Anyone own or drive a Caterham/Lotus Super 7?
 

I have a huge itch to get a Caterham.

Driving or ownership feedback contrasted to a 911 greatly appreciated.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1275570043.jpg

Try exploring the lotus forum. It's a pretty cool site:

LotusTalk - The Lotus Cars Community

Always liked them, about 6 -8 yrs ago a local guy brought one to the shop (we are a fabrication shop, not automotive in the usual sense) to repair rusted tubes and brackets in the frame. There were a lot of suspect joints and rusted tube sections. we did a nice job for the guy laser cut sime replacement brackets, he loved it and we saw the car about a yr after and it looked great.

USE CARE in inspecting the frame, it is an amazing piece with the strength it has and when all is unbolted from it 1 man can lift and move / carry it around. Very light for what it does, there is no room for rusted sections or joints in the design.

Not about driving or owning but take a close look if you go down that road.

Regards

I have worked and driven Lotus 6s and 7 S1s to S4 cars and Caterhams when I was a college student in the late 80s early 90s at a place called New England Classics in Stratford CT. The best cars are the S3 and the Caterhams. None of these cars are known for their build quality, they are raw and rough, but that said, raw and rough gives you an experience that leaves you smiling. These cars handle very very well, and on the track there is not much that can keep up with them. Their biggest flaw is the lack of down force at high speeds. Those fenders shown want to lift the front end up, but that is really once you are over 100 or 110mph. I have driven these cars at Lime Rock in CT and you can go flat out every where except at the end of the straight into Big Bend (and I always chickened out on the down hill onto the straight and lifted at the top of the hill). Great track cars.
On the street they are lots of fun, you can reach out at a stop light and touch the road with your palm. We used to drive with dealer plates and no windshield on the Marrit Parkway with the center of the wheels of the cars we were passing at eye level.
I have never driven the later Caterhams with the Ford twin cams, they must be over the top quick.
This is the only car I would consider trading my 911 for (don't for get that my 911 is probably worth 10-12K). Just keep in mind the 911, is much more usable, and wife friendly and the most modified racing 911 is as comfortable as a stock Lotus 7. You need to get into these cars by stepping on the seat that is mounted to the 1/2 inch off of the floor, then lock your knees and slide your feet into the smallest foot wheel. If you have shoes bigger than a size 10 it is going to be really tight. You wear these cars more than you sit in them. Getting out is a matter of pulling yourself out and I heard someone say it's easier to fall on the ground than to get into these cars.
Once you are in the controls and steering are world class. The shifter is tight as a cats ass and every thing is instantaneous. You will scare the crap out of yourself and any passenger, and want to do it again and again. I would say the experience is like that of Jeremy Clarkson and the Ariel Atom. YouTube - Top Gear - Ariel Atom - BBC

I was taken for a ride around an auto-x track during the fun runs at the end of the cross and all I can say is wow! I could not believe how well this car handled, plus how quick they are.
I had the pleasure of getting in and out of a lowered viper for two years and that was fun when you are 6-4 and the exhaust pipe runs down the side rocker and it's about a foot wide, but getting in and out this thing was almost comical for me. When you stand next to one you kind of think "really, I'm supposed fit in that thing, but once you are in its all worth it?"
Are those old a008 tires?
I have not owned one, but I would think it's a tad extreme to have one of these cars and expect to drive all that often. My 911 has a roof, is easier to get in and out of, but it's also a hassle to drive at times. Owning one of those cars would be fun as hell if you lived on a mountain where you could drive the piss out of it. I can drive my 911 to work, but I would not feel confortable driving that car and parking it for 8 hours.

Alot of this feedback is really ringing true for me. With a busy family life, I only get out for 60-120 minute blasts every week or so during our short summer. In a Super 7 I think I would amplify the experience a lot more.

My 911 is of course a thing of unquestionable beauty, but some days I think the grins per minute would be higher in a super 7.

Also, I'm part british so the heritage think pulls at my heart strings.

Foregive me.....

Scratch it! :D

Think of it as a motorcycle and not a car and then you can live with its shortcomings.

Like most things Lotus, I love them, but I can't fit in them ;)

go to my web page, Sevens & Elans, Ltd.


A person of 6'7" +250lbs will fit into an SV. The CSR on my web page has just been fitted with a sequential 6 speed dog box, 0-6 should be 3 seconds.
chris

Hi, I run a school at the circuit here in Bahrain. We have 9 Caterhams (wider chassis) with the De Dion rear suspension and Duratec 2.3 engine.
They are great cars to have some fun on the circuit but I would never consider driving one on the road with traffic. Also I would not dream of driving one without the full cage. The chassis isnt the strongest thing in the world and I've seen what can happen when you hit something solid.

If you do go for one make sure you get the drysump system. I've seen loads of engines go bang without it.

Maybe you should buy a Maxton instead. See Maxton Rollerskate Home Page

The maroon car on the title page is mine. The combo of 200+ hp and 1,700 lb is amazing, especially combined with a race-type frame and suspension. It's the most nimble road car I've ever driven. They made about 50, and you can find a good one for about $15K.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1275583132.jpg

Frank

Thanks

I'm going to have to keep an eye out for a local car or a US import of 1995 or older in order to avoid the Canadian govt import car rules.

If you're thinking about building one, check out the Flyin Miata Westfield:

Flyin' Miata : The Westfield

I think every car enthusiast should have a seven. :)

I will have one until I can not get into it or more probably out of it. The motorcycle analogy is close. Very, very quick up to the point drag becomes an issue.

The USA7s site if you have not already found it is a great resource. USA7s - Powered by vBulletin

A group is getting together in August in Monterey and driving up the coast. USA7s meet in Monterey? - USA7s

My toy when it was clean:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1275609672.jpg

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I built my Caterham back in '93. It's a great car and has surpassed all of my expectations. It's still a thrill to drive all these years later. I've actually considered selling because we bought our vacation/retirement home where we spend almost every weekend, leaving no time for the Seven. It's real hard to let go of it though and I can't seem to get serious about selling. Anyway, by all means get yourself a Seven at some time in your life as you certainly won't be disappointed. After a drive in the Caterham my old '88 911 felt unresponsive, heavy, and clumsy. This isn't a knock on the 911, it's just that the Caterham is so light and precise.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1275615351.jpg

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1275615380.jpg

If you are interested in a budget version check out "Locost super seven" .I built one as a high school shop project several years ago. I would use a Miata doner car if I did it again.

be careful with it in traffic people will look out thier side window and not see you and drive right over top of you

Good quote! Drove a few, definitely a blast but if there is two people going anywhere, you will be hard pressed to find a place for a change of underwear.... never mind finding a place for the beer. I can't remember about the newest one I drove, but the older model didn't have a place for your left foot if it wasn't on the clutch.... a dedicated "twisties" machine for sure.

This is a car that I have been mildly obsessed with. I have been looking at these for a long time. Read the stuff on Lo-costs...read the how to build them books....etc.

They are awesome.....from what I have read.
I have never sat in one though. At 6'2" and 250lbs I don't know if I would fit.

I'm 6'4". I have often thought one of these cars would be fun, but my forehead would be raw from hitting all the bugs with my head sticking up over the windshield. However, I know a guy who loves to drive his bug-eye Sprite and he is 6'8"!

Being tall surprisingly isn't an issue, as they have tons of legroom. Chris Tchorznicki of Sevens & Elans is 6'3"-ish and fits just fine. I'm 5'7" and have to have the seat all the way forward for a comfortable driving position. A problem is if you have wide feet, as the pedals are very close together and hitting the brakes and throttle at once is too easy to do.

Twobone: I had one in high school for a year, since my father owned a British repair shop. It's not a fun car in wet or cold weather, but you will fall in love with it time you take it up a canyon road. And at an autocross what a blast to drive. It's a true sports car, with little in the way of comfort. But next to my Sunbean Tiger the best sleeper I ever owned; and would buy it back in a second! You want it in British racing green and in you face yellow!
Hope you get one, a true motoring legend!
Art

You know you want one....

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Seven heaven
 

Seems weird posting these on a Porsche forum but, what the heck...
My shots from the 2009 Equinox Hill Climb

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1275710921.jpg
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They are fast and fun to drive, 2 out of 3 isn't too bad.

My Father in Law has one (and a 993) super fun car to drive, amazingly impractical, and uncomfortable for long periods of time however.

Here I am with my son after a nice drive (in Japan).

BIG SMILES

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1275746713.jpg

awesome video
 

Huge respect for that driver!

I shouldn't be surprised by the correlation of 911 and super 7 owners.....

I hope to join this group soon

dan79brookyn,
Looks like you and your son had a blast in your Super 7!

ERH,
About the video, what happened at 2:11? Why did the Super 7 driver had to fight for a second to keep the 7 straight right after he got passed? Did he hit a bad bump? You can tell the Super 7 has great handling.

At about 1:50 he is getting air at Flugplatz with little drama (not being in the car). At about 2:12 he goes airborne again and I have been told that is a combination of a slight hill and perhaps more importantly front end lift at 150ish MPH.

Here is the view from the Porsche:
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For the hard core Houston to San Francisco with a group of Sevens in 2005.....
USA2005 - An American Roadtrip

I met them in Vail. It was truly a great trip. If you are happy touring on a motorcycle you will enjoy touring in a Seven.

Ed

Its one of those cars I would love to drive. Years ago the mechanic I used had one in which he put a 911 engine in it, he used for SCCA AutoX, the oil tank pretty much sat in the passenger seat. Joked his oil temp gage was his hand reaching over to the filter.

I have a 993, and a Westfield. Se7ens (the generic term for cars inspired by the Lotus Seven) and 911s make fantastic stablemates. Both cars have great turn in and beg you to use the throttle when cornering. Although with the Westfield, there is a delicate balance between using the throttle to plant the rear end and using it to invoke power oversteer in almost any gear :) The two cars also share similarities in that they aren’t for everyone, but if they are right for you, it’s an unholy connection. As ERH wrote earlier, I’ll have one until I can no longer can get out unassisted.

As for safety, before I bought mine, I thought I would avoid freeways, and only use it on weekends to blast down winding roads. Turns out I was wrong. Freeways aren’t a big deal, I take it to work on nice days, and use it as my weekend runabout, including trips to the grocery store and Costco (although not when I’m doing a lot of damage to the debit card). Think of it like a motorcycle that’s a lot harder to tip over at a stop light. Comfort isn’t an issue for me – in fact my wife and I did 4000 miles in two weeks in the car a few years ago.

Definitely check out usa7s.com if you are interested in learning more about the cars. Good community with helpful folks.

http://john15.web.officelive.com/Doc...3westfield.jpg

-John

Joh is that a Westfield (Miata powered)? Right now it seems like that is the only want to get into a Seven up here in Canada.

Did you build it up from a kit or buy it used?

Feedback on complexity of the design?

My current thought is to buy the kit, take it as far as I can and then hire my friendly mechanic to take it to completion including the drivetrain install.

PS. I love that picture....it perfectly captures my automotive day dream....except mine has my kiln red 84 carrera fronted by a British racing green Westfield

No, it’s their standard kit, not the Miata SDV, and is powered by a 2.0L Duratec with various Raceline bits. The car has had two lives. One, when it was purchased used from a friend (original owner) and the second when it was rebuilt from a kit.

It started out as a crossflow-powered car built by the US distributor for magazine tests (it was the test subject in the 3/96 issue of Road & Track). About 7 years ago I tore the car completely apart and rebuilt it with all new parts with an aim of making it lighter, faster, and more focused. About the only pieces that carried over were the frame, rear suspension arms, F&R uprights, driveshaft, rear brakes, fuel tank, most of the wiring harness, and windscreen. Everything else, including the body, engine, trans, suspension, diff, front brakes, and interior were replaced. Weight went from 1405lb to 1238lb and power from 120hp to 210hp. It was such a massive transformation that I consider it my second Westfield.

I don’t think the cars are very complex to build. Most of the trouble I ran into was because I did a lot of non-standard things. Although the Duratec is now the standard engine in the Westfield (and the Caterham), I was one of the first to install the engine in a Westfield and one of the first to install it in a left-hand drive se7en. Consequently I was a bit of a guinea pig for some of the conversion parts and had to do a lot of extra work. I also deviated from stock in a lot of other ways (some of those are highlighted here) so it took extra time as I figured things out.

Unless you don’t have any mechanical skill, there is no reason you can’t finish the car yourself. Even installing the drivetrain is dead easy. It is not like a normal car – there aren’t a lot of pieces to remove, and everything is easy to reach. For example, last weekend I removed the wet sump to fix an oil leak. In less than an hour, I had the car on jackstands, engine hoist attached, starter removed, the block separated from the bell housing, and the old sump off - and I am a slow wrench. If you don’t have a hoist, you can buy one for <$200 and then sell it for $125 on Craigslist if you don’t want to keep it.

-John

Thanks John
 

Much appreciated John. Thanks for the inspiration!


I really wish Canada did not have such tight laws against specialty vehicle manufacturing. "Kit cars" are an absolute no-no up here. It sounds like Westield Mazdas via Flying Miatas have found a way around it based on the degree of Miata parts used. They have followed the lead of Factory Five Cobras in terms of compliance to Canadian regulations.

The North America distributor for Westfield and the guys at Flyin Miata are good people who provide great customer service, so you are in good hands if you decide to go that route.

I’m assuming you are already aware of Flyin Miata’s Westfield forum that focuses on the Miata-based cars, but you should also check out the WSCC forum for general Westfield info. It is a very active Westfield club in the UK with an enormous knowledge base.

-John

I own a 993 turboS and a Caterham Superlight R400. I use the 993 for trips across Europe, but I use my Caterham when I want max fun, including track days with the Porsche-club in Norway.
The Caterham weigh approximately 500 kg, and has 200hp (hence R400 - 400hp per ton). It`s extremely quick, and I urge you guys to buy one;)

If you are interested in a DIY version with a little different look you should check out this site.

http://www.exocars.net/

There are several manufacturers that create a similar low mass, high power car that would really scoot. I like the Nemasis single seater. I am saving funds to build my own Sonic7. Most of these kits use the Ford focus as a donor.

Very interesting...sub

I'm surprised that no one has posted this yet as a Canadian source.
Super 7 Cars Incorporated - Homepage