Road test: Caterham Superlight R300

Caterham has quietly been building some of Britain’s finest sports cars since 1973, when it acquired the rights to manufacture the tiny Lotus Seven, designed by Colin Chapman and launched in 1957. Despite the passing of more than half a century, put this R300 next to an original Seven and on the surface little would seemingly have changed - but under the surface is a different matter...

Images courtesy of Nic Foulkes

The Superlight range is intended for hard-core track day enthusiasts, notwithstanding the fact that every Caterham owner needs to possess a small dose of the crazies.

Weight is pared back further than you would think possible thanks to extensive use of carbon fibre and judicious removal of items deemed unnecessary such as the heater. Oh, and the windscreen, doors and roof.

A Caterham-built six-speed gearbox is added, plus uprated suspension and bigger 15-inch aluminium wheels shod with Avon CR500 tyres which look more like cut racing slicks than road rubber.