Lotus Club Queensland
Dedicated to the promotion and enhancement of the Lotus experience
Login
Register
  • Home
  • About Us
  • Membership
    • Member Login
  • Events
    • Calendar
  • Motorsport
    • Lakeside DTC Timed Laps
    • LAKESIDE DTC RESULTS
  • Magazine
  • For Sale
    • Merchandise
    • Classifieds
  • Posts
  • Galleries
  • Directory
    • Suppliers & Parts
    • Advertisers
  • Archives
7-sprint-banner

2017 Caterham Seven Sprint

Something Colin Chapman would recognise – and appreciate.

Handling: ★★★★★   Performance: ★★★★☆   Usability: ★★☆☆☆   Feelgood Factor: ★★★★★

By Ben Whitworth – Contributing CAR Magazine UK editor.

In 2017, the venerable Caterham – née Lotus – Seven will turn 60. Always keen to exploit a marketing opportunity, Caterham is marking the anniversary with this, the Seven Sprint. Chiming in with the anniversary, only 60 will be made.

Caterham has successfully recaptured the mood of the Swinging Sixties with the Sprint. The front wings, grey powder-coated chassis, chromed wheelcaps and bubbled rear lamps, wrapped up in a choice of yesteryear hues all sit comfortably together without the slightest whiff of retro cheesiness.

Ditto the cabin. Flip back the cream-trimmed vinyl roof and the delightfully thin Moto-Lita wooden steering wheel, red Muirhead leather dash and seats and chrome braceleted Smiths dials complete with coloured bands, all convincingly transport you back to those good old bad old days.

Does it come with a crank arm for hand starts?

Oh, you’re a card. No, don’t be fooled by the Sprint’s yesteryear camouflage – that heritage styling, chrome-and-leather detailing and bespoke paintwork is underpinned by Caterham’s nifty 160. So, no asthmatic 40bhp 1.2-litre Ford lump under that louvred bonnet, but rather a dinky turbocharged 660cc triple from Suzuki, a five-speed manual gearbox, wishbones up front and a live rear axle.

We’re very familiar with the 160 – we ran one a while back as a long-termer for a year – and dropping down into the Sprint’s plump seat and firing the thrummy three-pot into life brought back a flood of warm memories.

A 660cc engine? Surely it would be quicker to jog?

Suzuki’s K6A may only develop a modest 80bhp at 7000rpm and 79lb ft at 3400rpm but with just 490kg to push around, performance within its 100mph envelope is brisk and perky enough to instantly plaster a grin across your face.

The engine’s eagerness and mid-range zing is complemented by the snickety gearbox – you measure the throw of the chrome-topped gear lever in millimetres – while the wooden rim of the large-diameter wheel overloads your palms with front-wheel chatter.

What’s it like to drive then?

Despite those spacesaver-thin 155/65 R14 Avons, grip and traction levels are excellent. You can slingshot the Sprint through a string of bends at speeds and angles completely at odds with the diminutive deeply-treaded rubber at each corner. Like the 160, the Sprint encourages you to wring it all the time everywhere, and rewards you with an intensely visceral and engaging driving experience.

Despite that live rear axle and firm suspension set-up, the Sprint rides with an impressive compliancy – it’s only over really intrusive and abrupt bumps and lumps that the chassis bucks and moves about. Distilled automotive joy? We wouldn’t disagree.

Verdict

So, the Sprint is a great car to look at, and an even better one to drive – but you pay for the privilege. Even when viewed through the prism of the Sprint’s limited-edition collectability, nigh on £28k is a big chunk of money for a second car/toy/indulgence.

That hasn’t stopped all sixty models being snapped up, though, and there’s a waiting list for cancelled orders. But the news is not all bad if the Sprint features large on your radar – a ready-to-drive Caterham-built 160 is around £8500 cheaper than a Sprint. Using your imagination could save you a lot of money.

Specs

Price when new: £27,995
On sale in the UK: Sold out
Engine: 660cc 16v turbocharged 4-cyl petrol, 80bhp @ 7000rpm, 79lb ft @ 3400rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Performance: 6.5sec 0-62mph, 100mph, 57.6 mpg, 114g/km CO2
Weight / material: 490kg/steel
Dimensions (mm): 3100 length, 1575 width, 1140 height
Where to for Lotus in 2017? 2016 ICC Presentation

Related Posts

duratec-banner

Articles, Homepage, Technical

Duratec Elise – better late than never

marburg-banner

EMRs, Gallery 2022, Homepage, News

Marburg Pub Run – 4 Sept 2022

plus2-banner

Articles, Gallery 2022, Homepage, Technical

Unique +2 Road Trip to Brisbane

Random images

IMG_8785 lots-of-arm-folding waiting-for-rest-of-the-group 15-Seasoned-camper MG_6586 MG_6518 MG_8904 MG_8806 Ploughman_s_lunch P1020657 Shane-on-the-straight IMG_8730 IMG_4834 121_2144_IMG IMG_4494 IMG_4447 IMG_4410 IMG_7144 IMG_6870 image_215 _MG_9182 as Smart Object-1 IMG_3355 Lotus-Eleven-original Carolyn-Elisa-Craig Alex-Carol-Molocznyk Andrew chasing Tony gw_Greg Andrew-Martin Lunch Time Steve 20131005_174031 Giles returns Zaid Latif Martin and Rob dtc-8 Paul of Ormiston House with Steve & Clive Devonshire tea time Cameron Campbell-Brown - Special award 3442 Wades-Esprit-1 P1060072 main-8 Mar-main-94 main-26 Heading-to-OReillys-Mountain-Cafe Robyn-and-Chris Mike-G-and-his-Talisman- main-27 IMG_3743 2006_08_27_Gympie_Skid_Pan0090 IMG_6624 P1080273 P1080263 Ploughman's Lunch 1426856780_db91e674e6_m_1 IMG_9100 IMG_0431 img_0952 img_1062 IMG_3651 09c Doing_the_warm_up_lap Daryl_with_his_Cat A_happy_Cameron_with_Elise MG_4323 The-saddle-challenge P1060262 IMG_7483 P1020798 P1020733 P1090174 2008_06_22_13_15_28_0209 P9190094c1 IMG_5194 IMG_5155 IMG_0962 photo-15 IMG_20210925_095015 IMG_6424 the doctors are in fullsizeoutput_6568 image1-1 vyv-photo-5 Beechams 4 Jasons-Exige new-exedy-clutch 20211128_153058 mga A bit of Understeer Dick-and-Jon View-from-Blair-Athol-1 IMAG5981 Grantham parked Transport-Museum-1 Engine-starter-motor aston-martin-2 Pat Homeward bound main-70 IMAG6160

Recent Articles

  • Morgan Park Sprints R4
  • Kev’s Big Day Out
  • Duratec Elise – better late than never
  • Gold Rush Hill Sprint – 2022
  • Marburg Pub Run – 4 Sept 2022
  • Unique +2 Road Trip to Brisbane
  • Leyburn 2022
  • August 2022 DTC

Latest Gallery Images

20220220_093834 20220220_093818 20220220_093827 20220220_093743 20220220_093812 20220220_093730

Search articles by category

Archived articles

Lotus Club Queensland
© Lotus Club Queensland   |   Site by Black Eye Studios