Caterham 7 CSR - Exotic cars, exclusive cars, tuned cars, rare cars
Caterham 7 CSR - Exotic cars, exclusive cars, tuned cars, rare cars. Here it is necessary to do all most. At start to watch, that rear wheels have not broken in a slipping and were not blocked at braking that rear-drive the small animal in turning movement has not twirled in drift. ABS, ESP! Let alone safety passive: any pillows, any insurance! Many compare Caterham with cart. And we have gone further — and really them have compared, and is direct here, on proving ground. To us there has arrived one more lucky beggar — John with fighting cart the most powerful to UK of class KZ2.
Twelve years ago we already tested here classical version Caterham — Super Seven — with motor Rover 1.6. And now — Caterham 7 CSR: the body on 110 mm is wider, and under a cowl — 200-strong atmospheric engine Ford Cosworth Duratec in volume of 2,3 litres. But a chassis design almost the same, as fifty years ago when English designer Colin Chapmen has constructed the first Lotus Seven. In a basis — the tubular frame, a double cockpit will shift to a rear axle, a front suspension — independent, on double cross-section levers, and rear now completely independent. Wheels are taken out for limits of a body and covered by plastic side panels.
In England such cars can be bought «in a box»: you receive the complete set of details — and itself you assemble. About ten years ago there were attempts to deliver “box” and to Russia, but business has decayed: “box” managed not more cheaply, than the ready car. Therefore John has bought Caterham, already assembled in England. But it is better, speaks, assembled:
— When I have received it, at once villages and have gone. But have guarded knocks in a suspender and strange behaviour on road. It has appeared, threaded connections have not been tightened.
After such revelations to sit down a wheel was horror. But John has assured, that all has stretched and time and again. The main thing — to place itself in a cockpit. At the established roof at authors of these lines left nothing: in interior it was necessary to make the way through a window! Career of thieves - thief not for us. Then we have removed a roof, have pushed feet under a wheel, have sat down — and were surprised: Caterham not such and close! Yes, the left elbow sticks out of interior, right the range of unique longitudinal seat adjustment — simply huge rests against the passenger, but: having removed against the stop, the driver growth of 190 cm could not squeeze out a pedal completely! It was necessary to draw near on click a wheel. And the wheel has reminded electromobiles in a recreation park — its diameter only 280 mm. For comparison: diameter of a wheel a chart — 320 mm, and on the majority rear cars — from 360 mm to 380 mm. The lever of a six-step box is topped by an aluminium ball, before eyes unpretentious devices: The speedometer does not work (English assembly), and on the electronic odometer hardly 3000 km of run there are more. The motor pushes means, it is possible to start gaugings.
The first lumbago on road — and Caterham comes back «in boxes»: the arrow of temperature of oil has crawled to maximum 140°?. To improve a thermal mode of the motor, we remove protection of a crankcase and again we leave on the road, and in hope of a record: the acceleration time declared by the manufacturer to 100 km/h — 3,8 seconds!
We warm up tyres, we get used to short clutch pedals, we select optimum starting turns. Gauging. Getting under way about 5500 rpm, Caterham breaks with an easy slipping of rear wheels. One gauging, the second, the third … the Best result — 4,99 with. And the maximum speed has appeared below declared on 15 km/h — 210 km/h. But it without a roof. Perhaps the canvas top will improve streamlining and Caterham will rush faster? Can and will rush, but we have not learnt it — for the speed of 210 km/h the roof fixed by usual buttons has blown off. And without it it is unsweetened even for the speed of 140 km/h. Breaking about a flat windshield, air beats the driver at the left, and the passenger on the right. Near temples bullets the pebbles hoisted by front wheels whistle. Only in points and only in a helmet!
And charts? At the equipped weight about 100 kg and capacities of 45 h.p. it has typed one hundred for 3,82 with. But it — with a “short” final drive, because of what the maximum speed — only 115 km/h. The blessing, unlike the car, final drive replacement by a chart occupies minutes five: it only pair of “sprockets” of a chain drive gear. Grigoriev puts pair “more long” — and all the same overtakes Caterham: to 100 km/h — for 4,29 c, and maximal — 159,8 km/h. Even on the most smooth sites roads of charts skips a flea, and Caterham at the high sensitivity goes marvellously steadily. From a number it is abreast reconstructed quickly, but without frightening sharpness.
And if a tiny wheel to pull more sharply, simulating a bypass road of suddenly arisen obstacle? Till any speed Caterham goes as on rails, and then fails in the drift which corrections stirs … Is not present, the deprived hydraulic booster the wheel “does not shut up”: to the driver stirs own elbow — it rests it against a body edge. And still Caterham has passed on a trajectory for the speed of 84,5 km/h, and has passed without slippages. Because if the car will start to fail here in drift it you will not catch! Either pass — or a sharp turn.
Approximately as has led itself on “rerate” and charts. However, slender dimensions and tyres have deduced charts for record speed — 99,9 km/h! Consider, all hundred.
“Rerate”, dispersals … Not is elements Caterham! It was created as the car for a ring line, though and with possibility to move on roads of the general using. On them we also have reached an autodrome in UK.
Here Caterham — like a duck to water. Brakes are reliable and clear, the car perfectly costs on an arch, realising advantages 50 percent balance, is dashing passes hairpins, accompanying the driver easy drift on an input, and then allowing to supervise its “transparent” wheel. One circle, the second … the Fifth. It is felt, that is possible even faster, it would be desirable to be rolled, savour nuances …
Alas, the oil temperature has again spread upwards, even without crankcase protection.
But John is happy. It adds special oil litre (this litre manages to it in 20 dollars) and reflects on installation of the water-oil heat exchanger. By the way, tyres Avon too are time for changing, and it still a minimum of 1000 dollars and couple of months of expectation of delivery from England. Tyres after all exclusive — dimension unusual, a mixture soft. Something like rain tyres for the Formula.
Was than be engaged and to Alexander. While Cat?rham went on a line, it once again touched the motor a chart: after tests for proving ground because of non-uniform heating of the cylinder clinked the bucket, and on the first circles in UK has fallen off a spark plug electrode. On a partition has left half an hour, and Grigoriev left on a line — and “has there and then brought” Caterham ten seconds from a circle!
And all are happy. Especially John: at it after all it is not simple Caterham with the 125-strong motor for two million roubles, and 200-strong Caterham 7 CSR more than for three million! To all Russia last year was only the two lucky beggars who have bought such cars.
Nameplate data
Parametres The car
Caterham 7 CSR200
Body type Cabriolet
Number of places 2
The sizes, mm
Length 3300
Width 1685
Height 1140
Wheelbase 2305
Track front/rear 1505/1465
Road clearance* 90
The equipped weight, kg 575
The engine Petrol, with the distributed injection of fuel
Arrangement In front, it is longitudinal
Number and arrangement of cylinders 4, abreast
Working volume, cm ³ 2261
Diameter of the cylinder/course of the bucket, mm 87,5/94,0
Number of valves 16
Max. Capacity, h.p./kw/rpm 200/147/7000
Max. A twisting moment, Nanometer/rpm 165/5750
Gear box Mechanical, 6-step
Reduction ratios
I 2,69
II 2,01
III 1,59
IV 1,32
V 1,13
VI 1,00
Final drive 3,62
Drive gear On rear wheels
Front suspension Independent, spring, on double cross-section levers
Rear suspension Independent, spring, on double cross-section levers
Front brakes Disk, ventilated
Rear brakes The disk
Tyres front/rear 195/45 R15/255/40 R15
The maximum speed, km/h 225
Acceleration time of 0-100 km/h, with 3,8
Fuel Gasoline 95—98
Fuel tank capacity, l 40
On “rerate” bad visibility became the main enemy of the driver: low landing — and the long cowl. Actually it was necessary to lay “route” on memory. In process of increase in speed struggle against sharp reactions began — Caterham demanded jeweler work as a wheel! And a wheel besides that “heavy” so also the left elbow continually “becomes isolated” on a body. Sharp turns on 180 degrees to avoid it was not possible, but and speed of “pure” pass has appeared high — 84,5 km/h.
But also this result grows dim in comparison with that it was possible to make on a chart: 99,9 km/h! However, at such dimensions it is possible to be developed and on 360 degrees, remaining within the marked corridor.
All cars Caterham exhausted today conduct the history from sports double-seater Lotus Mk 6 which has appeared in 1952, — it and became the first serial car of newly made company Lotus Engineering Ltd.
The design developed Chapmen, was simple. The body represented a steel spatial framework in weight only 25 kg on which aluminium panels have been hung. Behind — a beam axle, and a front independent suspension represented the cut half-and-half and fixed beam cut half-and-half on hinges from car Ford Prefect. Of 1,2 l (50 h.p.) and a three-stage mechanical gear box have been borrowed it R4 in volume.
From the very beginning Chapmen has decided to sell the cars in the form of assembly sets — in England such kind of sales was not taxed. But under one condition: on “whales-penalties” it was forbidden to apply the instruction on assembly! Therefore complete sets were delivered with the instruction on … to dismantling of the car which it was necessary to read upside-down.
In 1957 to public has been presented Lotus Seven. It was modernised Lotus Mk 6 with a two-lever front suspension and slightly changed design of a body. A year later there was version Super Seven with 75-strong engine Coventry Climax and a four-stage gear box, and in 1959 “seven” with engine BMC (43 h.p.) have started to sell in the USA.
The car was gradually modernised, though many changes have been caused only by desire to lower the cost price. So, in 1960 Lotus Seven S2 has got cheaper plastic side panels and a front part of a body, and at the most powerful versions front drum-type brakes have given way to disk gears.
In 1969 there was fast version Twin Cam Seven SS with engine Lotus 1.6 capacity of 125 h.p. — dispersal from a place to 96 km/h — for 6,2 with. Such cars it has been exhausted only 13.
But still in the mid-sixties over “seven” clouds have started to be condensed: Chapmen has lost interest to the car, having concentrated on more arrogant project — middle installed engine coupe Europa.
Last “present” Lotus Seven (version S4) has been exhausted in 1970, and in three years tax privileges for assembly sets have been cancelled. “Seven” manufacture has stopped.
The newest Caterham Superlight R500 is equipped with the two-litre atmospheric engine capacity of 263 h.p. and at weight in 506 kg possesses installed power per employee of 520 h.p. on ton. Dispersal from a place to 60 miles at an o’clock (96 km/h) — all for 2,88 seconds
All rights to the car have been bought by company Caterham which was engaged in sale of cars Lotus Seven since 1959. Assembly of model Seven S4 has renewed, but orders was a little, and in 1974 Caterham says goodbye to “plastic” car and renews manufacture of model of the third series which has received name Caterham Super Seven. First the car was an exact copy of a Lotus and was on sale with engines Ford and Lotus Twin Cam. The first serious modernisation has been spent only in 1982 when to please to tall clients the close cockpit has been stretched”on 6,35 cm at length. Hardly later the rear axle suspension of type De Dion with gear Uatta has been presented, and in 2000 there was body SV (Series V) with the cockpit expanded on 110 mm and together with him — an independent rear suspension on double cross-section levers.
Today company Caterham lineup consists of seven versions of legendary “seven”. Opens scale Caterham Classic with engine Rover K (1,4 l, 105 h.p.), and at top — facilitated Caterham Superlight R500 with motor Ford Duratec forced to 263 h.p. 2.0.
Remarks and licence copies of the “seventh” Lotus for its semicentenial history exhausted more than 160 firms, but only cars Caterham have the right to bear the stylised figure “7″ on radiator lattice.
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