Caterham Debuts Retro-Inspired Super Seven 1600
You might think that Caterham cars are already a throwback, but the British company has now introduced a 1970s-inspired open-top, ultra-light sportster to its lineup: the Super Seven 1600.
The Super Seven harkens back to the first days of Caterham, when in 1973 it began building cars based on the Colin Chapman-designed Lotus Seven. The new Super Seven is a ‘re-imagining’ of those early models, with plenty of groovy, retro touches: the wider front stance makes room for those flared-out fenders, while a pair of twin forties throttle bodies with K&N filters peek out the side of the hood. There’s a spare tire mounted on the back, right beside a polished-aluminum, racing-inspired fuel door. Even the dashboard sports a set of chrome-bezeled Smiths gauges, sitting right behind the wood-covered steering wheel.
But retro certainly doesn’t mean boring. The 1.6-liter Sigma four-cylinder pumps out 135hp, which may not sound significant were it not for how light the Super Seven is: at 545kg, (1,201lb), the Super Seven gets a horsepower-to-weight ratio of 250hp per metric tonne (225hp/ton), good for a 0-100kph time of five seconds. With such a light chassis, as well as the absence of ABS and power steering, there are few cars on the market that could give such a pure driving experience.
Of course, you’ll have to pop over to your local Caterham dealer in the U.K. once this quarantine is lifted, but you can choose from seven ‘70s-inspired exterior color schemes on the brand’s website before you go. Prices start at £33,495 (around $42,000).
*Images courtesy of Caterham
