The least powerful Seven may also be the finest.
If you’re looking for a pared back, ‘pure’ experience aimed squarely at getting the basics of being a sports car right, you can’t go wrong with a Caterham Seven. The basic recipe hasn’t changed since Colin Chapman’s original Lotus Seven, and there’s a reason for that: it’s brilliant fun. While Caterham only makes the Seven, the line up of trims is a mess of numbers and letters. All you need to know is that the Super Seven 600 is the best yet fromt the tiny British company. Not the best because it’s the fastest, nor the most hardcore, but because it’s the most accessible.
Boasting a tiny 660cc turbocharged Suzuki engine with a dizzying 84bhp, the 600 will get from a standtill to 60mph in just 6.9 seconds and, with a tail wind and a light breakfast in you, will top 105mph. Obviously, with a tiny motor, scant bodywork, no roof, and no… anything it weighs practically nothing (Caterham didn’t provide an exact weight but sub 1200lbs seems realistic).
There’s little storage space, the heater is a push/pull lever hidden under the dash, and don’t expect to be, say, remotely close to six feet tall and have space. The 600 is only available with Caterham’s narrow body, perfect for slipping around town but only if you’re small enough to get in it. Oh, and the soft top is a pain to take down.
It is compromised in almost every imaginable way. That’s why it’s brilliant. When you’re wedged in the cabin and come to terms with the fact that your barrier to the outside world is a thin combo of metal and fabric there’s not too much to get your head around. Adjust your seat, twist the key, press the start button, and off you go.
One of Moto Lita’s finest wheels is perched jauntily on the dash. Its Smiths dials are bright, front, and center for ease of view. The five-speed stick is nestled neatly in the transmission tunnel, ready and waiting. Your feet may have an issue with the pedal box. Even with a pair of size nines clad in the narrowest shoes available (other than racing boots), room is limited down there. Space would mean more weight, and weight erodes fun, especially when the fun is provided by a motor dwarfed by a Big Gulp.
The stick is heavy. Real heavy. Despite being tiny and having a super short throw, it needs a proper shove to shift ratios. That may add to the ‘pure’ side of driving but there’s a fun:effort ratio to a great gearshift and the Seven’s ratio is off. The clutch, mercifully, isn’t too heavy, so once you’ve built up enough shoulder muscle for the stick you’ll have fun flicking up and down the cogs.
When you find yourself in a corner you’ll get why purists love Caterhams. Everything you do has an immediate and direct result, and there’s little forgiveness. It will not flatter you, and it feels so good when you get it right. If you’re nervous with inputs the front will feel twitchy and unhappy, but be smooth and purposeful and you get the impression the 600’s a pointy extension of your hands. The steering is unassisted, which is to be expected from something so basic, but without any real weight to carry it doesn’t make the steering heavy at any speed.
Its tiny motor may seem like a gutless wonder, but it really isn’t an issue. This is all about driving a car like mad but still being nowhere near losing your license when the tach hits redline in any gear. You’re treated to plenty of mechanical noises as you go along, but the highlight is the engine. The farty little three pot makes a pleasing noise, but there’s more to it. With a gas pedal that reacts to every millimeter of input, every time you lift off the turbo will happily chatter, making you feel like you’re in a tiny rally car.
Because it has slightly more power than a bicycle, you can push on the road without worrying it’ll overwhelm its rears and spit you into a ditch. The precise inputs mean you swiftly learn how heavy handed/footed you are, and you can refine how you drive until you’re merrily carving apexes with a ludicrous grin on your face. Sitting pretty much on its live rear axle (more powerful cars get fancier set ups, the 600 keeps it simple) means you can feel if the rear is misbehaving, while the front isn’t too far away either so you can make any course corrections necessary and not worry.
Caterham hasn’t fitted super aggressive, mega hard sports springs to it, opting for something a little softer. You’re not going to be bounced up, down, and all around in it. Rather, the car moves with the road. Braking is assistance free, too, so you need to be mindful on wet roads, but otherwise they’re pretty solid. There’s not much to stop, after all.
It’s a tactile, engaging, exciting car without putting much at risk. It is still a Caterham though, which does mean that town driving, highways, and normal stuff can be a bit laborious. It’ll probably be a bit of a pain in the ass 95 percent of the time, though not as much as some of its stablemates. That last five percent will be some of the best fun you’ll ever have.
Keyword: The Caterham Super Seven 600 Is All Sorts of Wonderful