Caterham R400 Superlight is on sale as a kit or in fully built form.

Date posted: 04-02-2007

CATERHAM, England — Caterham's 2007 edition of the R400 Superlight has just gone on sale in the U.K., derived from the lightweight-car specialist's C400 racing car.

In the same year that the iconic Lotus 7 roadster turns 50, the world is full of Seven-esque kit cars and specialist cars. But there's only one rightful producer: Caterham in the U.K., which provides a plethora of model variations including the newest R400 Superlight.

In place of the ubiquitous but not unobtainable, Rover K-series four-cylinder engine, the R400 Superlight has a 210-horsepower Ford Duratec engine. The power-to-weight ratio for the 1,157-pound car is 400 hp per ton, hence the "Superlight" moniker. It accelerates in a whopping 3.8 seconds to 60 mph and has a top speed of 140 mph.

The Superlight has carbon-fiber front wings and dash, a quick-release Momo steering wheel, vented front discs and four-point calipers, and a Caterham Superlight suspension for what the company calls an "undiluted racetrack-inspired package."

The R400 Superlight is available in component form for $47,700 or as a fully built vehicle for $53,000.

What this means to you: If you are looking for sweetness and light, Caterham still rules.

Source: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...cleId=120230#2