► We drive the all new Caterham 620S
► 310bhp, 610kg and a manual box
► It’s still a bonkers machine
The 620s is the house-trained, road-biased version of Caterham’s 620R. That’s the one with a power-to-weight ratio to outpunch a Veyron, and one of the most frantic, frenzied driving experiences there is. But also one of the most draining. In the R you need both hands to shovel its sequential gearbox into reverse, ditto on the keyring-sized steering wheel to keep it on the road, and with a tiny wind deflector in lieu of a proper screen you can’t drive without a crash helmet unless you have a face made of Kevlar. Hard-bitten trackday types only need apply.
With windscreen, side screens, hood and heater, the 620S invites everyone else to join in the fun. Caterham’s also fitted a less hyperactive suspension set-up, with reduced camber at the front and more forgiving spring rates, switched the flat-shift sequential ’box for a slick, user-friendly H-pattern and the semi-slick tyres for (slightly) deeper-grooved ones. The carbon dash, uprated brake master cylinder and limited-slip diff remain, as does the buzzy supercharged 2.0-litre Ford Duratec’s mildly ludicrous 310bhp output. All in, it’s around 65kg heavier than the R (at all of 610kg), and £5k cheaper.
It still costs nearly £45k, a price that doesn’t quite tally with the almost comically terrible ergonomics – adjusting the seat means trapping your hand against a chassis crossmember, dipping the headlights is so fiddly it’s almost safer not to bother, and with half a century of development under the Seven’s belt you’d think they’d have worked out a way to give it self-cancelling indicators by now.
But within a few metres it’s hard not to fall under its spell. Snuggled into the chassis, wrists and telepathy guiding the front tyres out in the middle distance, driving a Seven is still a very special experience. Especially one this potent. We wonder if the car we tested was a bit down on power, as it didn’t quite jump time and space in the way you’d expect of a 310bhp, 610kg car, but it’s all relative. And potentially petrifying in the wet; fourth-gear oversteer is but a toe- twitch away.
Hood and side screens are a faff to assemble, but it’s kind of cosy inside them, like attacking a B-road from within a two-man tent. Heated carbon seats are even an option; it’s like
Caterham’s equivalent of an S-class. Rides like one, too – the softer road suspension is beautifully judged. Slightly less limo-like NVH levels, though. Despite a taller top gear than the R, there’s so much noise at a 70mph cruise that earplugs are essential.
Still, if you’re considering a 620S you probably know all this already, because I suspect it wouldn’t be your first Seven. A civilised version of a car that’s all about outright lunacy isn’t as odd an idea as it sounds. If anything, the S is even more thrilling than the R because it gives you easier access to its performance in a wider range of circumstances. But unless you absolutely must have the most powerful Seven of them all, lesser models can offer 90% of the thrills for less cash.
The spec: Caterham Seven 620S
Price: £44,995
Engine: 1999cc 16v supercharged 4-cyl, 310bhp @ 7700rpm, 219lb ft @ 7350rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual, limited-slip diff, rear-wheel drive
Performance: 3.4sec 0-62mph, 145mph, 30mpg (est), 220g/km CO2 (est)
Weight: 610kg
On sale: Now
Love: Old-school charm, you don’t need a crash helmet
Hate: Old-worlde ergonomics, you may want to wear one anyway
Verdict: Less frenetic than 620R, better for it
Rating: *****
Read more from the April 2016 issue of CAR magazine