In today’s world where power and technology have become more and more important among automakers, it’s nice to see a company go in the complete opposite direction with a special edition offering that not only has 95 horsepower at its disposal but also packs the technological equivalent of a soapbox racer. This is the Caterham Seven SuperSprint, a special edition version of the retro-static Seven that was created to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the legendary Lotus Seven.

The lightweight, two-seater Seven SuperSprint is about as fitting a tribute as you can have for a car that itself defined itself by the same tenets. The old Lotus Seven was not the most technologically advanced car of its time and neither is the Seven SuperSprint. But that’s not why the Seven SuperSprint is being offered. It’s a callback to the days when 95 horsepower was more than enough to provide a fun, open-air drive, provided that the car itself is as light as a strand of hair. The Seven SuperSprint even looks the part of a 1950’s racer. It features period-specific styling that today’s Caterham still adopts. It even comes with a choice of six different paint finishes with stories of their own, a completely spartan interior that looks to have been frozen in time, and a small three-cylinder engine that has enough power to really make the limited edition retro racer shine in any era. It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that shortly after the SevenSuperSprint made its debut at the Goodwood Revival last week, Caterham made all 60 units available to the public. And as quick as that happened, all 60 units, priced at £29,995 ($40,450) each, sold out in a matter of seven hours.

Continue after the jump to read more about the Caterham Seven SuperSprint

2017 Caterham Seven SuperSprint

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2017 Caterham Seven SuperSprint
  • Engine/Motor: inline-3
  • Horsepower: 95
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

What makes the Caterham Seven SuperSprint special

The fact that the Caterham Seven SuperSprint is limited to just 60 units is special enough in its own right. The fact that it was born as a tribute to the iconic Lotus Seven is special in its own right either. But there’s more to the Seven SuperSprint than nostalgia and limited quantity. It’s a car that plays into our biggest thrills as drivers: fun and enjoyment.

On the surface, the Caterham Seven SuperSprint retains its retro looks, right down to the long nose, round headlights, and the rest of the period-specific details. Caterham has always taken pride in this kind of design approach so it’s no shock that the limited edition Seven SuperSprint uses it too. The car has a handful of unique features, not the least of which is the aforementioned choice of six different body colors signifying six race tracks where the Seven SuperSprint can be driven up to its full potential. A few notable examples of these color combinations include Hockenheim (silver body with a red noseband), Imola (red body with a white noseband), and Aintree (green body with orange noseband). Customers can choose from these three colors to dress up their Seven SuperSprints and while we’re on the subject of customization, there’s also an option to give the car a tonneau cover, effectively turning the Seven SuperSprint into a single-seater sports car. Add a Brooklands-type aero windscreen, and a set of exclusive wheels with the generation-specific wheel caps and you have a car that looks about as home today as it is if it were sent back in time 50 years ago.

Move to the cabin of the Seven SuperSprint and you’ll see that it also features its fair share of old-school styling, including a wooden sports steering wheel, quilted stitched seats dressed in leather, and a battery master cut-off switch. Those looking to give their Seven SuperSprints an extra serving of pop can also add stainless steel rear wing guards and side screen armrests covered in Innes Tan, Scottish Muirhead leather into the interior of the car.

At its heart, the Seven SuperSprint is powered by a Suzuki-sourced, 600-cc, three-cylinder engine that produces 95 horsepower. it’s not exactly Ferrari-levels of power, but considering that the Seven SuperSprint has the weight equivalent of a supermodel, its performance numbers are pretty impressive. Take its acceleration time, for example. According to Caterham, the Seven SuperSprint can hit 60 mph in just 6.9 seconds before maxing out a top speed of 100 mph.

As far as availability goes, Caterham prepared 60 total units of the Seven SuperSprint, a play on the exact anniversary of the iconic Lotus Seven. Unfortunately for those who are eyeing this car with hopes of a potential purchase in the future, there is some bad news on the way. According to Caterham, the Seven SuperSprint sold out seven hours after the company put the model up for sale. Do the math and that’s one model scooped up every seven minutes!

It’s not the most modern-looking car in the world. It’s certainly not the fastest and most powerful either. But if there’s one thing that the Caterham Seven SuperSprint is, it’s that it continues to embody the reason why we love to drive in the first place. It’s the epitome of driving free and enjoying the privilege of being able to do so without worrying about other people’s perception of the car you’re driving. I suppose it’s fitting that the tribute model to the iconic Lotus Seven turned out to be as popular as it did among customers.

It’s a car that’s purely about driving. Nothing more. Nothing less.

References

Caterham Seven Sprint

Read our full review on the Caterham Seven Sprint.

Read more Caterham news.