Caterham is taking the first ginger steps beyond its traditional Lotus-based Seven since the disastrous Caterham 21 model of the mid-nineties. The new AeroSeven Concept was unveiled today ahead of the practice sessions for this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix and it's the first full-bodied variant of the Seven that the firm has produced.
Exterior
The bodywork is made from carbon fibre and has had, claims Caterham, major input from the Caterham Formula One team, hence the decision to unveil the car at an actual race event - and not at last week's Frankfurt Motor Show.
There are several steering-wheel-mounted controls as well, including a button to allow drivers to toggle between Race and Road modes, a 'Flash To Pass' switch, which should get middle-lane hoggers out of your way, and a pit lane speed limiter setting, which should be useful for 30km/h school zones.
Interior
The AeroSeven is clearly a track-day car (albeit an entirely road-legal one), with the enveloping bodywork containing a simple, sparse two-seat open cockpit backed by a new roll-over structure. In the cabin you'll find only seats, a wheel and Caterham's new centrally-mounted 3D digital instrument display.
Mechanicals
Power comes from a 240hp version of Ford's naturally-aspirated 2.0-litre Duratec petrol engine, and Caterham claims that it's the highest-revving EU6-compliant powerplant in the world, with peak power delivered at a heady 8,500rpm. That said, the AeroSeven may get a different engine when it goes on full sale in 2014, as Caterham says it's looking at other powertrain options - most likely a turbocharged Renault unit given the sports car maker's recent tie-up with the French firm and its Alpine subsidiary. Power goes to the rear wheels, of course, through a six-speed manual gearbox.
The chassis of the AeroSeven is actually entirely traditional, being based on the spaceframe of the Seven CSR model, but this is the first ever Caterham to make full use of the potential of electronic driver aids. It gets both traction and launch control, while Caterham is looking into the potential of a racing-derived Bosch anti-lock braking system too.
Anything else?
The AeroSeven's performance should be pretty blistering. Caterham is claiming a sub-four-second 0-100km/h time and the full bodywork should allow a massively higher top speed than that of a conventional Seven.
Graham Macdonald, Managing Director of Caterham Cars, said: "Over the coming years, we will be expanding our range of sports cars as we look to meet the differing needs and desires of potential customers - from the lifestyle customer to the ultimate thrill-seeker. The AeroSeven Concept is the first model in that journey."