The scythe swung by Caterham at its formerly sprawling Caterham Seven line-up is simple enough to understand once you’ve got your head round the new power-to-weight ratio badging system.
Then, as before, it’s simply a case of choosing which spec is right for you: standard, S or R. For many, it is the 270 range, a car which, to all intents and purposes, replaces the old Roadsport trim.
Caterham rarely shone a marketing torch on its easygoing mid-ranger because its pricier stablemates inevitably made for better television. However, more than Caterham a few buyers wandered into the dealership with an R500Caterham in mind, only to pedal out later on at the wheel of a mild-mannered Roadsport. It was the softer rump of the Caterham Seven, and with the S pack applied to the 270, you get much the same thing.
Then, as now, there’s a trusty 1.6-litre Ford Sigma engine up front, although Caterham says it has adopted a later-generation, clever-cam version of the familiar four-pot, which accounts for the modest difference in power over the now defunct Roadsport 125. Add the £2995 S pack to that and you get 14in alloy wheels, leather seats, carpets, a heater, the windscreen, hood and side screens, a Momo steering wheel and S-specific dials and gearlever.
Obviously, those looking for a more hardcore version, intent on tackling more trackdays then country roads can part with an additional £1000 over the S pack and get the R pack, which adorns the Caterham with a limited slip differential, a lightweight flywheel, sports suspension, uprated brake master cylinder and composite race seats.
