It's time for more Caterham craziness. The British ultra-minimalist sportscar specialist has just rekindled the "Superlight R500" moniker on a new tearaway with a Bugatti Veyron-rivalling power-to-weight ratio.
Here are the key facts: The R500 is powered by a 196kW 2.0-litre engine, and its waif-like mass contributes to a power-to-weight ratio of 388kW-per-tonne. Believe it or not, this enables the bug-eyed contraption to scoot from 0-60mph (0-96kmh) in a claimed 2.88 seconds -- quicker than any road-going Porsche, Ferrari or Lamborghini.
The original R500 was something of a record breaker in its day, but for the latest iteration the venerable Rover K-series engine has been dumped in favour of a Ford Duratec unit.
Fed by its roller barrel throttle bodies, the normally aspirated, four-cylinder mill is tuned by Caterham Powertrain (CPT) to unleash a more-than-healthy 196kW and 240Nm of twist.
Drive is channelled to the rear wheels by either a standard six-speed gearbox or an optional Caterham Motorsport-engineered sequential transmission -- clearly, the traditionalist carmaker is no longer averse to embracing modern tech.
Its propensity for forward (and, we presume, sideways) motion is kept under some semblance of control by race-developed Avon CR500 tyres and a suspension set-up that includes weight saving aero wishbones and fully adjustable dampers.
Bringing things ferociously to a halt are four-piston calipers clamping on vented discs at the front and lightweight twin piston rear calipers.
But wait… there's more. Track-day enthusiasts can specify launch control, a gulping Carbon Induction Airbox and Eibach Springs and dampers derived from the Caterham C400 race series.
To shed a "massive" 9kg from the already featherlight chassis utilised by the R400, Caterham left no bolt unscrewed -- there's an abundance of carbon and Kevlar, thinner body panels and aluminium rear light housings.
Caterham claims the R500's carbon winglets increase downforce, while the "cat's tongue" grille is said to aid cooling and aerodynamics. A carbon leather boot cover and clear-lens tail-lights are also new.
There's no olde-worlde Smith gauges to be found inside. Instead, the R500 features an all-new electronic dashboard with keyless ignition. There's also a quick-release Momo steering wheel with integrated indicator switches, sequential gear-change lights and a new Stack display with scrolling text.
The carbon dash is also finished with a detailed engraved plaque to show each car's build number.
Already on sale in the UK, pricing for the factory-built Superlight R500 starts at $78,930 in its home country. It's not a lot of car for the money if you're buying by the kilo, but it's shaping as a bang-for-buck champ.
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