Caterham undoubtedly makes some of the best driver’s cars that money can buy, especially if you’re trying to hit your local race track, or for those of you who want to keep a really special weekend car in your garage. However, if I can say one thing that’s certain about every single Caterham I’ve driven, they are perhaps not an ideal candidate as a daily driver. With a rather barebones interior and not a proper roof in sight, it’d take a lot of vitality to drive one as your day-to-day commuter car. Moreover, that suspension and chassis set-up is made for circuits, so it’s not nearly comfy enough for my harsh, local B-roads. On the bright side, Caterham has the answer!
The recently unveiled, limited edition Caterham Seven CSR Twenty was made as a celebration of 20 years of Caterham’s clever CSR chassis. The old CSR chassis is Caterham’s most advanced and road-compliant design, offering you that perfect blend of tarmac-tearing performance, yet it retains road-going comfort for all those made-in-the-UK potholes. However, if you’re planning on getting one, you may want to hurry, as Caterham is only making 20 examples of the Seven CSR Twenty for the UK. Each one has a starting price of £79,995, so you’d be wise to prep your wallet beforehand! And, Caterham is also making 20 more LHD models for the US market.
The Comfiest And Most Road-Focused Caterham Yet
For Caterham, the Seven CSR Twenty is a really big deal, as it’s their first-ever vehicle destined for the UK to be made at their new, multi-million-pound factory in Dartford. Among the more noteworthy highlights of the Seven CSR Twenty is the suspension. Up in the front, you’ll find a specially tuned inboard front suspension. This ought to offer you a sharper, more direct sense of steering, for a more engaging driving experience. Aside from that, it should give you a more composed, confidence-inspiring ride across varying road conditions. Meanwhile, on the rear, a set of fully independent rear suspension helps to maximise your rear-end grip and stability.
Yet, altogether, they both help to enhance comfort during those long road trips and even for a bit of daily driving. I don’t know how it’ll fare on some of the worst roads I’ve seen, but it might tackle the more uneven roads nice and steadily. Other than that, the all-new Caterham Seven CSR Twenty is powered by the superbly popular 2.0-litre Ford Duratec engine, which you might know from the Seven 420. It’s a rather modest engine, with ‘only’ 210bhp and 203Nm of torque. That should be good to handle a 0 to 60 mph sprint in just 3.9 seconds before it tops out at 136mph. All that power goes through a slick, old-school 5-speed manual transmission.
Focused & Lightweight Chassis, With Tried & True Design
Given that the Caterham Seven CSR Twenty weighs merely 620kg, just a smidge over 200+bhp is more than enough to give it an exceptional power-to-weight ratio. Additionally, you might also relish the fact that it’s a naturally aspirated engine as well, with instant throttle response and linear power delivery. To ensure that you stop on a dime, some ventilated front discs and quad-piston callipers, in addition to the uprated master cylinder, the Seven CSR Twenty offer you an amazingly reliable and precise braking performance. Otherwise, with Caterham creating this new Seven CSR Twenty as an exclusive model, there’s a tonne of personalisation to go with it.
Some of the bespoke touches made just for this special edition model include a 620-style nose cone and front wings, as well as the two-tone Union Jack grille. Elsewhere, you’re also getting a Black Mohair boot and some weather gear, with a lovely set of 15-inch Vulcan alloy wheels. It also comes with Toyo Proxes R888R tyres, to boot! The new Seven CSR Twenty is paired with a couple of premium, high-metallic paint options, and other special highlight colours. You could also spec a few satin carbon fibre aero bits and interior trim. With a plethora of Alcantara and leathers alongside that, you could build a very specific Caterham Seven CSR Twenty just for you.
