caterham 7 road trip

Caterham 7  

• May 12, 2019

Road trip, 1000 miles service and fish n chips.

Updated: May 13, 2019

It's the start of an exciting road trip for the 7, as we travel to the UK for the 7s first service at 1000 miles, plus we take part in the Lotus 7 Club Taffia Fish n Chip run 2019.

I hope to publish regular blog articles detailing our experience, I'll aim to keep them brief for easy reading.

Of course, our journey started with travel from the Isle of Man via the Steam Packet Company ferry Ben My Chree from the Isle of Man to the Port of Heysham just outside of Lancaster. Getting the 7 on and off the car ferry was straightforward unlike loading the Exige which has a much larger overhang and is a bit of a nightmare. The 7's diminutive size easily sat within the predefined lanes on the ferry so all good there too. The trip across the Irish sea is around 4 hours, arriving in Heysham at mid-day, it's not the most interesting of trips, but gave plenty of time to read any 7 enthusiasts favourite read, Low Flying.

I'd checked the weather before we got onto the ferry and it looked clear and dry for our first leg down to Cheshire so I set off with no weather gear. We're staying in Cheshire for just shy of a week which includes the service at the Cheshire based Lotus and Caterham dealer, Oakmere Motorgroup. Well as soon as we drove off the ferry the heavens opened and it started to rain. I've brought weather gear including a new half hood which I intend to blog about at some point, and so I was faced with the decision to either stop and put the weather gear on or to drive through the weather. The clouds certainly looked isolated, so I opted to drive through without weather gear. By the time we'd driven from the ferry port to the nearby M6 motorway junction the rain had stopped, however, I'd discovered some important points about driving in the rain without a hood. With a full screen, driving over 40 mph the rain tends to miss the drivers head, less than 40 mph, less so, and in fact between 30 mph and 40 mph, rain in the eyes is painful and not particularly pleasant. I've subsequently purchased a pair of sunglasses to help reduce future pain.

Our journey from Lancaster to Cheshire required the use of the M6 motorway, which provided the first opportunity to drive the 7 on a motorway. I was certainly pretty nervous about this aspect of the road trip, however after reaching the Thelwall Viaduct I'd gained confidence in placing the car defensively within traffic and settled into enjoying the drive. I must say driving on the motorway in a 7 gives you a new perspective to HGVs along with road surface imperfections, a large bump feels so much bigger requiring significantly more focus and reaction.

Driving down the motorway in the 7 was always going to be a noisy affair, the 7's exhaust at approximately 90dB, other cars, tyre roar, you get the idea. Now I have no issue with the exhaust noise etc, around the countryside it's great and part of the appeal as it pops and bangs on the overrun, but 2 hours down the motorway at a near constant rpm less so. I'm sure that level of noise is certainly not good for your long term hearing nevermind how you feel about it. Since I'd considered this before setting off, I'd had a chance to source some appropriate ear defenders. The trip from Lancaster to Cheshire provided a suitable opportunity to trial the ear defenders.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/stanley-sy360-am-fm-radio-ear-defenders-31db-snr/54182#product_additional_details_container

My overall impression and conclusion of the ear defenders is a very positive one. They're extremely comfortable and don't cause any discomfort around the ears. The tension in the bridge across the users head is sufficient to keep the ear defenders in position even at 70 mph while not causing irritation or headaches. The amount of noise suppression seems appropriate for use in the 7 on motorways, they don't silence the engine, exhaust or other cars, but certainly takes the level of all sound down to an acceptable level, and crucially a level which doesn't become tiresome. The only criticism I would offer is the tension on the bridge and size of the earpiece makes it a little difficult to put the defenders on with one hand, as result fitting them when driving is difficult. You kind of need to put them on before you start.

One of the nice features of these ear defenders is the integrated speakers, AM/FM radio and 3.5mm jack for MP3 or mobile phones. I didn't get chance to test these features during the journey between Lancaster and Cheshire, but they'll be plenty of opportunity during the run down to Chepstow for the start of the Taffia 2019.

I hope you've enjoyed reading this first blog from our road trip, I suspect the next post will provide an insight into the service at Oakmere.

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Caterham Seven review

Purist driving experience, old school charm meets new age ability

Cramped and uncomfortable interior, the roof isn’t exactly waterproof

What is it?

If you look hard enough, you’ll find Caterham Sevens on some ancient cave drawings. Probably. The archetypal old-stager is based on a design by Lotus founder Colin Chapman and hasn’t changed in 60-odd years. For what is fundamentally a two-seat tub with wheels, stripped and spartan, it remains a seminal experience for those interested in actually driving rather than simply travelling.

SO IT'S THE SAME AS IT'S ALWAYS BEEN?

While it looks that way, the Seven is a master of evolution. The latest range is the strongest it's ever been, with a clear progression from entry-level 170 through 360 and 420 to pant-wettingly fast 620. Each is named after its power-to-weight figure, so given they all weigh around 500kg, just divide those numbers in half for rough bhp figures. You’ve two engines to choose from. The 170 uses a 660cc turbocharged Suzuki three-cylinder, while the rest of the standard Seven range deploys a 2.0 litre Ford Duratec four-pot. Most of those are naturally-aspirated, but the 620 is strapped up with a supercharger – just in case white knuckles are something you’re looking for from a car.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE IN THE RANGE?

There is. In September 2022 Caterham announced that it was reintroducing its ‘heritage range’ with the addition of the Super Seven 600 and the Super Seven 2000 . These are ‘retro-inspired’ with flared front wings and chrome exterior details. And yes, we know the rest of the Seven range isn’t exactly futuristic. Anyway, the 600 is based on the 170 so gets the Suzuki engine, while the 2000 is based on the 360 with its larger Ford engine. 

DO THEY ALL BEHAVE LIKE OLD-FASHIONED CLASSICS?

Emphatically not. Equipped with modern engines and brakes, the Seven can scare even the most outrageously powerful supercars – helped in part by modest dimensions and steering that connects directly to your brain. In the most powerful cars, 0-62mph is possible in just under 2.8 seconds. So it’s quick. Also uncomfortable, cramped and noisy, with a devastatingly rubbish fabric hood arrangement that’s harder to put up than a broken tent. It, of course, remains an absolute TG favourite.

DO I HAVE TO BOLT IT TOGETHER MYSELF?

If you’re mad enough, you can build one yourself. It’s claimed that, armed with just a simple set of tools and 70 hours of free time, even the most mechanically deficient human should be able to transform Caterham’s pile of boxes into a road-legal car. To make sure there’s no room for artistic interpretation, all kits come fully wired, with the instruments in place, the fuel and brake lines fitted and all essential safety equipment secured. Essentially, all the other parts are just bolt-ons. It’s like an Ikea flat-pack with an exhaust.

Caterham says that as of 2022, demand is so strong there's an eight-month waiting list on pre-built Sevens. The car has quite simply never been more popular, or more relevant. 

In an era of three-phase charging, electric torque-vectoring and turbine range-extenders, the Seven is as simple as things get this side of a pedal car: a steel spaceframe chassis, engine at the front, power at the rear, and driver slung over the back axle to feel everything the featherweight is doing. It’s driving purity. More on that over on the next tab of this review.

What's the verdict?

The Seven is one of the purest motoring experiences committed to four wheels, and the fact that it isn’t completely out-of-reach price-wise makes the whole package even more appealing. Plus, the older it gets, the better it gets as it naturally distances itself from all the tech wizardry that’s on offer elsewhere. The organic feedback that any Seven serves up is so crisp and clear it’s like you’ve docked your coccyx to the chassis.

So anytime it does step out of line, it’s incredibly natural to get it back again. Also terrific fun. If you’re a bit scared, try a smaller engine first as the senior stuff may be a bit too much for some. But all that oomph makes for a truly exhilarating, yet wonderfully usable lightweight for the road.

As cars get heavier, larger, and more complex, this tactile little thriller which consumes so little and delivers so much has never been more welcome.

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Our long-term Caterham 360S: the six-month verdict

► CAR lives with another Caterham ► This time it’s a balanced 360S ► It definitely won’t be boring

Just as a ballet dancer’s musculoskeletal system adapts and evolves, I’m pretty sure a Caterham driver’s body mutates in curiously specific ways over time. The Seven is gone but my fingers can still remember the contortions to unlatch the sidescreens from the outside, my neck still corkscrews to check over both shoulders whenever I change lanes on the motorway, and my right leg still hyperextends when climbing out of a car to avoid a non-existent hot side exhaust.

It’s a souvenir of a few months in one of the world’s purest sports cars. The loan’s overlap with lockdown put epic road trips off the agenda but one of the Seven’s talents is to make every journey special. Going to the shops feels like the Mille Miglia.

The weather was balmy when I collected the Seven and barmy when I returned it, so this test was also a chance to experience life with a summer sports car in winter. It wasn’t as tough a trial as I’d expected. The heater fitted as standard to S-spec Sevens works a treat; about 3mm of travel on its choke-like lever takes interior temperature from freezing to thermonuclear in moments. The heated screen mostly works, although one stubborn stripe of condensation always remains. I did try keeping the roof down in winter but I’m just not macho enough. The thickest hat I own couldn’t stave off ice-cream-headache brainfreeze, so I quickly gave in and put the hood up again. It’s remarkably weather-proof, if not totally foreign-object-proof. On one motorway run a supersized insect hit the windscreen and somehow ended up splattered across my chin and shirt. One of the roof’s poppers had become unclipped and the poor old bug’s mortal remnants were somehow drafted through the gap.

The roof partially collapsed at one point, when one of the support sticks unscrewed itself (an easy fix). Otherwise the 360S never missed a beat. Caterham packed a kit of supplies in the boot; spare wiper blades, oil to top up and so forth. None of them were needed.

Worst journey? That would be the very last trip, to drop the 360 off at Caterham’s Crawley centre in relentless winter rain. Our car’s wide semi-slick tyres and sopping wet surfaces didn’t mix, as an unscheduled visit to opposite lock on the A46 overtaking a lorry at 50mph on part-throttle proved.

And the best journey? The one that sticks in my mind the most was an entirely mundane one. At least, it would have been mundane in any other car: mooching home in medium-heavy dual-carriageway traffic, roof down, on a sunny evening: a million miles of headroom above, the scent of crops from surrounding fields in the air. You’re entirely in touch with the environment, and the sensation of travelling through it. That’s what I miss most about the Seven – enjoying movement for movement’s sake.

By James Taylor

Logbook: Caterham Seven 360S

Price £31,490 (£44,918 as tested) Performance 1999cc four-cylinder, 180bhp, 4.8sec 0-62mph, 130mph Efficiency n/a official mpg, 30.1mpg (tested), n/a CO2 Energy cost 17.3p per mile Miles this month 317 Total miles 6421

Month 5 living with a Caterham Seven: life’s a (drive to the) beach

Plugging in (part 1) Somebody (okay, me) left the Seven in the garage with the ignition on, so a spot of car-to-car resuscitation is required before it’s going anywhere. Not often an MG F is the healthy one providing the power.

Plugging in (part 2) Underway. I’ve learned never to leave home without earplugs (for the road noise) and a 12V-to-USB adapter (for my phone).

Roofless villain Do wish I’d remembered to bring the hood bag with me, though. It’s a sunny day and it’s getting too hot inside for it to stay up. Without the Velcro-on bag, I need to squash the roof into the boot and get paranoid about crimping the rear screen.

Small car, small appetite The Caterham’s averaging an entirely respectable mid-30s mpg on drives like this. It might have the aerodynamics of a garden shed, but that small frontal area and light weight help it to an average figure better than many of the other petrol-engined cars on the Our Cars fleet.

Brighton First time I’ve visited Brighton. It’s a colourful, breezy place. The Caterham feels at home here. Bit cold, though. Time to put the roof up again. This is why you should always pack a woolly hat, even in summer.

No barrier to success Driving a low car, I’ve always fantasised about driving straight under a car park barrier without bothering to stop. If you took the roof off the Seven, it would make it. Tempting, but ANPR paranoia stops me.

Price £31,490 (£44,918 as 
tested) Performance 1999cc four-cylinder, 180bhp, 4.8sec 0-62mph, 130mph Efficiency n/a official mpg, 34.4mpg (tested), n/a CO2 Energy cost 18p per mile Miles this month 540 Total miles 6104

Month 4 living with a Caterham Seven: nipping home for a bit

By rights, Graham Macdonald should have a furrowed brow and the weight of the world on his shoulders. Supply chain carved up by Covid; Brexit’s shadow over vital overseas sales; the challenges of keeping the age-old Seven road-legal in a world of mandated active safety tech… Instead, Caterham’s CEO greets us with a broad smile and infectious enthusiasm. He’s clearly a man who enjoys his work.

We’ve brought our Seven to meet its makers at Caterham’s factory, an unassuming building on a busy Dartford industrial estate. It’s been the company’s home since 1986, when it left the Caterham, Surrey, base it’s named after.

‘As you can see, we don’t have a lot of space back here,’ Macdonald says, as we head onto the shop floor, Sevens in various stages of undress levitating on stands, each being completed by one technician from start to finish. ‘Quiet calm – this is ideal to see,’ he says. ‘After the first lockdown in 2020, I had chaos out here. We came back in May after shutdown ready to go; many of our suppliers weren’t. It took months of work to get everything flowing as it should. But we’re back in a happy place.’

So, how’s business? ‘In terms of sales, it’s fantastic. We opened up and the world went mad. Lockdown seems to have fostered a “you only live once” attitude, which we’ve perhaps benefitted from.’ To echo that, cars in the section of the factory being ‘kitted’ – prepped for being crated and delivered to spanner-wielding customers – normally make up 20 per cent of sales, the other 80 being fully factory-built, turn-key Sevens. That ratio has shifted, kit demand increasing as people find time on their hands.

If they had more room, would they be interested in buying the rights to the Lotus Elise, production of which in Hethel ends this year? That’s precisely what the founders did with the Lotus Seven all those years ago. ‘You know, it’s something we’ve talked about,’ he says, ‘and I think, personally, it will leave a hole in the market. I’m sure if we got into negotiation with Lotus it wouldn’t be easy but I think there’d be a market for it. It’s certainly something that’s in the back of my mind. But who knows…’

A neat two-seat sports car with enclosed bodywork? Sounds a bit like the lost Caterham sister car to the Alpine A110. It’s easy to forget the A110 came about through a joint venture with Caterham, which ended before reaching production. ‘You know, I don’t have sleepless nights, but… I still think about that car fondly,’ Macdonald says, philosophically. ‘We developed the suspension and my team were insistent the car had to be small, lightweight and agile. The A110 has had so many great reviews and, of course, they all praise it for being small and lightweight! Sadly it [the joint venture] fell out of bed, Renault ran with it and what a great product it’s been.

‘It came out more expensive than they wanted, to build and retail, and I don’t think they’ve been getting the [sales] volumes they wanted,’ he acknowledges, ‘so I don’t know whether we’d have been struggling had it gone ahead and perhaps you’d be talking to a different Caterham CEO now!’ It’s clear his feelings are anything but sour towards Alpine, and he has half an eye out for a used A110 to replace his BMW M4.

What of the 2030 ban on sales of new petrol cars in the UK? Will low-volume outfits like Caterham get dispensation? ‘We will lobby hard but I think there probably will not be exemptions for us,’ he says. So is a plug-in Seven being readied? ‘We’ve done feasibility studies and we’ve actually driven a prototype on a track. It pleasantly surprised us; the experience of sheer torque, no gearbox. It was heavy, however: 800kg. And we reckon the price would be north of £100k were it to come to market today. As batteries and motors develop and prices and weight come down, we’ll start talking with partners. It’s not on the horizon for another four to five years, I think.’

The latest Caterham model is the thoroughly un-electric, retro-inspired Super Seven 1600. Orders are healthy; many of the cars in-build are flowing-winged Supers. There’s one waiting outside, so we head out for a drive, Graham in the 1600, me in CAR’s 360S. He drives with a precision fostered by racing in Sevens. ‘I fund my own racing and take holiday for test days, and I get to see what my customers are going through. And racing is a great test bed; it really does feed back into the engineering of our road cars.’

We pause for a breather outside Brands Hatch. ‘I came into the business 13 years ago and I’ve been CEO now for eight years,’ he reflects, ‘and the last couple of years is probably the most stable we’ve been in all that time. I’m proud that we’re self-sufficient.’

The game will never be easy, but long may Caterham continue to play it on its own terms.

Price £31,490 (£44,918 as tested) Performance 1999cc four-cylinder, 180bhp, 4.8sec 0-62mph, 130mph Efficiency n/a official mpg, 34.6mpg (tested), n/a CO2 Energy cost 17.6p per mile Miles this month 385 Total miles 5564

Month 3 living with a Caterham Seven: mindfulness on the move

James Taylor (not me, the famous one) wrote his 1970 hit Sweet Baby James on a long drive in his Cortina GT, which didn’t have a radio. ‘If it had,’ he told Johnnie Walker in an interview, ‘I’d have been listening to other music instead of the songs in my head.’ I haven’t written any hit records just yet but there is something about driving in the radio-less Seven that allows your mind to wander creatively. And because you’re not in a sealed box and you’re more exposed to your surroundings, you feel more in touch with the world. Mostly, though, you’re completely absorbed with the business of driving.

Price £31,490 (£44,918 as tested) Performance 1999cc four-cylinder, 180bhp, 4.8sec 0-62mph, 130mph Efficiency n/a official mpg, 30.2mpg (tested), n/a CO2 Energy cost 20.4p per mile Miles this month 155 Total miles 5179

Month 2 living with a Caterham Seven: fight!

No, you’re not seeing double. That is a different Caterham next to our long-term test car, even though it has the same paint, wide chassis and sticky tyres. The doppelgangery occurred at our Track Car of the Year test , where the 420R (the one in the background) met with some of the hairiest sports cars on sale today for a knees-up at Silverstone.

I didn’t get chance to lap our road-biased 360S but I did drive it to and from the test, so it was a handy chance for a ‘look at what you could have won’ comparison. The Seven 420 uses the same 2.0-litre Ford engine as our 360 but with a dry sump and extra 30bhp. Its circuit-ready R spec brings a lighter flywheel, brake upgrade, race seats and harnesses among other hop-ups. I’d expected them to feel quite different, but actually they felt really very similar. Not least because our 360 has a few R bits fitted as options, including limited-slip diff and beefier brake master cylinder.

It also carries some of the same suspension changes at the rear; our car has the S-spec springs and dampers but with the front radius arm mounted further forward and lower down. On the same tyres and track widths, handling felt pretty similar. I’m sure I’d feel the 420’s extra 30bhp on the road but on the wide, open Stowe circuit the extra poke wasn’t so noticeable.

So our car’s spec, for fast road use at least, really does feel like the best of both worlds. Wish our car had the R’s standard shift light, though. Curiously, there’s no redline on the revcounter, so you have to remember where the limiter cuts in.

The 420R did rather well – it very nearly won the whole thing, and was our guest expert, W Series champ Jamie Chadwick’s favourite car of the whole test (even next to £250,000 McLarens and mega-downforce Radicals). Settling into our 360 for the drive home, it felt almost as thrilling at lower speeds as slinging the 420R around the track earlier. The Seven really does make every journey feel special.

Price £31,490 (£44,918 as tested) Performance 1999cc four-cylinder, 180bhp, 4.8sec 0-62mph, 130mph Efficiency n/a mpg (official), 35.1mpg (tested) n/a CO2 Energy cost 17p per mile Miles this month 520 Total miles 5024

Month 1 living with a Caterham 360S: it won’t be boring

As first journeys go, this isn’t a best-case scenario for our new Caterham Seven: a 150-mile grind from Sussex to Lincolnshire, through the traffic chaos emanating from a closed M25. Without sat-nav and with my sense of direction (or lack of) it takes five and a half hours, almost exclusively spent in traffic jams and average-speed-camera zones.

With the NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) levels of an industrial threshing machine, the Seven is not a happy car on the motorway.

I stop halfway home to put the hood up, and don’t do quite as taut a job as I should (I’ve since learnt the knack). Above 60mph the wind whips it rhythmically against the frame. Flap, flap, flap. At about the same speed, fifth gear has a slight but insistent whine. Somehow six decades of development still hasn’t blessed the Seven with self-cancelling indicators, so every time you use them they emit an electronic nails-on-blackboard bleep to remind you to switch them off and avoid a roguish lamp winking away at traffic around you. Neep, neep, neep.

Living with a Caterham Seven Academy racer

It’s dark by the time I’ve flap-flapped, neep-neeped, whined and roared my way home, and I remember I didn’t get a chance to clear space in the garage for the Seven beforehand. A bit like returning from a long-haul flight, ready to collapse into bed, before remembering that you stripped the covers before you went. After exchanging lawnmower, bicycles and another car for the Caterham, lit by its headlights and neighbours’ twitching curtains, I yoga my way out of the cockpit, almost on hands and knees (the side screens can’t open fully in the garage). I’m exhausted, vaguely sun-stroked and with a ringing in my ears that won’t go away until the following morning. Yet as I close the garage door I feel like the jammiest bugger in the world. I could not feel luckier to have this car to myself for the next few months.

Our Seven, picked up from Caterham’s Crawley centre near Gatwick, where it’s surrounded by other alluring Sevens in all hues and trims, is a 360. That means it sits bang in the middle of Caterham’s numerically ordered range, approximately named after power-to-weight ratios. The humbler 270 and 310 use Ford’s 1.6-litre Sigma engine; the 360 is the cheapest Seven available with the 2.0-litre Ford Duratec engine. The 420 and 620 above it use the same engine, tuned for headier power outputs.

The 2.0-litre motor is torquier and burlier in feel than the Sigma but less eager and zingy; for now I’m undecided which I prefer. Regardless of engine, each Seven is also available in a choice of either road-friendly S or track-orientated R trim. Ours is a 360S, which means it has a full windscreen, hood and side screens (handy), a heater (ditto) and slightly softer suspension. It misses out on the R’s race seats, lighter flywheel, limited-slip diff, rear anti-roll bar and uprated brakes.

Or at least it would, except our car is a bit of a crossbreed in that it’s an S with some R bits added as options. So while it has leather seats and weather protection, it also has the diff, rear suspension mods and brake upgrades. It might just be the best of both worlds. We’ll see.

Next stop Sussex, to meet with contributing editor Ben Whitworth and his Renault Zoe. ‘You’re a lucky boy,’ he says, wistfully remembering the Seven 160 he ran in 2013 and ’14 . ‘Just remember to pack earplugs.’

If only I’d thought of that earlier. But the journey is, in fact, so slow that wind noise isn’t a big deal. Frustrating as the congested trip may be, it also serves as a reminder that cars can be so much more than just transport.

Whether you’re going from A to B or from A to A for the fun of it, you can’t help but revel in the exposure to the elements and connection with your surroundings, the sensation of speed and the simple joy of movement. The Seven’s creator, Colin Chapman, described it as ‘motorcycling on four wheels’. I feel like a kid on a bike again.

As I lock the garage and stumble off to bed, I figure that having survived – enjoyed, even – a journey the 360S is so utterly unsuited to, the next few months are going to be pretty special.

Boxes worth ticking The 360S is priced from £31,490, but ours is worth £44,918. Among the options we’re glad it has are the limited-slip diff (£995) and sport suspension (£795) with a rear anti-roll bar (£195). Your elbows will thank you for the £95 you spend on side armrests. The half hood (£195) is easier to put on and doesn’t steam up when it rains, although you’ll need the standard full hood in serious wet weather.

Maybe not these… The wide-body SV chassis (£2500) is only a good idea if you have big feet and broad hips. The high-intensity LED headlights (£800) are powerful, but there’s a gap on full beam, and other cars flash us on dipped. Leather rollover bar cladding for £700? Spend it on two trackdays. The Avon ZZS tyres (£595) are super-grippy in the dry and the naughty tread pattern looks great, but Sevens should be skinnily under-tyred.

Price £31,490 (£44,918 as tested) Performance 1999cc four-cylinder, 180bhp, 4.8sec 0-62mph, 130mph Efficiency n/a mpg (official), 41.9mpg (tested) n/a CO2 Energy cost 15.1p per mile Miles this month 230 Total miles 4504

Former features editor for CAR, occasional racer

New Caterham Seven 360S 2022 review

The caterham 360s is as close to a daily driver as the brand offers, if you can live without much luggage.

4.5 out of 5

It’s pretty much a given that a Caterham Seven will deliver huge thrills, but in this S spec, it’s also a car that’s not too punishing on the road, either. If you don’t need the practicality of a hot hatch or coupe, then the 360 S could be the perfect solution - and it doesn’t even cost the earth to buy or run.

Think of a Caterham , and chances are that the first thing that springs to mind is an extreme track day toy. No roof, probably no windscreen, and tyres so light on tread that you’d think twice about aiming towards a puddle.  

The trade-off for a lack of refinement or practicality is incredible performance, a chassis dripping with feel and adjustability, and levels of excitement that are hard to find on four wheels at any price. 

But what if you took the edge off that ever so slightly; would it make a Caterham Seven easy to drive on the road - or even live with? 

This is the 360S, and of all the models the British brand produces, this could be the closest thing to a daily driver in its thrill-a-minute range.

The S is one of two packages available, sitting alongside the R, which adds lots of carbon fibre trimmings, composite race seats and four-point harnesses. With the car you see in these pictures, the first clue to that greater bias towards usability you get with the S starts with the colour scheme - we think that the combination of Aston Martin Apple Tree Green paint and Muirhead ‘Biscuit Tan’ leather interior looks gorgeous in a classic, understated kind of way. 

Look a little closer though, and you’ll see that the driver and passenger are secured into those seats not by motorsport-spec harnesses, but regular seatbelts. The seats themselves aren’t hard shells with a bare minimum of padding, but more conventional items with enough padding to take the sting out of longer trips.

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Then there’s the tyres, which aren’t some sort of sticky semi-slicks, but a set of Avon ZT5s which have a reasonable amount of tread on them.

The 360 sits as the second model up in the Seven range. The numbers, which roughly translate to power-to-weight ratios in bhp per tonne, start with the 170, then the 360, the 420 (and track-focussed 420 Cup) and the bonkers 620. 

With a kerb weight of 565kg, that means the model you see here has 180bhp, which comes courtesy of a Ford-derived 2.0-litre engine. That maximum is delivered at 7,300rpm, while the 194Nm of torque arrives at a heady 6,100rpm. It’s sent to the road via a five-speed manual gearbox.

For a road car, those figures definitely translate into a sweet spot. Performance is hardly in short supply - at 4.8 seconds, the 0-62mph time is just a tenth of a second shy of a Volkswagen Golf R - but it feels entirely usable. 

It’s the way it delivers that performance that is the best part, though. The 2.0-litre unit sounds angry under heavy throttle, and the exhaust exits barely a foot below your right ear, so you hear every minute detail in the tune it plays. It loves to rev, too; throttle response is instantaneous, and with so little mass to shift, the 360 leaps forward with a level of enthusiasm completely alien to almost any other performance car. 

That feeling also extends to the way the S corners. Even on road tyres and a more compliant suspension setup, the way the Seven turns into a corner feels every bit like a track day special. The steering is wonderful, with instant responses even half a degree from straight-ahead, and it transmits all the feedback you could ever want from the road. It immediately makes hot hatches, even leading sports cars like a Porsche Cayman , feel numb and lethargic. 

That it does so while delivering a fairly compliant ride is all the more impressive. Its compact dimensions and small wheels mean that larger bumps can throw it off course somewhat, but build up some speed and it soaks up rough surfaces so well - even on the optional Sports Suspension package. As a driver’s car for the road, it’s wonderful.

There are compromises that you may need to live with, though. Take the rear view mirror; essentially a pointless item, because it vibrates so badly that the vision behind you is completely blurred. From a distance of fifty metres the buzzing will mean that you’ll struggle to pick out much detail; is that a Mini close behind me, or is it a Porsche Cayenne slightly further away? It’s hard to tell.

With a driving position so close to the ground, the Seven feels tiny in everyday traffic, too. Superminis look like SUVs . SUVs look like houses. The roof is rather fiddly to install and remove, too, and you won’t be able to carry much luggage. The gearbox is wonderful, but the clutch requires a delicate touch. It’s something you’ll soon get used to.

In the grand scheme of performance car prices, The Caterham Seven 360S doesn’t even seem that expensive. The car starts from around £32,000, though that’s for one which arrives at your door in kit form - get Caterham to assemble it for you and it’ll be another £2,595 on top of that. You can even take out a finance deal; place a £3,000 deposit up front, and a 36-month term with a £17,595 balloon payment comes to £470 per month. Low weight means low fuel bills, too - if you’re not driving it at maximum attack on track, it’s even quite frugal.

Now read our list of the best track day cars ...

• Performance cars

Alex joined Auto Express as staff writer in early 2018, helping out with news, drives, features, and the occasional sports report. His current role of Chief reviewer sees him head up our road test team, which gives readers the full lowdown on our comparison tests.

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Road Trip... in a Caterham?

Updated: Apr 5

Whoops. I accidentally bought my attainable dream car... and then immediately tried to drive it 800 miles home. How did it go, and how suitable is a Caterham for a long-distance drive?

Welcome to my new 1993 Caterham Super Seven HPC. I'll have another blog post soon that will go more into the details of this specific car, why I bought it, etc... but for now I wanted to write up a quick post about what it was like to buy this thing 800 miles away, and then basically just go full send and try driving it 800 miles home along back roads... with the significant other in the passenger seat!

Spoiler alert: we didn't make it.

Bigger spoiler alert: we still loved it, and can't wait to try again!

Obviously, planning a road trip in a vehicle such as this isn't like planning a road trip in most other vehicles. Things become a consideration that usually aren't. You avoid driving at night, not because you think you might start feeling sleepy, but because you really don't want to drive this thing in the dark. You have to think very carefully about whether you really need to bring xxx or yyy items because cargo space is incredibly limited (though as you'll see, not as limited as you might think!) Weather also dictates things, though that should be obvious with one look at it. We also weren't sure how comfortable it would be, or whether we'd start hating life after just an hour of driving.

Our journey began in Durham, NC after a quick flight, a test drive, and an exchange of money and title. The planned route covered 800 miles of back roads as we snaked our way to Chicago. We decided from the start to avoid highways because back roads are really what a vehicle like this is meant for, and we didn't want our first experience with my new toy to be 12 hours of highway misery. And when I say back roads, I really do mean proper twisty back roads. Instead our route was estimated by Google to be an 18 hour-long journey, which we decided to split across the extended Labor Day weekend.

Before we set off, however, we had to pack all of the stuff we'd brought with us into the car. We'd packed the bare essentials for a 3 day trip into two day bags. I say "bare essentials," but we honestly packed more than necessary in the form of extra clothes, food, and even our full-size over-the-ear headphones for the brief 2 hour flight down because we are divas. We really weren't sure how much space the Caterham had other than one photo of the purported trunk which was described by the seller as "big enough for at least several pairs of shoes." Turns out we needn't have been worried. While it's still a tiny amount of space, the trunk is much larger than anything I was expecting on a vehicle of this size! We fit both our day bags, a bag full of paperwork for the vehicle, and another bag containing tools, including a full socket set, a jack, and some other spare parts. This doesn't include my camera bag/tripod and girlfriend's purse, both of which were able to fit under the legs of whomever was sitting in the passenger seat without being a nuisance (except making it even more difficult to get in/out of the car.)

So, it fits enough stuff for a short road trip... but what about actually driving it? Surely it sucks for any lengthy distance, right? Well... not really!*

The first thing that struck me was how compliant the ride is. It looks like the kind of vehicle that would be incredibly harsh and bouncy on rough roads, and while it's certainly no Bentley, it is far from uncomfortable. A lot of credit goes to the Bilstein shocks here. It absorbs bumps rather well, and the relatively meaty tires (compared to many modern vehicles) on those 15" wheels do a lot to soften harsh impacts. The seats also have quite a bit of cushion which only adds to the comfort. Both of us found the ride quality more than suitable for a lengthy journey. Granted, there are various tiers of suspension for these vehicles, from road use, to hardcore track use, so your mileage will vary depending on your specific setup, but this one is set up beautifully for a street car.

Then there is the optional windscreen and the side doors. I've ridden in a Caterham without these things, and it's a dramatically different experience. Lots of fun and drama, but not something for long road trips unless you're prepared with goggles at the bare minimum, and ideally a full helmet unless you are willing to accept the risk of your face being pelted by whatever bugs/rocks/debris happen to be flying through the air at the time. By contrast, the experience with the windscreen and doors is much closer to a normal convertible. We simply wore sunglasses and baseball caps and we were quite comfortable, with just a nice breeze on the backs of our necks, and no issues with rocks or bugs or anything of the sort.

The fuel tank is tiny in this vehicle. I'm not sure what the size is offhand, but 5 gallons took us from 1/4 to full, so it's like a 7-ish gallon tank. It seemed like we were getting 25-ish MPG on average. While the small tank might be a con in a normal car, in this car it's sized big enough to get you about as far as you'd want to go between stops anyway. However, it does mean you need to keep an eye on your fuel if you're driving somewhere with long stretches between gas stations. We suspect the Weber carbs on this car might be tuned to run slightly rich, so there may be room for improvement in this area... once I figure out how carburetors work, and how to adjust them.

Speaking of burning fuel, the engine in this car puts out a purported 218 HP, and given it weighs around 1300 LB, you certainly won't be left wanting for power on entrance ramps, or when trying to pass a slower vehicle. I'm not entirely convinced it's still putting out 218, but that's what it started at. The 5-speed manual has a nice short throw, with gearing that feels perfectly-suited to modern-day driving. This car apparently has straight-cut gears, but I didn't notice any obnoxious gear whine. Clutch engagement was very abrupt, but I'm chalking that one up to the new clutch that had just been installed prior to my purchase, and hadn't yet been broken-in. I will say that reverse is a bit finicky. You have to push down, and then it's at the top left, but it's a bit vague, and requires a very deliberate action, and I sometimes find myself in 1st, instead of reverse, which is embarrassing when you're trying to make a quick 3-point u-turn...

And of course you can't discuss road-tripping a car like this without talking about the attention it gets. This is probably obvious, but it is THE center of attention everywhere. You will be asked about it. You will be photographed. You will be having lengthy conversations with complete strangers. You will have folks standing there recording you as you awkwardly get into the car and put on your 4-point harness because they want to be recording when you start it up. This might not be for everyone, but I think it's a ton of fun. I'm normally a very introverted person and not good at starting conversations with random folks, but I've had more fun and lengthy conversations with complete strangers in one day of driving this thing than in the last 12 months. Everyone from the lady running the gas station, who came out to take photos and talk about the car, to the two private jet pilots staying at our hotel who spent a good 30 minutes talking to us about the car in the parking lot before inviting us to dinner. Honestly, with all the bullshit happening in the world, and my introverted hatred for people in general, this car is probably good for my mental health. It really restores some of my faith in humanity given the fun conversations I've had with people who probably would disagree with me on just about every other topic in existence.

So are there ANY downsides to a long drive in this car? Of course there are!

Interior space is VERY limited - in that there really isn't any beyond that which your body occupies. Want to stretch your legs by shifting into a different position? That isn't happening. For the driver, the pedal box is INCREDIBLY small. My Size 10 shoes were catching each other as I worked the 3 pedals (I'll need to buy driving shoes), and there is no dead pedal - though there is plenty of space under the clutch pedal to rest your left foot. My right ankle developed a nasty blister on the back from the top edge of my sneaker rubbing it - something else that can probably be solved with the right shoes.

Ingress/egress is quite the to-do; even for a small guy like me it isn't elegant. The four-point harness needs to be moved out of the way, then you have to step into the car, and slowly lower yourself into the seat while scooting your legs forward. If you have the side doors on, they just get more annoying as you have to hold them open at the same time. Making use of the quick-release steering wheel definitely helps the driver fit themselves into the seat. Once seated, you need to fish out all four of the harness belts and connect them all together. It takes time, and you'll look silly. People watching will laugh. You laugh with them and it isn't so much a down-side as just a silly quirk. Having said that, if you're a physically large person, good luck. Either way, getting into the car is very much an event. Embrace it. It's part of the charm, and not necessarily a downside.

We found the seats comfortable overall, but they are reclined a bit too far for our tastes, and the seatback angle isn't adjustable (as far as I can tell). We like to sit rather upright in our vehicles, and I found the reclined position just a tiny bit annoying as I felt my head had to be tilted forward slightly more than I'm used to. I suppose this could be fixed with a different pair of seats... or I just need to get used to it.

The exhaust was by far the biggest issue. As the driver, you sit 18" from the muffler and exhaust tips. This vehicle has a rather aggressive sports exhaust that sounds amazing... for short trips. However at higher speeds, and in higher gears when you're trying to just cruise at lower RPMs the drone penetrated even our "race grade" headphones with boom mics, and left my ears ringing after just an hour. It was, by far, the most irritating part of driving the vehicle, but is also something that is easily solved, so that's more an issue with this specific exhaust setup. I plan to remedy this at some point with something that still sounds good, but won't render you deaf after two hours.

The mirrors, as they are on this car, aren't fantastic. The previous owner 3D-printed a two-piece mirror that he glued to the windshield, and that one is actually useful, though it's aimed too high for me, and isn't adjustable, so I need to sit up in the seat to look behind me. I'll be swapping it out for one that works for me. The side mirrors are mounted to the removable doors, which means they buzz around a lot when driving, making it difficult to see things with them - and they're small. At the end of the day, you'll be wanting to swivel your head anyway, as no matter how good your mirrors are, in a vehicle this small you simply don't do anything without checking with your actual eyeballs to ensure you aren't about to drive under a truck's tire.

So as far as what went wrong: basically about halfway through our first 5 hour stint, we noticed the temperature gauge creeping higher and higher. By the time we got to our hotel after 5 hours and 200 miles, it was into the 240s, though it would sometimes drop back down, and was generally oscillating a lot (it would creep up to 245, then drop drastically down to 210, for example.) We tried some basic troubleshooting (burping the cooling system to get air out) but it still seemed to run hot. I felt uncomfortable setting out for 600 more miles without knowing exactly what was wrong, so we called in the cavalry and paid Performance Towing to come and get our car. Shout-out to the owner, who basically dropped everything and drove through the night from Wisconsin to West Virginia to come and rescue us!

We've since gotten the car home, and I've been working on chasing down the issue. The first culprit was the water pump. Replaced it, but the old one didn't seem broken. Still runs hot, but not AS hot as it did. Then we checked the thermostat, which it turns out was a 92C thermostat that only starts to open around 210F in a pot of boiling water... so I've also replaced it with a 75C thermostat that a local acquaintance happened to have on hand. The engine generally runs cooler now - in fact sometimes it does long stints at just over 180 degrees (an 80-85C thermostat would probably be ideal.)

What we've concluded is that, first off, on the weekend of our grand trip, it was sunny, with temperatures were in the 90s... and we were driving a car with a relatively large engine compared to the cooling system up twisty mountain roads, equipped with a thermostat that was opening way too late, and it was basically just having a hell of a time trying to stay cool. As it stands right now, everything works fine, but the engine still gets uncomfortably hot while idling. We think this is partly because the radiator fan circuit also seems to come on rather late, seeming to wait until the gauge is already at 225. I'm planning to fix that too. That should hopefully help the engine by not waiting until it's already too hot to start removing heat. The radiator is also still the original from the looks of it. Who knows if it's got any clogs or sediment, or if it's a less efficient design. The fan also feels a bit weak. So those are both on the list for future upgrades.

Beyond that, though, I've been having a hell of a time blasting around the neighborhood. I'm probably annoying all of the neighbors with the rather loud exhaust - but hopefully they can cut me some slack as I just need a few days to calm down and get used to the fact that I finally have my own Caterham! And not just any Caterham... a Super Seven HPC! More to come in the form of a post that properly introduces the car; including many more photos, and hopefully some footage.

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My 1993 Caterham Super Seven HPC Evolution

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CIRCUIT EXPERIENCE

1x caterham seven 360r, 1x caterham instructor, 3x maximum driver spaces, fuel and tyres included, full day experience.

If you’re new to track days and need a little guidance, or fancy getting behind the wheel of a Seven on circuit then we can help! Our instructors are ready to show you the ropes with a day of on-track tuition. Sharing a Seven 360R (or similar), you’ll have plenty of track time and come away knowing how to safely pilot a Caterham on track.

Whether booked as an individual, or with a group of friends, you’ll have an unforgettable experience.

Masterclass includes sighting laps, reference laps, track time and hot laps with the instructor at the end of the session.

Experience dates

All Circuit Experiences shown above are on pre-booked dates and include circuit fees, you do not need to book a space. A £3,000.00 damage deposit will be held against each driver's card, group booking will be held against the lead booking card. All drivers must be over 21 and have held a valid licence for at least three years. Full terms and conditions can be found below.

Please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you have any questions or to discuss booking terms.

Our Seven 360R is the starting point for our 2.0 range of cars in the UK. Powered by a 180 bhp Ford Duratec engine, and weight around 550kg, it’s the perfect Seven to learn car control.

• 0 – 60 mph in 4.8 seconds
• 130 mph Top Speed

Please note, images shown are a representation and the actual hire car may differ in colour and specification shown. Caterham cannot guarantee or provide specific colours of hire vehicles.

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A Special Monster

Hands-on with caterham's most extreme, road-legal seven yet.

“Focus. Speed. I am Speed.” Caterham designers might well be fans of Lightning McQueen’s mantra, for their 620R model is the most extreme, road-legal Seven yet. In their own words, they have “created a monster. A very special monster”.

The car’s barely-changed design looks as fresh today as when Colin Chapman’s original Lotus Seven appeared in 1957. 

Insect-like, it sits on nearly-slick Avon tyres, the noticeable camber of the front wheels, deep nose vents and colossal exhaust all hinting at something exceptional confined within the narrow body. Strapped into the four-point harness, the theme is the same. The rear view through the driving mirror is mostly obscured by roll bars, the side mirrors show off the fabulously wide rear arches and the carbon fibre dash contains just two simple rows of toggle switches beside the dials. Thankfully, one optional extra has been fitted to this car: a windscreen.

A flick of the starting switch and there is a lumpy idle, soon cleared with a few blips of the throttle. The sequential gearbox takes some getting used to; pulling the lever back, there’s a satisfying mechanical clunk close beneath and then we’re away.

The straight-cut gears make their characteristic whine as they mesh; it is this distinctive transmission which provides much of the car’s sound track. The minuscule Momo steering wheel affords ample leverage and incredible feedback. Add the carbon fibre sports seats (to which the driver is tightly strapped) and the much-used adage of feeling at one with a car is really true with the 620 R.

Pulling back the firm lever for second gear and then again for third, the 620 R – 310 bhp on tap and barely heavier than a shopping trolley – claws away at the tarmac, hurling itself forwards. Despite the rate of propulsion, it is surprisingly easy to position in the road, aided by the gratifying view down the long louvered nose. The greatest revelation is with the car’s comfort and suppleness of ride. It manages a surprising balance, remaining crisp and agile yet rarely becoming unsettled by a poor road surface.

Slowing through towns and villages or in heavier traffic, the 620 R is more cumbersome; it dislikes being held on light throttle – tugging and eager – so it’s best to change down a cog or two. As soon as there is a clear space ahead, the cars behind disappear rapidly from view and it’s up, up, up through the gears – no clutch pedal needed when under load. 100km/h is dispatched before one can even utter ‘Caterham 620 R’, so the speedo requires almost as much attention as the road ahead.

The 620 R is both raw and brutal; all aspects point to its true vocation as a track car. There is never any expectation of taming the power; merely hanging on feels closer to the truth. Yet find a gentle sequence of bends and it is there one will enjoy the Caterham’s accomplished handling which is truly magical.  It is a very special monster indeed.

Visit caterhamcars.com

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Highland Caterham Hire offers the opportunity to Self Drive Hire an iconic British sports car, the Caterham Seven.

Gift Vouchers for all occasions & any number of days are available, and are sure to be a hit with with the lucky recipient! Our vehicles are also available, and very popular for Weddings as well as TV & Film production.

We are based in Elgin, within the beautiful county of Moray, and ideally situated to allow you easy access to the best driving roads & scenery that Scotland has to offer, including the now legendary  North Coast 500 (NC500). Should you wish to explore beyond the wonders of Scotland, all of our cars are available for European tours.

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Highland Caterham Hire offers you the opportunity to self drive hire an iconic British sports car, the Caterham Seven, on some of the best driving roads in the world!

We operate Caterham Supersport SV's across our fleet, all have identical 150hp Sigma engines which offer tremendous performance, and all benefit from the roomier SV chassis, meaning our Caterhams are far more spacious and comfortable than you may first imagine! 

We know our customers appreciate simplicity, and things don't come much simpler than our pricing structure here at Highland Caterham Hire...

£225 per day.

There must be more to it you ask!? Well there isn't, simply the type of darn good value we look for ourselves when planning our next sports car adventure.

The daily rate includes a mileage allowance of 120 miles per day & fully comprehensive insurance for one driver. Additional mileage over 120 miles per day is charged at 65 pence per mile and any number of additional drivers can be added on for just £35 per additional driver. 

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White Sox complete 0-7 road trip with loss to Twins, fall to 3-22

The twins hit five solo home runs to complete the four-game sweep..

Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Michael Soroka (40) hands the game ball to manager Pedro Grifol during a pitching change in the sixth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Thursday, April 25, 2024, in Minneapolis.

Abbie Parr/AP

MINNEAPOLIS — 0-for-the road trip.

With the Twins’ 6-3 come-from-behind victory Thursday afternoon, the White Sox completed a seven-game road trip, dropping their franchise record worst record to start a season to 3-22.

The four-game sweep sent the Sox home with an 0-7 trip through Philadelphia and Minnesota and a 1-13 record on the road, also a franchise record.

The Sox led 2-0 on a sacrifice fly by Kevin Pillar and RBI single by Paul DeJong, but the Twins answered with five solo home runs, two against starter Michael Soroka (five-plus innings, two runs), one against John Brebbia, and two in the ninth against Steven Wilson.

Edouard Julien (two), Ryan Jeffers, Jose Miranda and Carlos Santana provided the long balls.

Soroka pitched five scoreless innings without getting a swing and miss before giving up homers to Julien and Jeffers to open the sixth, knotting the score at 2.

Michael Soroka pic.twitter.com/dF8bA3SFNI — Daryl Van Schouwen (@CST_soxvan) April 25, 2024

Lee catching on

The combination of 37-year-old Martin Maldonado’s .048 batting average with 25-year-old Korey Lee’s .279 average and .791 OPS as well as Lee’s superior defense resulted in Lee catching three of four games of the series, including Thursday’s day game after a night game.

“I want to get him in there a little bit more consistently,” Grifol said. “At the same time I want to make sure he’s developing at the right pace and not trying to do too much too soon.”

Lee struck out with Robbie Grossman on third in the second inning, but finished with two hits. He made a sliding catch near the dugout in the bottom of the inning.

Grifol said Lee workload would be “inconsistent.”

“Sometimes he’ll play three out of four, sometimes he’ll play two out of four. Sometimes he might play one out of four. It all depends how he’s coming along on his development and the things that he’s got to work on.”

Benintendi ‘inconsistent’

Left fielder Andrew Benintendi didn’t start for the second time in the series, a night after not getting to a short flyball Grifol said needed to be caught.

“At times it looks really good. At times it doesn’t,” Grifol said. “It’s been a little inconsistent metrically. It looks like he’s been playing a little bit deeper than he’s normally used to. We’ve talked about it. We’re going to make the proper adjustments and he knows. He’s been around. He’s won a Gold Glove before so he knows what he’s got to do to get to where we need him to get to. He’s working on it.”

Benintendi pinch hit for Pillar with two on and one out in the eighth and struck out, then replaced Pillar in center field.

Clevinger gets closer

Right-hander Mike Clevinger, signed to a contract this month to return to the Sox after being their best starter in 2023, was slated to make his first start for Triple-A Charlotte Thursday. Grifol said four innings and 60 pitches was the plan, with five innings and 75 to follow in his second start. That sets up a potential 2024 debut on the next road trip against the Cardinals and Rays.