Caterham will launch its most hardcore road-going Seven ever at the 2013 Goodwood motor show. Called the 620R, the new range-topper develops 310bhp, and will hit 60mph in 2.79sec, making as fast as an a 691bhp Lamborghini Aventador.
The 620R replaces the R500 in Caterham’s range, and costs £49,995. The first cars will be delivered to customers later in 2013.
What powers the insane Caterham 620R?
Up front is the familiar Ford Duratec 2.0-litre petrol engine, now fitted with a supercharger to create 310bhp. That’s a massive 43bhp more than the already unhinged R500 Superlight, yet the 620R is just as lightweight, at around 500kg (hence the 620bhp-per-tonne figure referenced in the car’s name).
Gears are shifted via a sequential manual lever like the R500’s transmission. The fastest Caterham ever’s official top speed is 155mph.
So it’s just a Caterham with a monstrous supercharged engine?
It’s not that simple – Caterham has gone to work on the all over the Seven. The 620R has a gunmetal chassis, and a reshaped aerodynamic nose section, plus extra cooling via a large bonnet-mounted air intake. The car’s front track is wider than a standard Seven, with racing dampers used all round. Wheels are lightweight 13in items wearing sticky, track-biased Avon ZZR tyres.
But a Caterham Seven can’t feel worth £50k inside, can it?
This one might just do: those polished toggle switches are almost Pagani-like in their ornate design…
The 620R also has weight-saving carbonfibre dashboard panels, two carbon bucket seats, a racing steering wheel and competition-derived instrumentation with a digital speedo.
Sounds a bit hardcore to use on the road…
If the 620R is too hot to handle, hold on for the 620S. Caterham has confirmed it’ll launch a less focused version of the 620 later this year, offering the same mega-power engine but with a watered-down chassis specification.
>> Is the Caterham 620R the new ultimate track day toy? Add your thoughts in the comments below