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Caterham’s latest Seven 170 is the lightest sports car you can buy

Written by Nizam Shaikh

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, that still has the world gripped in its clutches. A British lightweight sportscar specialist from Caterham, Surrey, has launched the new Caterham Seven 170. Founded by Graham Nearn in 1973, the brand acquired rights to continue manufacturing the Seven design from Colin Chapman Lotus Cars. Back in the day, Caterham produced 20 production cars and a Number Zero Prototype under the name of Seven Cars Limited. In the 20th century, the Lotus/Caterham “7” was regarded as the signature sports car by automotive aficionados worldwide.

How small is Caterham Seven 170?

The Caterham Seven is a lightweight and pure sportscar. Caterham has stripped off everything that does not help it go fast, bringing the weight down to a mere 440 kg. This means the Caterham Seven 170 also complies with Japan’s world-famous Kei car regulations. The Seven 170 is also the brand’s lightest production model ever. The Caterham Seven 170 is not just light it is also tiny in dimensions. The brand employs new front and rear wings, which allow the car’s width to be narrower by 105mm and now stands at 1470mm. This also makes the Seven 170, Caterham’s smallest Seven in production.

Caterham Seven 170 – Powertrain

The Caterham Seven 170, with its low weight, requires a small power unit. The brand employs a 660cc three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine borrowed from Suzuki. The engine produces 84 Bhp of power and 116 Nm of torque. The lightweight car and the powerful turbocharged engine balance the power to weight ratio, which exceeds 170 Bhp per tonne, complementing the brand’s “simplify and add lightness” philosophy. The Seven 170 is capable of achieving a 0-96.5 Kmph in 6.90 seconds. The car is also capable of reaching a top speed of 169 kmph. 

Caterham Seven 170 – Price & Features

The Caterham Seven 170 comes with a sticker price of GBP 22,990 MSRP. The Caterham Seven 170 lacks many features such as a roof, full doors, air-conditioning, cruise control but comes with exclusive graphics and alloys, weather gear, black leather seats, and a Momo steering wheel. 

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