Living with this £40k Caterham Seven even makes the KFC drive-thru memorable
Experienced in its element, our Seven converts a casual observer into a believer
The Caterham isn’t the easiest car to drive in traffic, as I discovered when dicing through the early-morning M4 mayhem on the way to a shoot last month. The throttle is jumpy at low speed and the clutch doesn’t engage with much progression, so there’s a fine line between an embarrassing stall and bouncing it off the limiter like you’ve just set off at Shelsley Walsh. Which is just as embarrassing, I suppose.
There’s only one thing for it, and that’s to stop being lazy and be a better driver. Focus on your inputs, time them correctly and the Caterham feels much happier. You quickly build a symbiotic bond with it, and with its tiny footprint and such malleable handling, pretty much any road is a playground.
> Caterham 7 review – the sports car to make a Lotus look clumsy
There’s an addictive, frantic intensity to the way it drives (particularly in the wet), but you don’t need to be absolutely on it to have fun. I’ve used it at every possible opportunity since I claimed the keys a few weeks ago: trips to B&Q, visiting the grandparents and even impromptu lunch-stops at the KFC drive-thru. ‘Next window, please,’ said the cashier, eyes glazed over as if some extra-terrestrial being had just turned up for a boneless box meal.
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Folding yourself into the tiny cockpit can be a pain. Especially if, having strapped into the six-point harness, you find that the ignition key is still in your back pocket, or you’ve left your earplugs in the house (you really do need those for a long drive). But, once you’re in, the seat is comfy, the ride is supple with the Bilstein dampers wound back, and the supernova-spec heater keeps the cabin toasty. Passengers have been surprised by how habitable it is, too.
One drive in particular sticks in my mind. After a hike in the Brecon Beacons, I persuaded my brother-in-law Rahbar – who only has a passing interest in cars – to join me in taking the long way home. The light was fading, the clouds were closing in, but there was just enough time for one clear run through the Cynon Valley.
Soon, the conversation stopped and the Caterham did all the talking for the next few miles. Accompanied by the pulsating backing track of the Duratec motor, we were completely keyed into the road through every corner, bump and surface change. I wasn’t driving particularly hard, but the way the car stopped, steered and built speed with so little effort was mesmerising. We were back on the main road in what felt like a blink, and as I eased off and fumbled for the headlight and wiper switches, an admission from Rahbar: ‘Wow, I get it now!’
My time with the Caterham has been a joy, and I’m going to do all I can to keep hold of it for as long as possible. It really is the ultimate refresher of what cars, and this magazine, are all about. My brother-in-law, on the other hand, is now searching the classifieds for a small, lightweight two-seater of his own. Another one catches the bug.
| Total mileage | 4369 |
| Mileage this month | 592 |
| Costs this month | £0 |
| mpg this month | 21.9 |
This story was first featured in evo issue 323.
