No suprise to us that the R500 is faster than a veyron round the TG track
1:17.9 not bad
geeks 
Well you didn't have to read this forum until you had watched it, perhaps next week we'll wait until you have announced that you have watched it before anyone posts any related comments......
and he was all over the place with what looked like road tyres, not road legal cut slicks.
well thanks to hammond my girlfriend now thinks im a geek/nerd but then inew that already
have to say i thought the handling looked a bit poor too.... it was all over the place, but still very fast obviously.
be interested to know what ford engine it's got though. sure i could find out off caterhams website if i tried...
I think caterham use avon cr500 tyres,
pretty sure but sure someone will correct me if im wrong,
normally a pretty good tyre lots of power in that ca to get down though,
still looked like a car i would love to have ,
better start saving at that price??
I think caterham use avon cr500 tyres,
pretty sure but sure someone will correct me if im wrong,
normally a pretty good tyre lots of power in that ca to get down though,
still looked like a car i would love to have ,
better start saving at that price??
I think caterham use avon cr500 tyres,
pretty sure but sure someone will correct me if im wrong,
normally a pretty good tyre lots of power in that ca to get down though,
still looked like a car i would love to have ,
better start saving at that price??
I think caterham use avon cr500 tyres,
pretty sure but sure someone will correct me if im wrong,
normally a pretty good tyre lots of power in that ca to get down though,
still looked like a car i would love to have ,
better start saving at that price??
I think caterham use avon cr500 tyres,
pretty sure but sure someone will correct me if im wrong,
normally a pretty good tyre lots of power in that ca to get down though,
still looked like a car i would love to have ,
better start saving at that price??
tyres look like avon cr5oo ????
normally on caterhams ???
sorry about all the posts my computer just went mad,
the engines are cosworth 2.3 duratecs normally
I am a Geek, there i've said it.
Dan.
quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
have to say i thought the handling looked a bit poor too.... it was all over the place, but still very fast obviously.
be interested to know what ford engine it's got though. sure i could find out off caterhams website if i tried...
quote:
be interested to know what ford engine it's got though
or buy a dax rush turbo and do the same time
video on you tube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBVY-MFgWZo
Caterham Seven Superlight R500
Engine: 2.0-litre Caterham Powertrain (CPT) Ford Duratec
Max Power (bhp/rpm) 263bhp @ 8500rpm
Max Torque (lbs ft/rpm) 177 lbsft @ 7200rpm
Weight 506kg (516kg sequential gearbox)
0-60mph 2.88 seconds
Power-to-weight 520bhp-per-tonne
Top Speed 150mph
what gearbox do they use on the duratec ?
quote:
Originally posted by graememk
what gearbox do they use on the duratec ?
Mazda 6 speed out of the MX isnt it.
Anyway
only caterham owners are geeks and nerds, their is a difference.
The gearbox is either a 6 speed derivitive of the type 9, or, as fitted to the white test car that did the lap (the same car they used in the magazine
article months ago) a 6 speed sequential box (which bumps up the price from the £36k starting price a fair old bit).
I looked skittish, but then he as going some in it and obviously won't have spent a load of time setting up the chassis as he likes it - the
amoutn of adjustability a se7en has can make it it's own worst enemy in such tests (IMHO)
It is a 6 speed Caterham gearbox
Transmission
Close Ratio 6 Speed
1st: 2.69:1
2nd: 2.01:1
3rd: 1.59:1
4th: 1.32:1
5th: 1.13:1
6th 1.00:1
Final Drive: 3.62:1
Sequential 6 Speed
1st: 2.4:1
2nd: 1.84:1
3rd: 1.482:1
4th: 1.26:1
5th: 1.104:1
6th 1:1
All here
quote:
Originally posted by mistergrumpy
Caterham Seven Superlight R500
Engine: 2.0-litre Caterham Powertrain (CPT) Ford Duratec
Max Power (bhp/rpm) 263bhp @ 8500rpm
Max Torque (lbs ft/rpm) 177 lbsft @ 7200rpm
Weight 506kg (516kg sequential gearbox)
0-60mph 2.88 seconds
Power-to-weight 520bhp-per-tonne
Top Speed 150mph
I do remember PPC ran a feature on a tuner getting 315 BHP from the Duratec - so 265 is not too wild a spec 
Hi
Hi the 260 Duratec engines are built by Cosworth for caterham i think as per the 260 CSR versions engines are.
And Yep the car was on the same CR500 tyres the car is sold as standard with. ( which it had to be to fair to the ££££'s super cars.) So it was
in a turnkey car state as you can buy from caterham.
So more to come from the CSR and better tyres.
Cheers Matt
Edit. Just came across this posting on blatchat from caterham themselfs.
Dear all,
Having just returned from a bitterly cold Dunsfold aerodrome, I am happy to report that all went well.
As you will have no doubt worked out by now, contrary to belief we weren't winding up the entire owners club last week, and we knew all along
that we were confirmed to be on the track for timed laps and a studio segment. Obviously we couldn't tell you this directly, although the
"will they / won't they" conspiracy theories have been keeping us amused in the office all week - it is heartening to see such passion
from the club and to know how much you all care for the marque, so thank you for all your support.
Today was extremely cold, with a peak temperature of just 1degree. The Stig completed approximately 20 timed laps, and reported back to us through a
series of grunts, whistles and sign language that he felt that the car was set up perfectly, and that he was very much enjoying driving it. However,
due to the extremely low temperatures he did struggle to get heat into the tyres, so the car's ultimate lap time was somewhat compromised.
We worked extremely hard to make sure that the car was in absolutely A1 condition, and i am sure that when you see the program on Sunday night you
will agree that the car looked stunning. Thanks must go to all at Caterham who haven't had a weekend for the last fortnight, and to everyone who
was still working late into the night - it was all worth it.
As for the lap time, Stig was adamant that the car had "much more still to come in better conditions", so hopefully we will be invited back
in the summer to really depress the supercar boys!
So, without further ado, to find out how fast the car was...
tune in to BBC2 on Sunday at 8pm...
Best Wishes,
James Drake,
Marketing Coordinator,
Caterham Cars.
[Edited on 8/12/08 by procomp]
I thought the R500 was purely awesome. On cold tyres too. Obviously a hand full but we knew that already so no surprise there. My god - just think
what will happen if they get invited back on a glorious hot summers day.
Nice one Caterham!. Oh - and yes ill have one too. Mooky - when are you free to pop down and put a deposit down. Will we get a discount for 2, mini
group buy!?
oooh look, me in a caterham.........
couldn't resist!! Sorry!
My mate who runs Ultima texted me fater the programme to point out that the caterham is still 5 secs a lap slower than the ultima's time (that
the BBC will never put on the show)
I replied and said, yep, slow maybe, but FUN....DEFINITELY!!!
It looked such a hoot, darting about, so light and just excellent, what driving should be all about!
[Edited on 8/12/08 by NS Dev]
No panic over locking up, it doesn't have all the electric wizardry like ABS so the pure driving experience shone through to me.
Anyone know how much faster it is than one of our locost jobbies? Will my car handle like that if I get it set up right?
Right now I'm happy to be a geek,
Hmm....
£36k for a Caterham.
So how good a Locost or similar 7 type car could one of us build for £36k or even perhaps a bit (or even a LOT) less.
When I watched the programme, I knew it would do well. Just not that well. At least it trounced the other car, which I thought did rather poorly for
what it was.
Much as it pains me..... I have to raise a glass to Caterham... Didnt they do well!!
As for the NERD bit... Well.... I was labelled one of those when I started playing with Radio Transmitters when I was 14 years old!
Mototcycles followed at 15, and then Land Rovers and the Kit Car was just a logical progression
So 40+ years on I'm still a bit nerdy!
the Geek bit amused me, people can think what they like, but I've never been called a geek before!!!
anyway, anybody watching the car on the track had to agree, it looked such a hoot that the be labelled a geek was not problem at all!
I think they felt they needed to say something negative to keep Ferrari and supercar manufacturer friends on-side.
Who in their right mind would buy a £250k play thing otherwise.
I think the difference between a supercar and the caterham was quite plain.
No need to have a dig at sevens, to keep supercars happy as they are two very different things.
Supercars are more about show, and pomp than performance, otherwise why would any supercar which isn't the fastest in its price bracket get any
sales at all?
Obviously a supercar has to be stupidly fast, but more importantly it has to look expensive and suffice to get ugly guys fit girls.
Can't imagine a woman being struck with a choice about getting into a veyron with a italian playboy, or a caterham with me.
That is why supercars still sell when there are cheaper and faster kit/turnkey cars.
can anyone answer if it is possible to get my car to handle like that caterham?
I know I would need to spend money getting it set up by a pro, but in theory at least - is it doable?
It looked like Stig was having a great time driving it.
watching Hammonds crazy hair getting seriously buffetted while driving the r500 makes me glad to have the nice curved windscreen i have in the stylus.
I dont get any of that which makes it easier to concentrate on the track as it doesnt feel like someone is grabbing your head and shaking it from
side to side.
quote:
Originally posted by Dangle_kt
I think the difference between a supercar and the caterham was quite plain.
No need to have a dig at sevens, to keep supercars happy as they are two very different things.
Supercars are more about show, and pomp than performance, otherwise why would any supercar which isn't the fastest in its price bracket get any sales at all?
Obviously a supercar has to be stupidly fast, but more importantly it has to look expensive and suffice to get ugly guys fit girls.
Can't imagine a woman being struck with a choice about getting into a veyron with a italian playboy, or a caterham with me.
That is why supercars still sell when there are cheaper and faster kit/turnkey cars.
can anyone answer if it is possible to get my car to handle like that caterham?
I know I would need to spend money getting it set up by a pro, but in theory at least - is it doable?
Dangle- dont see why not.
Long as the chassis is as stiff, and you spend thge £ on springs and dampers, correctly spcified and pro set up. There's certainly peeps on here
who have gone this route and talked about night and day difference afterwards.
Dont think I'd want sierra front end though- too heavy.
PS just read the whole thread and there's some wrong info.
First, the 260(ish) hp duratec is a 2.3, not a 2.0........and yep, that power is reliable and honest, I have seen several on rolling roads.
We race a 2.0 one (the orange one with me in further up the thread) and that is just over 220hp.
They are expensive engines though, the winter rebuild alone is £4000
Also the sequential box is one of two options, first the old quaife "type 9 based" box, at around £5000, or the new Quaife design "from
the ground up" box, which is a tad under £7000, stronger and better (the type 9 based one is only really good for 275hp so very near its limits
on the 2.3 engine)
However we have, along with most of the field, had many issues with it in the last year of racing, but then for road use its very good.