hand out some "awards." The word "awards" in quotes because this article is 5 egos past subjective. The deal is that the entire 7-7-7 event was a function of a car club (USA7s). As such, each car is somebody's pride and joy. Moreover, the owners' wanted their spouse or an actual friend to ride shotgun. Not some dirty old blogger. The result was that I didn't get to spend as much time with as many of the cars as I would have liked. Plus, I only had two days. And had to enjoy some beers with Norm and Mike. So, that killed an hour or so right there. But enough with the excuses, let's go! More »

Feature

12:00 PM on Thu Jul 12 2007
By Jonny Lieberman
8,367 views, 28 comments

Latest by beercheck: Ls. "Rotus" is funny because Japanese can't say their Ls. If they couldn't say Rs it wouldn't be funny at all. Man, good racist humor is lost on you people. more »

part i: kicking the snot out of the dragon

Se7en, Se7en, Oh My Se7en!

1957: Colin Chapman draws the design for his boyhood dream car in one week's time. This becomes the Lotus 7. 1973: Chapman sells all remaining Series IV 7s to Caterham. Lotus is out of the 7 business for good. 1974: Caterham stops selling Series IV 7s. However, due to enthusiast interest, they began producing the older but more favored Series III car. In the subsequent years, production of 7s (now often referred to as "Se7ens") blossoms around the world, with a variant of Chapman's dream machine being built in 17 countries including Estonia and India. 1985: Austrian rock singer Falco records, Rock Me Amadeus. 2007: The USA7s, whose Acting President just happens to be Jalopnik's own Al Navarro, stages a 50th birthday Se7en Se7en Se7en bash at, up, down and all around the legendary Tail of the Dragon. Oh, and they invited us to come along for the ride. More »

Feature

12:00 PM on Wed Jul 11 2007
By Jonny Lieberman
4,409 views, 31 comments

Latest by FrinkLemur: This reminds me of the good ol' days... I bought my Miata in the fall of '95 in North Carolina, and for the first three or four months I had it, I would just take it out to the mountains more »

cat jubilee

Caterham Works up Ultralight Concept for 50th Anniversary

If you're near Donington Park in Derbyshire, UK this weekend (and frankly, who isn't), get thee to see the latest Caterham Seven concept. It's dubbed X330, and that sound you just heard was Al Navarro banging his head on the ceiling. Caterham is 50 years old this year, and the celebrations involve tweaking out a CSR with a supercharged 2.3-liter Ford Duratec producing 330 hp and torque of 220 lb-ft, and linked to a flyweight six-speed manual. That the company could shave even more weight off the CSR testifies to the miracle that is carbon fiber. The company has no plans to produce the extreme Cat in number, but it shows what can be done if Al Navarro constituted the ruling class. – Mike Spinelli More »

1:30 PM on Fri Jun 1 2007
By Mike Spinelli
1,234 views, 15 comments

Latest by Al Navarro: @Turboner: Alas, Turboner, I think that group would include me! While I'm good with the occasional R/C kit, I would never trust my wrenching skills enough to actually take something I built on the road. FWIW, you can do a Locost more »

al strikes back

All Your Kit Cars Are Belong to Carlisle

I used to think Spinelli, Wert, and company had the best jobs ever because they got to drive concept mules, travel to exotic places sponsored by Bruce, and cover car shows for a living. Well, having visited the recent Carlisle Import/Kit/Replicar Nationals show with an eye toward writing something worth guest posting, I can tell you that it is not the easiest way to make a living. First of all, try walking miles in the midday sun for a few hours. Resisting the temptation to stop at every funnel cake vendor you see. All the while keeping an eye out for the diamonds among the rough...and at Carlisle, there was plenty of rough. I am still amazed at the lengths people will go to ruin a perfectly good Fiero. Then you've got to take photos that add enough visual interest to keep the commenters off your back. Which may or may not include shooing people out of your frame. Mike Bumbeck, you are my hero. More »

1:00 PM on Wed May 23 2007
By Mike Spinelli
2,483 views, 24 comments

Latest by bitbass: @Al Ouch! I remember the day when I wore Drakkar! That kind of back-handed complement is getting dangerously close to likening Vette owners to gold chain goomba's. Oh yeah, I've done that too. more »

retro

Ooh! Hayabusa Caterham Video!

Hi Al. We thought we would post this. It's a video of a Caterham with a Hayabusa motor. We're sure you know more about it than we do. We just like listening to that 1.3L Suzuki mill wind out. Humina. – Davey G. Johnson More »

7:30 PM on Wed Mar 7 2007
By Davey G. Johnson
4,302 views, 15 comments

test drives

I Am The Gert: Riding Shotgun In A Se7en Over Decker Canyon

For part 47 of "Why My Job Is Better than Your Job," I direct your attention to how I spent my Saturday. Turns out that Jalopnik blabbermouth commenter and all around righteous dude Al Navarro is president of USA7s.com, a new club dedicated to all cars inspired by the legendary Lotus 7. He sent the Postfather a query wondering if any of us So-Cal Jalopnikos would be interested in riding a Se7en around Decker Canyon. I was screaming "YES!" at the top of my lungs. At 6:30 am. On a Tuesday. Alone in my room. I was all set to get whipped about the mountains in a Caterham by a man named Doug when freak weather caused the "Malibu Blizzard." Stupid global warming. My fantastic hoonage ride was delayed. More for those who dare to jump. More »

Feature

12:00 PM on Mon Feb 12 2007
By Jonny Lieberman
1,763 views, 17 comments

Latest by Al Navarro: John, send me your email address via gardenstatesevens.org...I think I have a line on an SB100 car for you. more »

road trip report

Jalopnik Road Trip Report: Sevening on the Tail of the Dragon

Last weekend, I drove for 32 hours and more than 1,700 miles in the process of making an increasingly popular vehicular pilgrimage. No, not Bowling Green, nor Indy, nor Pebble nor Laguna. There was no factory tour waiting for me at the end of my journey. No concours of priceless Italian bella macchina. Just a $59/night motel and some of the best damn driving roads in the US of A. More »

1:00 PM on Thu Nov 9 2006
By Mike Spinelli
1,035 views, 33 comments

clips

Whither, Koenigsegg? Caterham Unofficially Breaks Top Gear Lap Record

And speaking of Cosworth ... If you thought the Koenigsegg CCX's dominance of the Top Gear test track was unassailable, there's a little matter of the Caterham CSR 260 we'd like to point out. Piloted by a member of Dunlop's Injection team, the little Cat — powered by a Cosworth-stroked 2.3-liter Ford Duratec — smokes the Dunsfold aerodrome, leaving the K-egg's lap time in its wake. It makes sense, since the 1,315-pound wonder can do zero to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds. Now get it into the Stig's hands. – Mike Spinelli More »

9:33 AM on Wed Oct 18 2006
By Mike Spinelli
2,188 views, 19 comments

Latest by dumpsterdiver: ahhhh, yess..... very flat through the corners....does he lift off? No he doesn't! . . . Coming up to the next to last corner..... Cutting the corner a bit through Gambon.... and across the line, in??????? more »

clips

Cat on the 'Ring: Evo Staffer Floggs a Caterham on the Green Hell

Frequent commenter, tipster and Caterham owner, Al Navarro brings us this clip of Evo magazine ad manager Duncan Clarke lapping the N rburgring in a high-spec Cat. Anyone from the states who's unfamiliar with the Caterham's performance would be well served by checking out this vid with the volume turned up to 11. He may have even done better if there'd been fewer of those slowpoke superbikes around. More »

2:00 PM on Wed Aug 23 2006
By Mike Spinelli
582 views, 6 comments

news

Modified Caterham Seven Hits 131 mpg in Eco Marathon

Think the Caterham Seven roadster was only good for track days and carving up country lanes? You're absolutely correct, but the company found out if you also slap on a bunch of aerodynamic gear and skinny tires, you can get one to hit 131 miles per gallon (though, to be fair, that's probably those bloated UK royal gallons). Still, it's a matter of bragging rights for the roadstermaker, which showed off its eco-minded prototype at the recent Shell Eco-Marathon at Rockingham. The concept was based on Caterham's outgoing 1.6-liter Rover K Series engine (the new models have Ford engines), with a carbon-fiber aero kit from Axon Automotive. A company rep also said they used "careful driving" to blast through the original target of 100 mpg. More »

8:39 AM on Thu Jul 27 2006
By Mike Spinelli
201 views, 1 comment

Latest by Al Navarro: Oy, it's a Caterham. So I guess, as one of the resident Cat-7 owners here, I have to post some rot, right? I knew nothing about this vehicle until reading it here btw. And my net of Seven more »

news

Think Global, Drive Local: Westfield's Recycled Mazda Kit Car

Got a rust-bucket Mazda MX-5, but you really want a Caterham? If you're in the UK, check out Westfield's MX5. The company took the running gear from a used last-gen Mazda and added its own kit body and components to create a kind of, well, Mazderham. But there's a twist to the story. Considering the UK's new "End of Life Vehicle regulations" (an environmental law that requires manufactures to pitch in to recycle old, valueless cars) the company is actually promoting environmental sensitivity. Kit-car building on old platforms, they say, is a form of recycling. We're not sure it'll wash over at Greenpeace, but it sounds like a good enough idea to us. More »

12:00 PM on Tue Jul 25 2006
By Mike Spinelli
2,295 views, 12 comments

Latest by Al Navarro: I've heard that the bike engines have a shorter shelf life. more »

news

Top Gear: The Stig Fought The Law And The Law Won


We've got yet another clip harvested from this weekend's episode of the UK motoring show with the mostest, "Top Gear" (courtesy of our friend, alxx86). In this 2-part segment, the boys try to out-run the Stig in a quick kit-car race to Scotland. They'll be racing Caterham kit cars, the only difference — the Stig's car will be already done and he'll be racing the 469 miles from the Caterham facility, and the boys have to build theirs from scratch right outside the track. Sounds smashing — let's see not only who wins, but whether "the pianist" is right. The first half's here — second half's after the jump and we'll have more from this epic episode later today. More »

9:22 AM on Mon Jul 24 2006
By Ray Wert
1,017 views, 2 comments

Latest by vpribish: the videos, they do nothing. more »

news

Caterham to Offer 0% Financing on Rover-Powered Models

The inheritors and improvers of Colin Chapman's wee rocket are, for the first time ever, offering 0% finance on a 24-month loan with 3,374 down and 399 a month for 24 months on all Rover K-Series powered models, presumably to clear them from stock as the company moves to a Ford-powered lineup. Caterham managing director Ansar Ali was quoted as saying, "Driving a Seven is all about the heart; excitement, passion and drama. More »

9:30 PM on Mon Jun 26 2006
By Davey G. Johnson
92 views, 3 comments