Originally designed in the 50's by Colin Chapman, these iconic British sport cars define the thrill of driving.
Caterham are well known for building the Seven. A road going track focused animal, which today is available in a number of different derivatives. This particular car is the 360R and oh my, it's good.
Firstly, time to collect the car from #Caterham HQ (Gatwick of all places). After a quick hand over, to explain how the few buttons work on the dash and some words of wisdom of how to keep the #car pointing in a straight line, it's time head home (and straight onto the M25). At this point, the exciting idea of trying a Caterham for a weekend quickly becomes painful, noisy, uncomfortable and verging on turning round and getting back into my daily car #Mercedes
Sat at an uncomfortable 70mph, the rev counter bounces around 4,000rpm and the exhaust note becomes deafening. I can't begin to explain the constant sound, wind and vibrations reverberating through me. Every bump, every cats eye and any imperfection in the road sends an indescribable pain through your spine. The cockpit is open to say the least and although this version is equipped with essential options, (to make the experience as refined as a Caterham can be), it's far from a pleasure on the motorway.
However, get it off the motorway and onto an open B road and everything changes. A connection between you as a driver and a car which I've never experienced apart from a well set up racing car. The car comes with a 2.0l Ford duratec engine punching out 180bhp. Modest you say, and you'd be right, but it does only weigh 560kg. All of a sudden that becomes a different story. From a standing start and with the wind blowing in the right direction, it'll hit 60mph in 4.8 seconds and will carry on until it runs out of steam at 130mph. Not #Bugatti Veyron fast but not bad for a car with a price tage 50 times cheaper. Figures aside, the balance and rigidity is so impressive. Point the car into a car and it goes, accelerate out of a corner and it wriggles out with plenty of warning of how close you are to the limit.
Very quickly though, it's obvious this car belongs on a track. There's no denying it wants to be driven and what impresses me most is, good hard driving is rewarded. But, abuse it and it'll bite you back.
So the fun doesn't come cheap. This particular car will cost you over £40k. It's loaded up with a number of Caterham's options but all essential in my opinion. At that level, you're in #Audi R8 territory. It's not a cheap toy.
Anyway, assuming you've got some spare money, you want a weekend thrill, something you can drive to a track day, embarrass the millionaire in the #Ferrari and then drive home again, this is probably the car you need in the garage. There's a reason these guys are so well known for their road going race cars. I absolutely love it and did not want to take it back.
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