Lotus is the British king of compact track cars. The Elise could fit in the palm of Andre the Giant, while the Exige took everything cool about the barebones Elise and added a little luxury. But these cars are too big for some, even still. What about the speed racer who wants the most minimalist design possible? An open-air driving experience that’s about as small and simple as it gets?
The Seven 620R is Caterham’s fastest car yet (courtesy of Caterham)
That’s the beauty of Caterham Cars. Barely qualifiable as anything more than streetworthy go-karts, the average Caterham Car weighs around just over 1,100 pounds. A tubular framed chassis sits underneath some aluminum panels. In perusing Caterham’s site we immediately fell in love with their flagship, the Seven 620R. This little vehicle is a monster, like a small child that got the keys to the candy store.
Faster than a Bugatti
It goes like stink, getting from null to 60 in 2.8 seconds. That’s faster than a Ferrari 488, and less than a half-second slower than a Bugatti Veyron. That’s all thanks to a supercharged 2.0L Ford Duratec motor (the same motor once optioned in the sleepy Ford Focus) pushing out 310 horses and 220 torques. Some 13” Apollo alloy wheels work with Avon ZZR tires to manage all that power inside a lightened chassis that eschews metal for carbon fiber… Everything: Carbon fiber interior panels. Carbon fiber front wings. Carbon fiber rear wings. Carbon fiber dashboard. Carbon fiber seats. Carbon fiber air screen.
The Seven 620R squeezes in a supercharged 2.0L Duratec – the same motor in the Ford Focus
More Power-to-Weight Than Pagani
We’re positive there are some other carbon-weaved bits hiding underneath the bonnet, though Caterham stays mum. The resulting power-to-weight ratio is a staggering 560 per ton. How good is that? You guessed it right, better than a Bugatti and even a Pagani Zonda. We wouldn’t be surprised if the 620R could reach some top speeds that tickle supercar territory, either – the 620R is likely electronically limited because of its likely instability at such speeds.
But it’s not just a relatively muscly motor shoved inside a lightened chassis that makes the 620R go like a bat out of Hell. Playing an aesthetically pleasing homage to F1, the 620R boasts exposed double wishbone suspension sporting some crazily negative camber for carving out corners like a knife through butter. Four-piston calipers, big brakes, and De-Dion rear suspension keep the 620R impossibly planted, even in the most extreme apexes. But things are kept classic here, with the 620R being offered with a 6-speed manual gearbox only. This is a proper driver’s car of a bygone era reborn, after all.
F1 Inspiration and Mechanical Bits
For all its track prowess, the 620R isn’t just a strange, boxy kit car of sorts. It also pays homage to the Lotus Seven, a club racing star in its own days – from 1957 to 1973, to be exact. This track roadster boasted many of the same mechanical and drivetrain bits as the modern 620R.
The modern Caterham Cars are based on the classic Lotus Seven club racer
The 620R embodies that 60’s spirit of stripped down track cars, offering prospective buyers with nostalgic fully-body stripes and classic English racing colors. We particularly like the Caterham Blue paired with a gold-orange stripe – very Ford GT40 in its debut.
Gems Don’t come by The Dozen
If you want one, be prepared to hunt one down and get the checkbook ready: The 620R is sold a rolling chassis only, with the motor and drivetrain made a separate package that must be installed by a third party. Although Caterham markets and sells in the states, the 620R is a righthand drive-only machine, and few, if any, have been imported to the U.S. That’s okay, though, because you can get plenty of other Caterham in the states from a proper dealer – but you won’t do 0 to 60 faster than a Bugatti. Shame.
