Caterham Seven 620R (2014)

Caterham Seven 620R

Caterham Cars will launch its most extreme Seven to date at the 2013 Goodwood Festival of Speed.

As the lightweight sportscar manufacturer celebrates 40 years of developing and building the Seven, Caterham is re-inventing the already enviable parameters of its iconic model, with the Seven 620R setting a new benchmark in outrageous performance.

A newly-engineered, two-litre supercharged Ford Duratec engine pumps out 310bhp, providing even more of a kick in the back for the driver and propelling the Seven 620R from 0-60mph in under 2.8 seconds.

Priced at £49,995 (incl VAT) fully built, such extreme performance, pushing on to a top speed of 155mph, will put the 620R at the top of the current range, replacing the legendary Superlight R500.

Caterham F1 Team driver Charles Pic will drive the 620R up the famous Goodwood hill at the 2013 Festival of Speed, as will Caterham F1 Team reserve driver and Caterham Racing GP2 driver, Alexander Rossi.

A static version of the new car will also feature on Caterham's Festival of Speed stand, along with other performance vehicles from across the Caterham Group.

Caterham Cars CEO, Graham Macdonald, said: "The 620R is the most hardcore production Seven ever built for the road.

"The R500 claimed its place in motoring history as a benchmark for lightweight sportscar performance but this new vehicle pushes the boundaries even further.

"While I wouldn't necessarily recommend this car for those inexperienced in driving Caterhams, we always ensure that even our fastest cars retain the manageable delivery of power that makes them accessible, despite the daunting statistics."

The 620R is diametrically opposed to the new ultra-efficient, affordable entry-level Seven that will sit at the opposite end of the range when Caterham unveils it in Autumn this year.

Like all Sevens, the 620R adheres to Caterham's brand mantra of delivering 'accessible fun' and the traditional Caterham minimalistic, lightweight approach to the engineering of the car is ever-present.

As well as producing more horsepower and torque than any previous incarnation of the Seven, the 620R also benefits from several other new enhancements.

The car features a unique gunmetal chassis, an air-flow optimised nose cone and a race-developed cooling package. De Dion rear suspension and wide track front suspension units are complemented by high-performance dampers all round, while the car sits on lightweight, 13" alloy wheels fitted with track-inspired Avon ZZR tyres.

In the cockpit, there are more noticeable improvements, with features including performance-focused instrumentation and ergonomic switchgear.

Meanwhile, carbon fibre interior panels and dash plus carbon fibre race seats and a Q/R race steering wheel complete the sports feel to the interior.

"The Seven 620R is an extreme piece of kit," concludes Macdonald. "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 620R will be an enormously rewarding, fun car to pilot."

While the launch edition of the Seven 620 features the sportier 'R' pack, a slightly less hardcore 'S' pack, which harnesses all the power of the original but offers a little more accessibility will be launched in late 2013.

Caterham Seven 620R Specification

• Suspension
  • Front: Adjustable double wishbone with roll bar
  • Rear: De Dion axle located by lower A-frame and Watts linkage
• Brakes: Twin circuit split front/rear with low level warning system. Discs front and rear
• Steering: Rack and pinion, 1.93 turns lock to lock
• Wheels and Tyres
  • Front: 6J x 13" AVON ZZR
  • Rear: 8J x 13" AVON ZZR
• Engine: 2.0-litre Ford Duratec (supercharged)
• Max Power: 311 bhp @ 7,700rpm
• Max Torque: 219 lbs ft @ 7,350rpm
• 0-60mph: 2.79 seconds
• Top Speed: 155mph

Standard equipment

• 6-speed sequential transmission with flat-shift
• Limited slip differential
• Unique gunmetal chassis
• Carbon-fibre wings
• Air flow optimized nose cone
• Race developed cooling package
• De-Dion rear suspension with high performance dampers
• Wide track front suspension with high performance dampers
• Ventilated front discs and quad piston calipers
• Carbon-fibre interior panels and dash
• Carbon-fibre race seats
• Lightweight 13" alloy wheels with Avon ZZR tyres; 185/55R13 front and 215/55R13 rear
• 4 point race harness
• Q/R Race steering wheel
• High performance focused instrumentation and ergonomic switchgear
• Toggle switch ignition
• Immobiliser
• Sequential shift lights
• Carbon aero screen
• Black pack