Caterham’s heritage range is back with two cool kit cars that throw it back to the ’70s and ’80s: the Super Seven 600 and Super Seven 2000. These Lotus Seven-inspired kits offer retro touches like polished wood dashboards and classic colors with modern drivetrains, including one in the Super Seven 2000 that sends this pocket rocket from zero to 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds.
The new Super Sevens’ retro design nods are a callback to Caterham’s earliest days and are meant to celebrate the company’s upcoming 50th birthday. There are two flavors of Super Seven on offer now: the Super Seven 600, which is meant to be a pure, manual driving experience with a lower, more accessible power level, and the Super Seven 2000, which was made to satisfy the popular demand for more power.
The Super Seven 600 has a turbocharged 660-cc Suzuki engine good for 84 brake horsepower, but given that this is still a featherweight that weighs a little more than 1,100 pounds, it’s good for a nice zero to 60 mph time of 6.9 seconds when installed on the live-axle chassis the 600 shares with the Seven 170. The Super Seven 600 is available in only one standard size.
Yet it’s the more powerful 2.0-liter Ford Duratec-powered Super Seven 2000 that really catches my attention. With 180 brake horsepower, it can hit 60 mph in just 4.8 seconds. That time is from the Super Seven 2000’s de-Dion-suspension chassis that’s closely related to that of the Seven 360, although you can purchase a larger chassis for the Super Seven 2000 as well. The joys of kit cars, everybody!
It’s not all retro kitsch, though—the taillights are modern LED units.
These cars both ride on 14-inch wheels shod with Avon ZT7 tires. Options for the new Super Sevens include a limited-slip differential, and on the 2000, you can add an adjustable sport suspension package that also comes with a rear anti-roll bar, quad-piston calipers, and front ventilated discs.
These new Caterhams offer four exclusive paint colors that feel retro but have never been offered on a Caterham before: Ashdown Green, Fawn, Windsor Blue, and Bourbon. You can also add body-colored or gold alloy wheel centers to drive home the throwback vibes. As this is a kit car, there are a ton of options for customization inside the car, including the leather seats, carpet, and dashboard.
The new Super Sevens will launch in the United Kingdom first, and they’ll be sold there in both fully assembled as well as build-it-yourself forms. U.K. kit pricing starts at £29,990 ($33,973 U.S.) for the Super Seven 600 and £39,990 ($45,301 U.S.) for the Super Seven 2000. Pricing in the U.S. is yet to be announced, but Caterham did confirm that the Super Seven 2000 will not be available in kit form in the U.S. due to international laws. Sorry, American DIY speed freaks! You’ll have to wait for an assembled version.
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