FRANKFURT MOTOR SHOW: Caterham Seven 165
British lightweight sports car specialist confirms more details for 660cc entry-level Seven that delivers ‘accessible fun'UK’s Caterham is renowned for its minimalist sportsters that, more often that not, serve up supercar-humbling levels of performance and massive fun factor.
Its latest offering is said to deliver on the latter front, even though its performance is likely to be more towards the sedate end of the scale.
Say hello to the Caterham Seven 165 (160 in the UK), which derives propulsion from a Suzuki-built 660cc, three-cylinder turbo engine – billed as the smallest and most efficient engine ever to power a Seven.
The K6A Suzuki motor churns out an earth-shattering 60kW and 107Nm, but even these modest outputs are put to good use as Caterham says the Seven 165 has been designed for maximum weight saving.
Mated to the three-pot turbo engine (which powers the likes of the Suzuki Jimny in some markets) is a five-speed manual gearbox that’s also sourced from Suzuki.
No acceleration or top speed figures have yet been announced, but all the nitty-gritty will undoubtedly be revealed when the car is unveiled next week at the Frankfurt motor show.
Caterham is targeting a January production start date for the Seven 165, with European pricing starting around €25,000 (which equates to $36,460 in our money), although it’s likely to cost substantially more in our market if it is offered here, where the 85kW/155Nm 1.6-litre Roadsport SV120 opens the Caterham range at $57,215.
The fact the newcomer is badged ‘160’ in the UK but ‘165’ in European markets is a measure to ram home the message that the car is Euro 4 emissions compliant. As part of this ploy, all of Caterham’s new European-bound models will have designations that end in ‘5’.
Although the Seven 165 is hardly expected to be a fireball, Caterham Cars CEO Graham Macdonald is adamant it will be an entertaining package.
“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,” he said.
“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.”
“Earlier this year, we launched the fastest, most powerful production Seven we’ve ever launched in Europe – the Seven 485.
“The 165 will sit at the opposite end of the scale, both in engine size and price, but the beautiful thing is that the two cars will offer exactly the same level of pure driving fun. Whether you’re a seasoned, hardcore driver or whether you’re new to sports cars, there will be a Caterham that suits you.”
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