Caterham Seven 620R: Super Seven, the craziest ever made - Sports Cars

In recent years Caterham a lot has changed.

Log in 1 formula gave more fame sign and a recent alliance with Renault Alpine for the construction of a new sports shows that ambition Caterham they go far beyond Seven.

Some projects of an English company (for example, a project of the future SUV) make fans turn up their noses, but when you come across one Katerham Seven 620R blue and orange will forgive you everything a la Caterham.

Extreme, almost insane

This model is the most extreme of a long and illustrious lineage of fools. Seven.

Moved Ford Duratec 2.0 with compressor developing 311 hp and 297 Nm of torque, the 620R has power density be the envy of a stick of dynamite.

To unload this good thing on earth, use six sequential gears flat shifting, allowing you to keep your foot off the gas when shifting gears.

Le front suspension with independent wheels with double overlapping triangles, bridge ion to the rear axle and shock absorbers Adjustable racing front and rear end gives the superb frame the tools it needs to make the most of the engine's power.

Not an ordinary seven

At first glance, Katerham Seven 620R it looks like another XNUMX, but with some very interesting details.

On a long muzzle one air intake additional. Two slanted ribs on the sides of the front serve to increase deportation while the suspensions have been studied in such a way as to reduce inertia.

I magnesium discs 13 inches packed Avon ZZRs with good grip give the 620R a race car look. convex ahead.

This instance has me points and the interior panels are all in carbon so this is what we could call one Seven full optional. It's perfect for the track, but not very road-friendly. But we are certainly not complaining ...

We plan to take her to Blyton Park for a few laps at a time, and then wander the back roads of Lincolnshire. But first, there is 130 km of the motorway ahead. Without windshield important to wear helmet if you want to avoid smudging the midges.

La Caterham Seven it's actually a kind of four-wheel motorcycle, but getting on the motorcycle is a slightly more complicated procedure: you have to climb onto the body and then let yourself fall into the carbon seat.

A matter of feeling

Feeling connected with Seven it is intense and instant.

Al steering wheel you feel like an integral part of the machine, and with i points so tight and enveloping and the seat is so laid back and close to the rear axle that you can hear every movement and vibration of the car.

Lo steering it's very physical, but with less than two turns (1,93 to be exact) to turn the steering wheel completely from side to side, just wiggle your wrist to handle most of the turns.

The drivetrain requires solid input, and gear changes are so fast that consistent seems to read your mind.

Il engine it's a miracle. L 'accelerator it is very powerful, but very measured, and therefore, even if the machine is over-reactive, once you get used to its reactions, you will be able to dose the gas with great precision.

We can and should because, to exaggerate, the rear starts sideways even in the first three gears. The gear ratios are long, very long, the first reaches speeds of up to 100 km / h, and the second - 132, at least according to digital speedometer.

The speed at which these gears absorb the road is the best proof of the 620R's incredible acceleration.

performance

La Caterham she announces 0-100 in 2,79 seconds, and judging from our short experience with her, this is a very conservative figure.

Traction is the limiting factor at first, especially since there is no electronic means to keep the tires at bay if they roll. Even if we don't have any other data at this point, one thing is certain: 620R it is one of the fastest growing production vehicles in the world.

On country roads, where the asphalt is certainly not the best, the 620R is a rocket that catapults you to the other side of the straights with a crazy push.

After a second, the wheels are slightly skid to the stop. If you do the same in the third, the spins fly up and down as if nothing had happened, and the Avons cling to the ground like claws.

The suspension may be a little too stiff for these streets, but it absorbs even the hardest holes quite well despite the 620R being very lightweight.

Lo high school graduation the side is fifty centimeters from the driver, and this is another good reason to put on a helmet: the noise is unbearable without it. This limits your chances of disclosing correctly. Caterham 620R on the track (and, being careful, we probably stunned everyone within a radius of kilometers today), but still sound this is wonderful.

If you want a rough idea of ​​the soundtrack that accompanies the mad rush Seven, imagine the barking of a rally Ford Escort Gr.4 mixed with BTCC and add a compressor whistle. But if you really want to ruin the party, Caterham can equip the Seven with a silencer ...

Longing for the track

When we get to Blyton I'm not in the mood anymore drive the 620R on the highway because this is the only place where you can seriously untie it for more than a few seconds in a row.

A full tank of 98 octane gas to use up, VBOX, a beautiful day and the track are everything for us: we couldn't have asked for more.

Despite all this power and torque, Caterham 620R remains an intuitive vehicle to drive. She is completely transparent: she not only tells you what she is doing, but also why she does it, so you can adjust your input and always be the best in her.

Of course, with so much power and torque available, the throttle has an immediate and decisive influence, as does the steering on the trajectory.

The setup is very comfortable, however, with a very sharp front end and a lot of grip if you open up the throttle gradually. IN long relationship и engine gritty offers a lot of possibilities: in third, the 620R decisively pushes where with another car you should go second, while in second, it stretches more than expected and you still have a tachometer piece to use.

I brakes they are very powerful and sensitive and allow you to brake late and hard. It is a car designed and built by people who know what enthusiasts want.

I was afraid that this super-powerful motor was too strong for Seven and that would suffocate his legendary appeal, turning it into a car that is better suited for driving fast in a straight line than for fast cornering. But I am pleased to inform you that these concerns of mine were unfounded and that the 620R is very accurate and tidy, much more than I thought, perhaps for a seven with over 300 hp.

Its acceleration goes to the head, the adrenaline rush leaves shock and shakes with excitement. If you have addiction issues, beware of the 620R: if you try it once, you can never do without it.

What I like best about 620Rand what makes it so special, in my opinion, is that unlike other super-specialized tracks designed for the track, it allows you to go crazy among the curbs, but it is attractive and also suitable for the road.

If you put a windshield, doors and a roof on it, then you can easily go on a track day, ride the track and go home, take part in a race uphill on Saturdays and Sundays, put a bag and a tent in the car. and go hiking somewhere. That's the beauty of the Seven and what sets it apart from cars like the Ariel Atom, Radical or BAC Mono: it's aggressive but versatile.

Before driving the 620R, I thought that 60.000 euros is a lot for one. Seven, but after spending several hours with her on the road and on the highway, they are not even enough for me.

If there ever was a car that embodies the EVO philosophy, embodying passion, style and driving emotion, it is the 620R.