Caterham Seven 160: SimpleSeven – Auto Sportive

We are 1.000 km from the Nürburgring and the pale autumn sun is slowly drying the morning dew. Welsh's Black Mountains have never looked so beautiful, and the road through them is deserted except for a handful of cyclists enjoying the last few days of fine weather before the snow arrives. This is the perfect place and time to experience a car that has great ambition: to embody the essence of driving pleasure. Do you have what it takes to be successful? Let's see: three cylinders, 600 cc, 80 hp, Speed five-speed mechanics, body in aluminum and four lowercase circles from 14 inches covered Avon ZT5 155/65. The search for lap time on the Ring is light-years away. But also…

This is Caterham Seven 160, a new entry-level model that weighs only 550 kg and costs 17.950 € 21.530 complete and XNUMX XNUMX € assembled. There is no active aerodynamics or electric assistance here, other than the petrol warning light, which also does not work well, and even with full throttle opening, a good straight line is required to be able to overtake other slower cars. In addition to a stopwatch, you need a calendar to measure the lap times on the Nordschleife. However, take the flyer in your hand Momo and clean the joints so that you can put key there is an explosion in the ignition lock. The idea of ​​an ultralight seven, with a reduced caterpillar, moved by a small one. turbo engine origin Suzuki hungry for queues seems fine to me.

The view from the driver's seat is familiar. There is a flyer in front of me, on the left - tachometer which goes up to the number 8, and on the left is a full-scale speedometer reaching an optimistic 260 km / h. windshield minimalist, traditional, long Bonnet in aluminum с ventilation holes transverse, i wings bicycles that bounce on the asphalt, and two chrome cups in which Headlights and reflect the distorted image of the hood of the Seven and the sky.

With simple buttons for most major controls and high beam switches and turn signals all in one dashboard very discreet black color, driving environment is just rudimentary. But also very intimate: you ride with one hand practically on the window sill and the other on the window sill. tunnel di broadcast and feet tightly under the steering wheel to maneuver the little ones pedals very close to each other. Compared withcockpit tight and open to the rage of the Morgan 3 Wheeler elements that Seven 160 I would like to imitate, it is very intimate and immediately calms, immediately focusing on the road. All in all, you are up and ready to go.

ROTATE THE KEY, WAIT until the red light in the center of the dashboard stops pulsing, which means the immobilizer is disabled, and turn the key again. IN three cylinders wakes up with a mighty bark. It's a good start, even if then engine calms down to a more relaxed sound and mutters softly from a blowpipe-sized exhaust. Three-cylinder turbo 660cc was originally developed for Japanese kei cars and at least has sound a little out of the refrigerator. But this may come with some surprises as it peaks at power 80 h.p. at 7.000 rpm and the limiter operates at 7.700 rpm. There couple is 107 Nm at 3.400. There Caterham announces for 160 0-100 in 6,5 seconds and one maximum speed 160 km / h. For comparison: the 1.6-horsepower Ford Sigma 120 from the Roadsport accelerates to 100 km / h in 5,9 seconds and reaches 190 km / h.

Lever arm Speed black anodized metal is cool to the touch and requires some force to cut the threads first. As soon as the car starts to move, in the blink of an eye the second and third come. 160 have i deal very short To squeeze the maximum out of 80 hp: the second works great up to 70 km / h, then you need to put the third one, which accelerates to 110 km / h. Despite all the work of shifting gears and her physical drive, 300 meters is enough to fall in love into her and her moped. Up to 3.500 rpm it has a distinctive three-cylinder sound, but is difficult to enjoy as it constantly exceeds 5.500 rpm, where the deep barking high school graduation it covers it completely. The engine quickly revs up to 7.500 rpm and then slows down a little to the limiter. With such short gears, turbo lag will never be a problem. Between 65 and 100 km/h, the Seven 160 is a really fast car with an absolutely perfect power/traction ratio. And like the gearbox frame always keeps you busy.

UNDER SIMPLE CAR BODY in aluminum there is a standard Seven chassis, a chassis that's more than modified specifically for installation on 160 it looks like it was taken from the old seven. In fact, there are standard double wishbones at the front instead of the longer ones we're used to seeing on Superlight versions, which means that pavement denser. At the rear there is an independent axle with brakes instead of the de Dion bridge, which has been characteristic of the last seven. On the Caterham they made this decision because it is lighter, simpler, and cheaper. On smoother tracks, an independent rear axle is fine (ask Meeden, who has an old 369kg Caterham Fireblade with an independent rear axle), but on bumpy roads this can be a problem. Especially when the wheels are equipped bus more suitable for a toy car than a real car.

This basic XNUMX takes a while to get used to. Even after four hours with a baby engine which barks in fifth at 5.500 rpm, heating it burns my feet and now and then spins around to move everything, when the road goes into the mountains and I start to really pull it by the neck, I'm still a little in shock. While the Superlight is tough, manageable, and millimeter-accurate, the 160 is a bit rough, and the combination of an independent rear axle and suspensions more pathological makes you dance on the seat. On the roughest of roads, the jump from the rear of the seat is perfect for jumping on the tarmac of the rear axle. In the first few kilometers, the engine seems excessive even for the chassis, and 160 is almost frightening. It sounds absurd, but it is.

This initial shock, however, is like an ice shower after a hot sauna: it freezes your heart for a moment, but ultimately benefits only you. And after a few kilometers, the amazement disappears, and only the satisfaction that this car can cause remains. steering wheel... You finally relax, stop trying to rape her and rely on her reaction instead, work around curves using capture front and rear side and very little use of the steering wheel. This is the secret to having fun with Seven 160, but it takes time to learn how to use it correctly. The 160 always moves back a little, and at the beginning you try to get around the corner by drawing an arc, and instead you find yourself aiming straight at the end of the rope, possibly in a different lane. The rear axle "oversteers" the front axle more than necessary. When preparing for a corner, you have to take this into account by giving clean and minimal steering impulse, and when you open the throttle, you can throw the car on a real old school traverse with all four wheels. It is the best driving technique and the most satisfying. And all this without the limited slip differential, which is not found only in the turns of the hairpin in second gear.

The coolest thing about this ever-changing balance and the Caterham Seven 160's tendency to turn with the throttle instead of steering is its consistency. Thus, at the third speed it is 50 km / h, and at the fourth - 100 km / h, and the steering wheel only needs to make small micro-corrections in the balance of the car. Do you know the so-called "affordable performance" of the GT 86 or many compact sports cars? Compared to the Seven 160, the GT 86 is an ultra-rubber monster that needs to be run at much higher speeds to keep you awake and entertained. WITH Caterham instead, you have much more freedom. You can pull like crazy and never risk going off the road, you can hit the limiter in second and third places and use all the traction you can while other road users – including cyclists and bystanders – instead of sending you into this country, they greet you with their hand. It's an invigorating feeling.

But how long? That's the point. Can 80 hp – even though you only have to push 550 kg – to have fun and have fun on these beautiful mountain roads for more than a couple of days? It is not easy to answer this question. I like the delicacy of the 160 and the fact that it requires constant attention, the feeling you get when you go through a series of turns without even touching it. steering, even the need to use violence against her in order to get a good performance out of this. I also like the fact that he does not forgive your mistakes and that he enters into oversteer if you turn too fast or brake late. This is education in dynamics frame Of course, this is done in slow motion, but it is still a big problem - and going fast from 160 is not easy, especially compared to a modern compact wheel with good wheels and possibly equipped with stability control.

THERE IS STILL TIME when you want a more stable car, a little richer than capture and with much greater acceleration. On wet roads, the 160 is terrible in fast corners and a little unstable in slower corners due to differential open. I think it would be a lot of fun on a track day, but also a little frustrating if you had to drive through traffic. However, in general, on the road, it is fast enough and will never get bored. And it also has that wonderful retro line ... It doesn't have that unique Morgan 3 Wheeler look (how could that be?), But it is much better on the road and is much more balanced.

So yes, 80 hp. enough to have some fun! This machine, by pushing you to always do your best, engages you to the point where it is impossible to even think that you are bored. And with that kind of character and that kind of driving style, you can use it every day. There is only one problem: 160 costs 21.530 euros including assembly. If you add paint body, equipment for bad weather (windshield, door, roof) and heating, everything is optional, price salt. And here it is for one Seven finished, dyed and usable twelve months a year, it costs over 26.000 euros (currently at an English price). Not exactly a cheap car.

I still think about the price when I last ride with Seven 160 in the Black Mountains before returning home. It's a really perfect day for this car: the road and the breathtaking views in front of me are perfect. It is a sinuous black ribbon that rises along the side of the mountain, shrinking and crumbling at the top. Many corners are blind and often from a distance you get the wrong trajectory due to the panoramic openings on the side of the road. In many ways, this is the 160's worst nightmare: a bumpy paved road that shakes the independent rear axle, and blind corners that can force you to shift into the wrong gear. The road then opens up a few hundred meters, alternating with a couple of quick turns with good views and a long left that really tests frame.

By now, I am carried away by the seven and no longer pay attention to its continuous tremors.

Instead, I focus on shifting and braking to get into corners well and at the right speed, allowing the reverse gear to drive off but not allowing the tires to slip. This is amazing. In spite of drum brakesthen pedals the center is very responsive and progressive, the car only experiences understeer if you clearly miss a turn, and is very transparent in its actions through the steering and seat. Only the transition from third to fourth is a little disappointing, stifles the intensity of the serve and gives out the presence turbo.

There is some roll, the nose tends to drop when braking and the tires slip. I'm very focused on the road, trying to figure out which gear is right for each corner, but what amazes me most is how little you can use it. steering. Drawing a path with the accelerator is a lot of fun and a lot of fun.

But how much does such participation cost? Everyone will answer this question differently. Personally, I stopped worrying about what the 160 couldn't do and instead focused on its unique qualities that can be used every day on the road. Real luxury. And suddenly his business card price does not seem so high anymore ...