New cars: “a colossal amount of fun”
A lot has changed in the past six decades, said Jonathan Burn in Auto Express, “but with the exception of a new name, the Caterham Seven really hasn’t”. Originally known as the Lotus, this open-top, two-seat roadster is celebrating its 60th birthday – and to mark the occasion, Caterham has launched the Seven Sprint, based on a mid-1960s design that “never made it past the drawing board”. Just 60 models have been produced, at what is a “huge price” for a Caterham, but that hasn’t deterred buyers: the Seven Sprint sold out within a week of being announced.
The car “recaptures the mood of the Swinging Sixties”, said Ben Whitworth in Car magazine – while avoiding “the slightest whiff of retro cheesiness”. Outside, there are front wings, chromed wheel caps and bubbled rear lamps, “wrapped up in a choice of yesteryear hues”. Inside, the cabin is an old-fashioned treat, with a “delightfully thin” wooden steering wheel and a red leather dash. Don’t be fooled by that “heritage styling”, however – the car is underpinned by an up-to-date, albeit “dinky”, turbocharged Suzuki engine.
Still, the Suzuki “does its best to emulate an ancient motor”, said Will Beaumont in Evo. It’s very noisy, though it feels more powerful than its 80bhp would suggest, and does 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds. The car doesn’t cope well with rough or bumpy roads; elsewhere, however, it offers a “delicate and entertaining” drive. It feels most at home on smaller roads, where you can revel in its impressively precise steering. Although a lot of effort has gone into its “retro” looks, the Seven Sprint isn’t a triumph of style over substance; “it’s a colossal amount of fun”.