# I drove the Caterham 7 SV



## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

*2006 Caterham Seven Roadsport SV*








1.8L Rover K-Series 140hp @6750 [email protected]

Options on car driven

6-speed Caterham close ratio gearbox
15" Alloys with 195/45 tires
Leather Seats
4-point road harness
Carbon Fiber dash 
Black Pack
Push-button start
Half Hood

*Pros:*
I want one.

*Cons:* 
The least practical car I've driven. 
I want one.

Last week we rented a blue Seven SV from Open Road Hire in Perth, Scotland. http://www.openroadhire.co.uk/cars If we get a chance, I'll be renting from them again.

Using a map provided by Open Road, we drove the Caterham on windy back-roads from Perth to the Trossachs, Loch Katrin, Doune, past Glen Eagles and back to Perth. The 120 mile loop included a few miles on a dual carriageway, so we also had a taste of driving the car at 70mph in traffic.

We've owned small rear-drive sports cars most of our lives, most recently a 2006 Mazda MX-5. We've also been through a few of BMW NA's half-day driving events. All of that and three years of driving in the UK was little use. I had to learn to drive all over again.

Andrew, owner of Open Road, gave us a 15-minute introduction to the car. Without that I doubt I would have been able to get in the car, let alone start it.

Getting in a Seven with the hood (roof) on takes practice. Head first, left leg in, lean across to the passenger side and somehow get your right leg in. Whatever you do, don't grab the windscreen, it isn't strong enough to support any weight. Be sure to close the side screen (not really a door) and fasten the snap before putting on the belt. Passenger side is much the same but you have to avoid the exhaust pipe. Once you are strapped in you won't be able reach anything besides the primary controls. More than once we did things in the wrong order and had to un-strap. By the end of the day, we were able to get in, button up, strap-in and drive off in about 5 minutes.

The car had the optional 4-point road harness. These are far better than a standard 3-point lap belt. In a car without airbags, I'd much rather have the 4-point belts.

Sitting in a Caterham is very comfortable. Debbie thought so too. There is something about the position and the support. The SV is more comfortable than our old Mazda and far more comfortable than the MINI. The pedals are a long reach though. If you are shorter than my 5'8" you might need the smaller Classic chassis or the optional adjustable pedals.

The standard equipment transmission is a rugged Ford T-9. This 5-speed was used in many European Ford sedans. The T-9's road gearing is not a well matched to driving a 1,200lb Caterham on a track. First is too low. Fifth is too high.

The car we drove had Caterham's optional close-ratio 6-speed. First on the 6-speed is near the T-9's second and 6th is the same 1:1 as the T-9's fourth.

Shifting a Cateham is nothing like a torquey, relaxed BMW.

Our last instruction was "Don't worry, everyone stalls this car." I was determined not to. I gave the car a little throttle and came very slowly off the clutch. The car rolled forward about an inch and stalled. The slightly tuned 140hp K-engine has no low-end torque. None.

The turning circle is large for such a small car. Getting out of the parking lot was a noisy, multi-point maneuver. I stalled a few times.

Give the car more throttle, come off the clutch quickly and you are rewarded with a breathtaking launch.

The six gears are very closely spaced. I had to learn to shift much faster. The shifter itself is very precise with a short throw. It takes a moderate effort to move the shifter. Nothing terrible but you notice the weight. The clutch pedal is on the heavy side with a long travel. It is about the same as a BMW 5 series. The clutch is immediate without the slight delay common to BMWs.

I didn't stall again and by the end of the day, I was shifting smoothly without thinking about it. I never did master driving the car smoothly below 10mph though. 
Out the drive and onto the road my first thought was WOW! The entire day was one big wow. The steering is very precise with excellent feedback. I was connected to the car and the road in a way I've never been.

About 40 minutes out into the Scottish back roads it started to rain. We pulled out and put on the half hood. This is a quick to install top that is open at the back. The full hood seals the car better but is a pain to install and very noisy. The half hood kept us mostly dry. The side screens mostly slip under the top and the top mostly keeps the water out. Mostly.

The wet made us cold. That's when I discovered I couldn't reach the heater control. The next time we stopped, I pulled out the heater knob about an inch. That puts the heater on low and also just in my reach.

When we stopped at Doune Castle, people were taking photos of the car. Along the way we were getting many smiles and waves.

Visibility can be a problem. You are sitting very low in a car that is only 3 inches off the ground, so the view forward can be restricted. Looking back is nearly impossible. The harness keeps you from looking back. Either use the mirrors and hope, or unhook the harness.

The car is loud. At speed we could barely hear each other. 
There is no secure storage. The boot cover snaps on. The side screens snap on, but only from the inside.

Despite all this we were in better shape after a day in the Caterham then we are after a day in the MINI.

Despite all this, I still want one.


----------



## jim (Jan 3, 2003)

Looks like a blast. . .thanks for sharing.


----------



## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

jim said:


> Looks like a blast.


It is. If you ever get a chance to drive one. . .


----------



## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

Video. The best scenery and driving was back in the Trossachs. Didn't get that on video though. It was too wet to put up the camera until were most of the way back to Perth.

The camera had a much better view forward than I did. I'm driving very slowly in most of this video because I can't see far enough ahead to be safe. I'm driving at the 60MPH speed limit when I have a clear view and around 30 when I don't.


----------



## PaceBMW of Mamaroneck (Jul 6, 2011)

wow that looks crazy.


----------



## Scott ZHP (Jul 17, 2003)

How bad do you want one? A friend of mine in Surrey has one (Caterham assembled car). He's here and can't import it unless he takes it apart and ships it in pieces. He can then register it as a kit car. It's been sitting for a while.


----------



## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

I probably can't afford it right now. Any idea how much he wants?

I'm assuming it is on a SORN and I'd have to trailer it home.


----------



## Scott ZHP (Jul 17, 2003)

Andrew*Debbie said:


> I probably can't afford it right now. Any idea how much he wants?
> 
> I'm assuming it is on a SORN and I'd have to trailer it home.


Dunno, but I can find out. His wife has been bugging him to unload it for a while now. It's in a "carcoon"; sealed bag thingy.


----------



## Andrew*Debbie (Jul 2, 2004)

No rush. I'm not in a position to buy a car this month.


----------

