Caterham has announced the launch of a new standalone engineering business, Caterham Technology and Innovation Limited (CTI). The new company will develop a completely new line of accessible and affordable sportscars inspired by the lightweight, minimalist philosophy of the Seven. The new models will use technologies and materials from the Group’s Team Lotus Formula One and Caterham Team AirAsia GP2 motorsport operations. Also, CTI will work at advanced projects from both automotive and aerospace sectors.
"The new shareholders are committed to investing in an exciting range of global products over the next 10 years," says Mark Edwards, CTI’s Chief Executive. "Tony Fernandes has been very clear from the start that Caterham needed a sustainable research and development business model in order to meet the plans the management have for the road car business. By establishing unique operating principles for CTI, we have managed to attract a world-class team of niche vehicle engineers eager to build on the ethos of Caterham and the DNA of the Seven."
After a failed partnership with Group Lotus, entrepreneur and Team Lotus boss, Tony Fernandes, has recently expanded his automotive profile with the acquisition of British sports car maker, Caterham Cars. The official confirmation was given at a special event at Duxford’s Imperial War Museum. Both companies have a strong link to Colin Chapman’s philosophy of ’less is more’ and Fernandes’ opportunistic interest in road cars places Caterham’s unique Seven on a pedestal. Proof of that is in the new special edition Team Lotus Special Edition Seven created to start this partnership off on the right foot.
The only distinguishing features for the Team Lotus Seven will be its Team Lotus-inspired livery paint job with matching interior. The most important addition will be a plaque carrying the signatures of Team Lotus F1 drivers, Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen. Owners will also receive a Seven history book signed by chief designer, Mike Gascoyne.
Caterham managing director, Ansar Ali, said: "Caterham Cars is starting an exciting and hugely important chapter, so it’s entirely fitting that we celebrate our opportunity to take Colin Chapman’s ‘less is more’ philosophy global, with this special car. Owners of the Special Edition Sevens will have not only a fabulous British sportscar, but a genuine piece of automotive history in their garage."
The new Team Lotus Seven will be limited to only 25 units, each priced at £13,650 or about $22,500 at the current exchange rates. The package can also be applied to any model in the line-up, up to the top of the range Superlight R500.
The Lotus-based Caterham Seven has been around for quite awhile with the first sports car model setting its wheels to the road back in 1973. A lot has changed since then and Caterham is now up for the challenge of producing a speedier model derived directly from the race car that competes in the highly-successful Caterham Supersport championship. The new model is appropriately called the Supersport and can be purchased for £19,995 (including tax) in self-build form (about $32,600 at the current exchange rates).
Caterham Cars engineering director, Mark Edwards, said: "The SP/300.R was our first brand new model for 15 years. But the Supersport is all about our roots. The Seven was born out of motorsport and this new model illustrates the values – accessibility, affordability and unadulterated fun – that have made Caterham the iconic brand it is today and which will ensure the Seven’s continuing global success. We’ve built faster and more powerful accelerating cars before, but the Supersport’s character, value and low running costs have generated a machine that will excite sportscar fans, including those on a budget."
Hit the jump to read more about the Caterham Seven Supersport.
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The original Lotus 7 was a no nonsense, no frills kind of car. It was the epitome of Lotus founder Colin Chapman’s design philosophy, “Simplify, then add lightness.” The original Lotus 7 was a tiny little bugger. The Lotus 7 was powered by a small Ford-produced Inline 4 and it ranged in power from a meager 49 HP to a more robust 135 HP. The best part about the Lotus 7 was the fact that it weighed as much as a flea and it was astonishingly quick for the time, hitting 60 MPH in less than 7 seconds.
In 1973, Lotus sold the rights for the 7 design to Caterham who has been building it ever since. While Lotus has continued to build a number of small, lightweight cars, - the Elan and Elise come to mind - they’ve sadly never really had a true successor to the original 7. Diseno-art.com thought that should change though and they’ve designed what they dub the 2011 Lotus New 7 Concept to fill that void.
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German tuning firm, Irmscher, is coming to the Geneva Motor Show with a peculiar concept car that it’s tagging as the ‘I SELECTRA’. Now if you’re wondering if the concept looks remarkably similar to a Caterham 7, it’s because it actually is one. Or was one, depending on how you see it.
See, before putting their touches on the concept, the German tuner went out and stripped down a Caterham 7 and then fitted it with its own electric powertrain. We don’t really know whether to be flattered or disappointed on Irmscher’s decision to completely undress a car as iconic as a 7, but that’s an issue for another time.
What we do have is a car that does have the power to make the Caterham 7 proud, especially since it achieves those numbers by using an electric motor, which is always a good thing given the growing paradigm shift towards eco-friendly vehicles.
Details on the Irmscher i SELECTRA after the jump.
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