Renault and Caterham’s Sports Car Project Rumored to Go Down the Drain

The last time we heard about the Renault-Caterham partnership, things weren’t going really well. Since the project to jointly develop a sports car started in 2012, progress was delayed by Renault’s decision to revise the initial design of its upcoming Alpine sports car. Caterham wasn’t thrilled at all with the decision, as this means its own version of the car had to be modified.

EVO Picks Its Favorite Track Car for 2013

The videos uploaded by EVO, particularly in recent months, have been some of the more enjoyable ones to watch from a sea of clips that the internet has to offer. Now that they have uploaded a twenty three-minute-long video of their attempt to pick out 2013’s best track car, I cleared up twenty-three minutes in which I would do nothing else, in order to watch it.

Part of what made me stay until the end was their (British-biased) selection of candidates for the title: McLaren 12C GT Can-Am, Caterham Seven 620R, Radical RXC, BAC Mono, Litchfield Subaru BRZ Spec S (supercharged from 200 to 280 hp), Mini JCW GP, Ariel Atom 3.5 Supercharged  and Porsche Cayman S.

The track chosen to try out the cars on was Blyton Park, which seems to be placed on very flat ground with no features (it’s marginally better as a setting than Top Gear’s airfield). Still, the typically British overcast day probably made for some nice beauty shots.

I won’t tell you which they chose as their favorite, but I will tell you that it’s not the Porsche – it was severely outnumbered by Brits, and it was much more of a usable road car than pretty much all the other models, except, perhaps the Mini.

By Andrei Nedelea

VIDEO

New Caterham Seven 160 with Suzuki 0.66L Turbo 3-Cylinder Does 0-60 MPH in 6.5 Sec

You might have heard of the Caterham Seven 160 as the Seven 165, which is the marketing name used for mainland Europe and other regions, with the "5" coming from the EU5 emissions standard. The car will be known as the Caterham Seven 160 in the UK.

The company has opened the order books in the UK for the Suzuki-powered 660cc entry-level car, which is priced from £14,995 (€17,680) in component form.

The Seven 160 is powered by a 0.66-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 80 hp and allows it to sprint from 0 to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 6.5 seconds and to reach a top speed of 100 mph (161 km/h).

Caterham says the Seven 160 redefines the budget sports car segment thanks to the car’s live-axle rear suspension, compact engine and low weight that contribute to “an intuitive handling experience and a balanced yet playful chassis.”

“The 160 offers something truly different to the entry-level market. It’s more economical, more accessible and every bit as fun on the road as other Sevens but has its own unique personality,” said Caterham Cars CEO, Graham Macdonald.

The engine has been fine-tuned from its standard output of 64 hp to 80 hp, while boosting fuel economy and reducing vehicle emissions – the Seven 160 complies with EU5, EU6 and JC08 emissions regulations.

Caterham will begin production of the Seven 160 and 165 in January 2014, with deliveries to start during the spring. 

By Dan Mihalascu

PHOTO GALLERY

Caterham Adds Another "7" to its Range, the 180hp Supersport R

Caterham's broad line-up of Seven models is welcoming a new member in the form of the Supersport R, which sits between the less powerful 1.6-litre Supersport and the more radical Superlight R300.
The Supersport R makes do with a new adaption of the Ford-sourced 2.0-liter four-cylinder Duratec petrol engine rated for 180bhp, which is linked to a five-speed manual and a limited-slip differential that drive the rear tires.