When it comes to pure driving machines, very few can match the Caterham Seven . He was born in the distant year of 1957 — yes, you read that right — as Lotus Seven, the creation of the ingenious Colin Chapman, and if there is a machine that takes his principle of “Simplify, then add lightness” seriously, that machine is the Seven.
After the end of the production of Lotus Seven, Caterham Cars, which sold them, would eventually acquire the production rights in 1973, and since then it has been known as Caterham Seven, and has never stopped evolving until today.
However, its architecture and design have remained virtually unchanged since then, albeit with some variations — the tested 485 R, for example, is available with the slim chassis, directly derived from the original Series 3, as well as a wider chassis, the SV, which allows us to fit in much better in your minimalist interior.
The evolution made itself felt on a mechanical and dynamic level, having passed through the long hood of countless engines, from the Rover K-Series to the frenzied 1.3 of the Suzuki Hayabusa. The 485 R is no different. Motivating your meager 525 kg of weight — half of a Mazda MX-5 2.0 (!) — we found a Ford Duratec unit.
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Two liters of capacity, naturally aspirated, 240 hp at a shrill 8500 rpm, 206 Nm at 6300 rpm , and still comply with the latest emission standards. The manual gearbox has only five speeds, and of course, it could only be rear-wheel drive.
With so little mass to move it's no wonder it can reach 100 km/h in just 3.4s. Its “brick” type aerodynamics, on the other hand, means that the maximum speed does not exceed 225 km/h, but it is a value that ends up being irrelevant — “you don't have to go very fast to get high sensations”, as Diogo refers in the video.
And it's easy to understand why. Just look at it. The Caterham Seven 485 R is the car reduced to its essence. Even "doors" are disposable items. Soundproofing? Science fiction… ABS, ESP, CT are just meaningless letters.
This is one of the most analogue, visceral, mechanical experiences we are likely to have behind the wheel of an automobile. It's not a day-to-day car, clearly… Even so, Diogo didn't shy away from sharing some useful information about the Caterham's practical aspect: 120 l of luggage capacity. Enough for a getaway… to the supermarket.
The Caterham Seven 485 has two versions, the S and the R, which we tested. The S version is more oriented towards street use, while the R is more circuit oriented. Prices start at 62,914 euros, but “our” 485 R is priced at around 80,000 euros.
Is it a justifiable sum for such a…primary creature? Let's give the floor to Diogo: