This is the latest new model from Caterham, and if you like your fun simple and furious, you’re going to like it.
The car’s called the Supersport and it slots into the range underneath the Superlight R side of the Caterham family.
First thing you need to know is the price, which is seriously tempting. Send Caterham a cheque for £19,995 and a Luton van will come round to your house and drop off a large pile of boxes. Send £22,995 and you can collect a ready-made Supersport from Caterham.
Under the bonnet is Ford’s 1.6-litre Sigma engine tuned to 140bhp and on the back of it is a five-speed gearbox fitted with sprint ratio gears. At the other end of the propshaft, there’s a limited-slip differential.
This spec alone gives clues to the Supersport’s intended role, but the four-point harness, minimalist bucket seats and lack of a windscreen confirm that this Caterham is intended for trackdays, sprints and hillclimbs. It’s not the lightest Caterham Seven ever, but at 520kg it’s still a strong performer. Caterham says 0-60mph in 4.9sec and a top speed of 120mph.
It’s a brilliant package. Around 130bhp to 140bhp is the perfect power output for a Seven, even if it’s carrying full weather gear and comfort options like a heater and soft seating. In this car it’s more than enough.