Caterham has been building its version of the Lotus 7 for a good few decades now. And this is the Seven Sprint, which marks the brand’s 60th anniversary of the Seven. The manufacturer says that it planned for this model to come out in the mid-1960s, but this was never to be a reality.
The Seven Sprint makes use of the same 60 kW three-cylinder engine with a manual five-speed transmission found in the Seven 160 model. What separates this from the 160, however, are the “nostalgic features” comes with it.
The chassis is powder-coated grey, to match the Series 2 Lotus 7, while the suspension and rollover bar pay tribute to Colin Chapman’s model. It can be had in one of six retro paintjobs (Cream, Mellow Yellow, Regency Red, Camberwick Green, British Racing Green or Misty Blue), with the original front wings, exhaust and taillamp designs being used. The wheels, meanwhile, are finished in a cream hue.
The minimalistic interior is just as retro and features a wooden steering wheel and a dashboard with traditional instrument clusters. Upholstery comes in the form of hand-stitched leather.
Caterham hasn’t provided any performance figures, but seeing that it uses the same layout as the 160, it should manage 0-100 km/h in just over 7,0 seconds with a top speed of around 160 km/h.
The Seven Sprint will be factory-built only and cost £27 995 (about R535 000, or R305 000 more than the 160). Just 60 units will be produced.
