Will it be too slow?
Discussion
Chaps
Having recently done the Palmersport thing, my belief that my life is incomplete without a Caterham in it, has only been reinforced. Now, the question is whether a basic 120bhp Roadsport will be enough, or am just I kidding myself that it will be "sufficient", bite the bullet and go for an R300?
By way on context I have ridden quick bikes for the last 10 years, and have been lucky enough to own some reasonably quick 4-wheeled metal.
Thanks
RSE
Having recently done the Palmersport thing, my belief that my life is incomplete without a Caterham in it, has only been reinforced. Now, the question is whether a basic 120bhp Roadsport will be enough, or am just I kidding myself that it will be "sufficient", bite the bullet and go for an R300?
By way on context I have ridden quick bikes for the last 10 years, and have been lucky enough to own some reasonably quick 4-wheeled metal.
Thanks
RSE
No matter how much power you have, you will get used to it.
I would suggest that an R300 has all the power you will ever need for the road (need not want).
120bhp will be quick and fun. 160bhp will be fast and fun.
I opted for the vvc k-series in my first seven and it was a great car. I don't go any faster on the rare occassion imuse my current seven on the road, despite having 50% more power, it's just not safe to do so.
Why not test drive both, go along to a local club meeting, talk to some owners etc. Do your research and buy the car that is right for you.
Good luck and enjoy the process.
Matt
I would suggest that an R300 has all the power you will ever need for the road (need not want).
120bhp will be quick and fun. 160bhp will be fast and fun.
I opted for the vvc k-series in my first seven and it was a great car. I don't go any faster on the rare occassion imuse my current seven on the road, despite having 50% more power, it's just not safe to do so.
Why not test drive both, go along to a local club meeting, talk to some owners etc. Do your research and buy the car that is right for you.
Good luck and enjoy the process.
Matt
Buy a Duratec R300 - all you will ever need. Fast enough for someone used to 2 wheels, balanced on track, good balance of torque and "revvability". Quite frankly, the most complete Caterham I have ever driven....
If you can't afford the DR300, buy a K R400/Superlight R. Kick in the back at 4k revs which becomes addictive and just enough power to get you in trouble....
All IMHO of course
If you can't afford the DR300, buy a K R400/Superlight R. Kick in the back at 4k revs which becomes addictive and just enough power to get you in trouble....
All IMHO of course
I've just bought a Duratec R300.
As a fellow biker I wouldn't recommend anything slower, purely because of the biking speeds/experiences and needing something with a bit of `oomph`. I'd say it's just above the lower limit of fast enough. I drove one of their cars on their slalom day (120bhp?) and sure it was fun but I would very soon be wanting more...
I've had a bike (ZX6-R) for a few years and done a few track days on it. So the R300 does the trick just right for the road. It doesn't feel lightning fast compared to the bike but I do like it more for the fun (and safety) factor.
I would definately say it's more than `adequate`and immense fun, I agree that it's all the Caterham and fun you need (for the road).
Hope that helps. Remember this is only my opinion - get yourself down to Caterham and book up some test drives...
As a fellow biker I wouldn't recommend anything slower, purely because of the biking speeds/experiences and needing something with a bit of `oomph`. I'd say it's just above the lower limit of fast enough. I drove one of their cars on their slalom day (120bhp?) and sure it was fun but I would very soon be wanting more...
I've had a bike (ZX6-R) for a few years and done a few track days on it. So the R300 does the trick just right for the road. It doesn't feel lightning fast compared to the bike but I do like it more for the fun (and safety) factor.
I would definately say it's more than `adequate`and immense fun, I agree that it's all the Caterham and fun you need (for the road).
Hope that helps. Remember this is only my opinion - get yourself down to Caterham and book up some test drives...
May as well go directly for the R500. 
Seriously though, I had a R300 VVC, and after a year, it wasn't quick enough.
As has already been said, whatever you get, you'll get used to it, and want more.
May as well buy something too quick, at least then you won't be thrashing it within an inch of detonation, and you'll have that rare 1% of the time when you'll get chance to use it.
You'll find a high powered Caterham quite drivable at low speeds, as it's such a light car. You can get lazy, and not bother changing down a lot of the time, as they'll pull from high geard with ease. So nothing to be nervous about.
Seriously though, I had a R300 VVC, and after a year, it wasn't quick enough.
As has already been said, whatever you get, you'll get used to it, and want more.
May as well buy something too quick, at least then you won't be thrashing it within an inch of detonation, and you'll have that rare 1% of the time when you'll get chance to use it.
You'll find a high powered Caterham quite drivable at low speeds, as it's such a light car. You can get lazy, and not bother changing down a lot of the time, as they'll pull from high geard with ease. So nothing to be nervous about.
mickrick said:
Seriously though, I had a R300 VVC, and after a year, it wasn't quick enough.
As has already been said, whatever you get, you'll get used to it, and want more.
And then you'll realise that you have completely missed what Caterhams are about and get a sensibly powered one. Seriously there are easily two camps. Those that always want more and those that don't.As has already been said, whatever you get, you'll get used to it, and want more.
I'm in the latter group. You need to make your own mind up.
Bert
BertBert said:
mickrick said:
Seriously though, I had a R300 VVC, and after a year, it wasn't quick enough.
As has already been said, whatever you get, you'll get used to it, and want more.
And then you'll realise that you have completely missed what Caterhams are about and get a sensibly powered one. Seriously there are easily two camps. Those that always want more and those that don't.As has already been said, whatever you get, you'll get used to it, and want more.
I'm in the latter group. You need to make your own mind up.
Bert
I'm also an ex-biker.
I went from what was supposed to be a 135 bhp 1700 Crossflow to a 190 bhp Zetec. The Crossflow was slow. I soon got used to 190 bhp of the Zetec.
Then I got a 228bhp Duratec. It was fast but with 2 people on board it lost its edge. I now have a 263bhp engine which is a little bit too fast for me but two up feels like the 228bhp engine driven solo.
With a bit too much power you can always choose not to use it but comes in handy when the conditions are right. With too little power you will always wish you had more.
I went from what was supposed to be a 135 bhp 1700 Crossflow to a 190 bhp Zetec. The Crossflow was slow. I soon got used to 190 bhp of the Zetec.
Then I got a 228bhp Duratec. It was fast but with 2 people on board it lost its edge. I now have a 263bhp engine which is a little bit too fast for me but two up feels like the 228bhp engine driven solo.
With a bit too much power you can always choose not to use it but comes in handy when the conditions are right. With too little power you will always wish you had more.
Hi Ammo. Did you go back to open diff in the end? Or did you see the light? mickrick said:
BertBert said:
mickrick said:
Seriously though, I had a R300 VVC, and after a year, it wasn't quick enough.
As has already been said, whatever you get, you'll get used to it, and want more.
And then you'll realise that you have completely missed what Caterhams are about and get a sensibly powered one. Seriously there are easily two camps. Those that always want more and those that don't.As has already been said, whatever you get, you'll get used to it, and want more.
I'm in the latter group. You need to make your own mind up.
Bert
Hi Mickrick
Kept the LSD in. I was just not used to the differrent handling on the car. Now I've got used to it I don't even notice it anymore. In fact I drove it all through the winter as the Caterham was my only car.
My car has flared wings and a screen as it was originally a Supersprint. Very docile and innocuous looking. It surprises a few people when I put my foot down :-)
Kept the LSD in. I was just not used to the differrent handling on the car. Now I've got used to it I don't even notice it anymore. In fact I drove it all through the winter as the Caterham was my only car.
My car has flared wings and a screen as it was originally a Supersprint. Very docile and innocuous looking. It surprises a few people when I put my foot down :-)
Ammo 7 said:
Hi Mickrick
Kept the LSD in. I was just not used to the differrent handling on the car. Now I've got used to it I don't even notice it anymore. In fact I drove it all through the winter as the Caterham was my only car.
My car has flared wings and a screen as it was originally a Supersprint. Very docile and innocuous looking. It surprises a few people when I put my foot down :-)
Kept the LSD in. I was just not used to the differrent handling on the car. Now I've got used to it I don't even notice it anymore. In fact I drove it all through the winter as the Caterham was my only car.
My car has flared wings and a screen as it was originally a Supersprint. Very docile and innocuous looking. It surprises a few people when I put my foot down :-)
I knew you'd get used to it, if you gave it a chance. Now you can use all that power. 
That one cost me 8K!Whilst there's some truth that you get used to the power you've got, I think everyone has a level of power they're happy with. I was tempted by a 120bhp 1.8 for my first seven, but when I test drove one it just felt too slow. After trying a 156bhp VVC a trip to the famous green sofa quickly followed!
Rocksteadyeddie said:
I keep having nightmares about being strapped down ni a 6-point harness to a green sofa and having my wallet raped 
It's not that bad. I still dream of a return trip to the green sofa and walking away with that little cardboard wallet with my name scribbled on it in marker pen
pistolp said:
Buy a roadsport, learn to drive and then overtake all this lot in their R300's
In saying that you're leaping to blind assumptions about the driving ability of the OP and of us lot Seriously though, what you say is correct in a way, but one doesn't feel lap times, one feels straight line acceleration. When someone says a road car's a bit slow for them, they don't mean it'll lap Brands in 55.4 instead of 53.9 (that's irrelevant for a road car, and timing's banned on track days), they mean that when they put their foot down, the sensation of speed isn't there. That is precisely what I was describing above when I tried the 1.8 120bhp vs the VVC 156bhp Roadsports. Neither felt "fast" as such, it's just that the VVC had an acceptable level of straight line performance which kept me interested. If you're spending all that money on a car, that's quite important I think!
The nature of the delivery is also important - both of my cars had road engines. The R300 on the other hand, at least the k series one, had a very dramatic engine delivery and made lovely noises (different cams and roller barrel throttles). I much preferred it to my VVC and the standard 1.8 when I tried one for the day Of course, Caterhams are primarily about handling and involvement, but if a car bores you in a straight line it may not be the ownership experience that you were looking for.
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