► Retro motorsport-inspired Seven
► Limited to 60 cars only
► Single- or two-seater versions
TVR’s new Griffith isn’t the only reborn British sports car to be revealed at the 2017 Goodwood Revival. This is the Caterham Seven Supersprint, a vintage motorsport-inspired Seven limited to only 60 cars – a number that coincides with the Lotus/Caterham Seven’s 60th anniversary.
I’m getting déjà vu here… wasn’t there another retro limited-edition Seven on sale recently?
You’re thinking of the Caterham Seven Sprint, launched exactly 12 months ago. That too was limited to 60 cars, and sold out within a week, making it fastest-selling Seven yet. You can read Ben Whitworth’s review of the Seven Sprint here. The new Supersprint ‘bookends’ the Sprint, says Caterham, to conclude the 60th birthday celebrations.
The new (old?) Supersprint follows a similar recipe to the Sprint, but this time with a motorsport-influenced vibe. The 660cc Suzuki-sourced three-cylinder engine under the louvred bonnet has been tickled up to 95bhp, and a choice of six paintjobs are offered, each with a ’60s racing-style noseband, as follows:
- ‘Aintree’ – dark green with orange noseband
- ‘Hockenheim’ – silver with red noseband
- ‘Imola’ – red with white noseband
- ‘Watkins Glen’ – white with Gulf racing stripes
- ‘Dijon’ – navy blue with white noseband (pictured)
- ‘Zandvoort’ – light green with black roundels
Cut-down ‘Brooklands’ aeroscreen, skinny cycle wings and whitewashed 14-inch steel rims make it look a little like an old Lotus Six club racer. Brakes are discs up front and drums at the rear. A full windscreen and hood is an option.
Single-seat and two-seater versions available
Continuing the racing theme, the Supersprint can be ordered as a single-seater, with a tonneau cover in place of the standard passenger seat – but it seems a shame not to be able to share the fun with a passenger.
However many seats are fitted, they’re trimmed in quilted and stitched tan leather.
‘The driving experience puts you straight behind the goggles of Stirling Moss and Innes Ireland’, says Caterham’s technical officer Simon Lambert.
How much is the Caterham Seven Supersprint?
That’ll be £29,995 on-the-road. A limited-slip differential is standard, along with Bilstein dampers, four-point racing harnesses, a heater and 12V socket, and a final neatly retro touch – a 12-inch Moto-Lita wooden-rimmed steering wheel.