British car marque Caterham has introduced its lightest model yet. That’s no mean feat given that “these titchy two-seat sports cars have never been ripe for fat shaming”, says Rowan Horncastle on Top Gear. The new Seven 170 is “edging on anorexic”. It weighs just a little over 440kg, “which is about two times as heavy as the heart of a blue whale” or half that of an Alpine A110, a car held in high regard by automotive weight watchers. It is “ridiculously light” and this at a time when cars tend to be getting ever heavier.
The Seven 170 follows in the tracks of the simple Caterham 160 of a few years ago, and follows the same Japanese Kei car (the smallest road-car category in Japan) principles. Under the aluminium sardine-tin bonnet is a Suzuki K-car 660cc, three-cylinder unit, boosted by a tiny turbo. “In a world of 600bhp super saloons and 2,000bhp EV [electric vehicle] rocket sleds, the 170’s power and torque figures look like typos: 84bhp and 85lb ft, respectively.” Nor will you find anything in the way of driver assistance. “None. Zip. Nada.”
But it is precisely this paucity of power and weight that is the “ultimate expression of the brand”, says Curtis Moldrich for Car. It has the power-to-weight ratio of a daddy-long-legs. “It feels frantic and chaotic – but never slow.” But what the 170 lacks in horsepower, it makes up for in “visceral communication and fun”.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
This is also Caterham’s least-polluting car, delivering 58.4mpg and 109g/km of carbon dioxide, “which, given that it can hit 60mph in less than seven seconds, shows what saving weight and reducing frontal area can do for you”, says Matt Prior in Autocar.
The 170 comes in two flavours. There’s the S version that comes with the standard weather gear, heater and carpets. And there’s the more racey R, with its sports suspension pack, carbon fibre dashboard and composite seats. The S will set you back £22,990 (£1,000 more for the R) if you build it yourself. Caterham will do it for you for £2,395.
-
How much would it cost you to buy a house in Great Britain's happiest places?Average asking prices for a property in the happiest place in Britain are below the national average
-
How the Budget will hurt you: MoneyWeek TalksPodcast An Autumn budget podcast special episode, featuring MoneyWeek editors Kalpana Fitzpatrick, Andrew van Sickle and Cris Heaton.
-
8 of the best properties for sale with wildlife pondsThe best properties for sale with wildlife ponds – from a 16th-century house in the Ashdown Forest, to a property on Pembrokeshire’s Preseli Hills
-
Where to look for Christmas gifts for collectors“Buy now” marketplaces are rich hunting grounds when it comes to buying Christmas gifts for collectors, says Chris Carter
-
8 of the best converted industrial properties for saleThe best converted industrial properties for sale – from a Victorian railway station in Norfolk to a Grade II-listed former water tower with views of the River Alde
-
Review: Villa d'Este – a Christmas spectacle on Lake ComoTravel Villa d’Este, on the shores of Lake Como in Italy, is a magical place in which to celebrate the festive season
-
Aircraft leasing companies can lift investors' portfoliosThe aircraft leasing business is a safer way to cash in on air travel and its booming demand. David Prosser explains how it works and how to access it
-
8 of the best houses for sale with fishing rightsThe best houses for sale with fishing rights – from a Georgian property on the banks of the River Derwent, County Durham, to a restored mill house in Marlborough with fishing rights on the River Kennet
-
How dinosaur fossils became collectables for the mega-richDinosaur fossils are prized like blue-chip artworks and are even accelerating past the prices of many Old Masters paintings, says Chris Carter
-
Review: Stank House Farm – a cosy cottage in YorkshireTravel Stank House Farm is a charming holiday cottage in North Yorkshire, close to Bolton Abbey and several wonderful walks
