Caterham Superlight R400

Details

2001 Autosport Caterham Superlight Challenge

The Caterham R400 Challenge is the pinnacle of the Surrey-based sports car manufacturer’s varied and exciting motor sport activities in the UK.

Backed by the UK’s leading motorsport journal, Autosport, the championship provides spectators – both trackside and watching on satellite TV around the world – with thrilling entertainment unrivalled on the domestic racing scene.

At the heart of the series is the fearsomely powerful Caterham R400 which, though outwardly recognisable as having as its basis Colin Chapman’s timeless Lotus 7 design, has over 46 years of refinement and evolution become a very different and much more sophisticated sports car.

Under the bonnet is a naturally aspirated Minister/Rover 1.8-litre, 16-valve engine which develops 200bhp at 7900rpm, delivered to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox.  With a minimum weight set at just 500kg – less than half that of a new Mini – it’s easy to see why the R400 flies.

The road-going R400 – yes, you can drive one of these racers legally in the street, from £27,750 – boasts a 140mph top speed, and it can sprint from rest to 60mph in 3.9 seconds.  The different gearing and slick Avon control tyres of the racing version make it comfortably a quicker proposition…

Aside from the remarkable speed of the cars, what makes the Caterham R400 Challenge such a crowd-pleasing spectacle is that none of the competitors is allowed to gain too much of an advantage. All the power units of the competing cars are tested and sealed by the experts at Minister Power, and policing of the championship technical regulations during the season is strict indeed.

The racing is fast and furious, and as close as it can be… While some championships

struggle to provide overtaking drama, it’s quite common to see six or seven changes of lead in a Caterham race, and sometimes even six or seven changes of lead in a single lap.

In any form of motor sport, safety is a key consideration. Among the R400’s safety features are a roll-over cage, cockpit impact protection bars, aluminium honeycomb chassis side protection, a six-point full harness safety belt system and a plumbed-in fire extinguisher system. To be eligible to contest the championship, the drivers must hold a National A racing licence issued by Britain’s motor sport governing body, the MSA.