Caterham first showcased the entry level Seven 160 at the Frankfurt Motor Show held last month and now it is here. This tiny 3-cylinder engine powered car is all that you can expect a Caterham to be - quick, agile and awesome fun and should be renamed as the pocket rocket!
The Caterham Seven 160 (Seven 165 in Europe) is powered by a tiny 660cc, 3-cylinder, turbocharged Suzuki engine. In its original form, the engine is capable of only 64bhp, but since its Caterham, they have tinkered with it to wring out 80bhp and 107Nm of torque.
Power is transmitted to a live rear axle via a 5-speed manual gearbox. The figures may seem small, but since the Seven 160 only weighs an anaemic 490kg it is capable of sprinting from 0-100km/h in 6.5 seconds, and will only run out of breath at 160km/h.
The Seven 160 rides on skinny 155 section tyres shod on 14-inch steel wheels. Apart from seat-belts there are no other safety features in the car. The Caterham Seven 160 is also devoid of any form of electronic nannies like ABS, traction control, et al. This is how a fun little sports car should be.
Caterham Cars CEO, Graham Macdonald, said, "As the Caterham Group as a whole grows and expands into new sectors and industries, our commitment to keep evolving the Seven is very much alive. The 160 offers something truly different to the entry-level market. It's more economical, more accessible and every bit as fun on the road as other Sevens but has its own unique personality."
