Caterham Roadsport

[hardrockjock]

This caught my eye.......................

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/ ... ate/650469

[Cisco]

When I go out for a run in the Exige it makes me smile

When i go out for a run in the Seven it makes me laugh out loud...every time

Go for it.

[fd]

A Caterham is by far the better track car, an Elise is by far the better road car, but the Caterham is the better handling car of both and easiest and most forgiving to drive .. Choose your compromises

Sent from my Nexus 7

[mark7]

My 7 is too slow for the tracks like KH, but is very compliant on the road as Martin should remember from our Lochinver pie run a few years back. At Kames, even with me a the wheel, it amazed the VX contingent.

The 7 has a heater that works too, which is more than can be said for my S2. Nobody has mentioned that maintenance/up-grading the 7 is much cheaper, depreciation and insurance are also less.

Security and space of the Elise are a little better, but my S-type seats and standard billies on the 7 are more comfortable combination than my standard early S2 sports tourer. Westfields come with locking boots - though they don't look very secure - and I wouldn't drive one without upgrading the roll bar first. A lot of Westfields have foolishly small tanks, making logistics of blatting up north more important.

As we are getting older, long weekends in the 7 are harder to justify to the missus than in the Elise. Even as a 7 fan I have not managed to copy Jason's Alp exploits in the 7, but we have enjoyed a couple of 2k camping trips to the Picos in the Elise - sometimes wishing I was in the 7 when I was there mind you.

Finally I agree with Frank regarding smiles vs laughs.

[Lazydonkey]

My 7 is too slow for the tracks like KH, but is very compliant on the road as Martin should remember from our Lochinver pie run a few years back

That was a brilliant day... Although scarily its coming up for four years ago. Gulp.

I vividly remember each gear change... And my god there were a lot.

[jason]

My 7 is too slow for the tracks like KH, but is very compliant on the road as Martin should remember from our Lochinver pie run a few years back

That was a brilliant day... Although scarily its coming up for four years ago. Gulp.

I vividly remember each gear change... And my god there were a lot.

Remember it too. That was an epic day's blat for expensive pies!

[ryallm]

I reckon every petrolhead should own a 7esque car in their life, so go for it I had a Westfield for a while, and reckon I will have a Caterham SV or CSR at some stage.

Worth pointing out though that the very exposed feeling you get in a 7 with the doors off or even more with aero screens is not for everyone. For some this is the very essence of the appeal, but others just don't feel comfortable with it. Sorry to add a boring note, but when I had my Westfield the safety aspect did concern me a bit, especially the total lack of side protection. It is easy to be all hardcore and say this doesn't matter, but the fact is that I know of several SE members who have survived major road shunts in an Elise/Exige/340R which could well have proved fatal in a 7. I am probably less risk averse than most (see avatar), but the thought of the consequences of meeting the scenery in my Westfield still did niggle me a bit.

Mark

[rossybee]

Yep, that cannot be denied, a certain stretch of road between Blairgowrie and Bridge of Cally which I used to regularly frequent had a wire fence to stop you falling down the embankment into the river, reminded me of a cheesecutter, sure to behead you with 490kg of aluminium and carbon fibre pushing you on....but a full cage would negate that risk

I must stop talking about 7s now, as it is affecting my perusing

[Andy G]

7's are a lot of fun. You just need to be sure you want that level of extreme - there's not many cars that make an Elise look easy to live with

Have to say dont miss my R400, and not really using my Atom either - but on that right road on the right day, there's nothing I can think i'd rather go for a blast in.........

(apart from maybe the Gt3 round the ring) (gearing the R400 was too short for the Ring - the Atom was awesome though)

[Gooldie]

7's are a lot of fun. You just need to be sure you want that level of extreme - there's not many cars that make an Elise look easy to live with

That's exactly why I think it will be good to hire one for a weekend, rather than just get seduced by a quick test drive.

[scottishselise]

Some good advice thank you, I was actually expecting people to say caterham was miles better, faster more fun etc. not going to rush into this one like I have done with certain other cars. Not going to rule out an elise so will keep an eye out if anything interesting pops up.

Have a road trip planned with friends for 1st weekend in May and plan is to go up to Tongue for the Saturday night. So have contacted open road hire in Elgin and the plan is to hire a Caterham for the 2 days to get a feel for them, hopefully that should give a better idea if it is right for me.

Do u know u can hire them from openroadhire in Perth??...I mean Elgin.....


I'm sure there was a place in Perth...

[Stevoraith]

Some good advice thank you, I was actually expecting people to say caterham was miles better, faster more fun etc. not going to rush into this one like I have done with certain other cars. Not going to rule out an elise so will keep an eye out if anything interesting pops up.

Have a road trip planned with friends for 1st weekend in May and plan is to go up to Tongue for the Saturday night. So have contacted open road hire in Elgin and the plan is to hire a Caterham for the 2 days to get a feel for them, hopefully that should give a better idea if it is right for me.

Do u know u can hire them from openroadhire in Perth??...I mean Elgin.....


I'm sure there was a place in Perth...

The guy in Perth sold up last year to the guy in Elgin.

[Gooldie]

Would have been far handier if they were still in perth, but yes your correct now based out of Elgin.

http://www.highlandcaterhamhire.co.uk/

[point n squirt]

I spoke to the chap that owns that when thinking about TT12 just to let you know there is a deal to be done on price vs mileage/length of hire just not good enough for the miles i needed.

[tonyg]

As per previous posts you'll have to try one.
Once you have tried one,nothing is ever as responsive - they only weigh two thirds of what an elise weighs.

The thing to remember is despite previous comments se7ens are stronger than you think - example (admittedly with a roll cage) here -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FE_N7oIPvc

Yes there's little or no side protection, but there's not a lot of space to hit, you'ld have to be pretty unlucky to be hit square on the side without the rear wheel being hit first (goes to find some wood to touch).