NEW CAR RELEASE - Caterham Superlight R300

Originally based on the Lotus Seven, a lightweight sports car sold up until 1972, Caterham Sevens are a series of small, two-seaters renowned for their performance and handling. The Superlight R300 is the least powerful of the track-oriented Superlight R series, which also includes the R400 and R500.

In comparison to the little Caterham's Roadsport cousins, Superlights treat comfort as a secondary consideration, with no roof or windscreen offered as standard. However this feather-light, rock-hard racer makes up for it with an ultra-involving chassis that immediately puts its lucky driver at the very core of the driving experience.

And what an experience it is. The front-engine, rear-wheel drive R300's 2.0-liter Caterham Powertrain (CPT) Duratec engine churns out 175 bhp -- sufficient power to, in concert with its six-speed manual transmission, take the 1,135-lb car all the way up to 140 mph (with the first 60 being racked up in only 4.5 seconds). That adds up to a not-too-shabby power-to-weight ratio of 339 bhp-per-ton.