It’s hard not to love a company like Caterham. The British manufacturer specializes in lightweight, track-focused sports cars, so when it announced it was bringing its Ferrari-beating Seven to the United States earlier this year, lovers of elemental track cars were giddy with joy.
The spearhead of Caterham’s U.S. invasion was the Seven 620R, Caterham’s fastest road car ever. It housed a supercharged, 2.0-liter Ford Duratec engine that made 315 horsepower, and the 620R’s 1200-pound curb weight made a Mazda MX-5 look like a Bentley by comparison. Its impressive power-to-weight ratio allows the featherweight Brit to hit 60 mph in just 2.8 seconds.
Continuing its expansion into the U.S market, Caterham has announced that two new Seven variants are bound for American shores, via its distributor Superformance. Both cars will house the same Duratec engine from the 620R, albeit in various states of tune.
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First up is the Seven 360, which produces 180 ponies from its naturally aspirated Duratec. The 360 is a step up from Caterham’s entry-level Seven 280, and it comes equipped with a limited slip differential, racing suspension dampers, and is available in either right or left-hand drive. It runs from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds and costs $45,400, including destination charges.
It’s important to note that these prices are for a rolling chassis only; the engine and gearbox are available separately for anywhere from $5,000 to $16,000. There’s no labor fee hidden in the powertrain package, though, because you get to assemble these baddies yourself. Think of them as adult Legos.
The Seven 480 is a bit more powerful than the 360, with 237 hp coming from its Ford powerplant. The sprint to 60 mph comes in just 3.4 seconds now, and an enhanced exhaust system ensures a more stimulating open-air experience. The 480 costs $53,400.
(Photos via Caterham and Superformance)
