Caterham Seven 2026 updates – lightweight legend lives on with petrol power

2026 does not mark the end for the lightweight, petrol-powered Caterham Seven. While the new electric Caterham Project V is in active development, the firm has also revealed what updates and new options are coming on stream for those who place an order for a traditional petrol Seven this year.

No powertrain changes are coming – the 660cc Suzuki turbocharged engine and the 2-litre Ford Duratec are yet to be supplanted by the new turbocharged powertrain we tested in a HORSE-powered Caterham prototype last year. Nor are there any mechanical changes to the road-biased S-pack and track-biased R-pack configurations or their respective suspension set-ups.

Rather, these are subtle visual changes, including new paint options and revised styling. There’s a clear lens pack to (very slightly) modernise the look of your Caterham. Likewise the option for body colour headlight bowls and roll bars, departing from the standard black and chrome (light) finishes we’ve come to know. The S-pack has a new leather seat design with Seven logo embroidery, that’ll also be optional on the R-pack. The R-pack’s slight move towards comfort and refinement continues with a standard black leather top to the transmission tunnel.

Happily, for those interested in ordering a Caterham with one or a number of these enhancements, none come at a cost. They’re all free or standard updates to the cars specified from here on out.

New standard paint options include Poppy Red and Blacksmith, while Early Grey is the only new premium paint option. New exclusive paints include Sunset Riot, Heritage Sage, Ice Forest Green (as seen on Project V), Chainmail Silver and Viola Parsifae – that last name, and potentially its colour code, seemingly borrowed from Lamborghini’s vast palette of paint options. Exclusive and premium paints come at a £1000 and £1250 extra cost respectively. 

As of February 2026, £30,490 is the price of entry for a basic 660cc Caterham Super Seven, with £58,490 the price for a top-spec supercharged Seven 620, albeit minus any customisation or options. Now to get configuring. Or as many are doing now, get to buying a used Caterham and sending it back for a Pagani Unico-style re-spec. Dartford, Modena – what’s the difference?