Extreme Caterham hits 100km/h in 2.8s

CATERHAM is celebrating 40 years of the Seven track machine with a 230kW supercharged version that accelerates as fast as a Nissan GT-R.

With a zero-to-100km/h time of just 2.8 seconds, the mad Seven 620 R can snap at the heels of any supercar – and it manages the task with just 2.0-litres and four-cylinders.

This because the bantam-weight Brit weighs in at just 545kg, equating to a mammoth power to weight ratio of 422kW per ton – more than the mighty McLaren F1.

Carbon-fibre seats, interior and exterior panels, thinner gauge chassis steel and the absence of a windscreen all help to keep to lop the kilos, while a six-speed sequential gearbox and limited-slip diff deals with the 297Nm of torque.

Fords 2.0-Litre Duratec engine has been reworked for the Seven 620 R with the addition of a supercharger, and it can propel it on to a top speed of 250km/h.

Caterham is officially launching its “most extreme Seven to date” at the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend where it will be driven by Caterham F1 Team pilot Charles Pic.

Caterham Cars CEO Graham Macdonald, said: “I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this car for those inexperienced in driving Caterhams.

“The Seven 620 R is an extreme piece of kit. We know there is demand for cars that re-write the rules of performance and, if you’re brave enough to take it on, the 620 R will be an enormously rewarding, fun car to pilot.”In 2007, Caterham unveiled a concept car named the X330, which produced over 240kW from its larger turbocharged 2.3-Litre version of the Ford Duratec engine. But a production version wasn’t announced.

The new 620 R replaces the Superlight R500, which had a mere 196kW by comparison.