Tiny Engine, Huge Fun: New Caterham Super Seven 600 | Henry Catchpole - The Driver’s Seat
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- čas přidán 31. 01. 2023
- In this episode of The Driver’s Seat, Henry Catchpole drives the new Caterham Super Seven 600. It’s like a restomod that normal people can afford. Ok, it doesn’t have a quilted engine bay, but so much of what is appealing about cars like the Porsche 911 reimagined by Singer or the Alfaholics GTA-R or the Eagle E-type is present and correct in this little British sportscar. That idea of connection, emotion and back to basics old-school motoring values is present and correct and it costs less than £30,000.
With just 84bhp and 86lb ft of torque (yes, really) from its tiny 660cc, three-cylinder engine, it might sound like it would be slow and sleep-inducing. But it also weighs just 460kg or 1014lbs and has delightfully short gearing, so it actually feels surprisingly swift. Being closer to the road than the line painted down the middle means that every mph is exaggerated too.
The diminutive size of the Caterham also allows you to explore roads that would be off-limits to supercars. Whether it is dashing along between the reeds in some marshland or climbing tiny back lanes to spectacular vantage points, the Seven feels like it is up for an adventure. Admittedly there has to be a touch of the adventurous about the driver too, particularly if it’s the middle of winter in the UK and the temperature is below freezing.
Henry also gets into some of the history of the Seven, with an amusing story about Colin Chapman’s original Lotus Seven. The Norfolk firm finally stopped building the mk4 in 1973, since when it has been down to Caterham to keep the flame alive. And fifty years on, the formula feels somehow more relevant than ever, particularly in this very traditional, low-powered version which is fabulously fun and easy to enjoy at any speed.
Its skinny tyres might be at the other end of the scale from supercars like Porsche’s GT3 or Ferrari’s 296 GTB, but in many ways this little car is just as enjoyable. You only have to look at Henry’s cold but happy face in the film to see that. We hope you enjoy the episode; please let others know if you do.
#TheDriversSeat #HenryCatchpole #NeverStopDriving #CarReview
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Thank you, as ever, for all the lovely comments. Glad that so many of you feel the same way about this sort of car. Even folding my lanky frame into it before sunrise with the temperature well below freezing it still felt fun.
Thanks for the great review. When you said "jumpers for goal posts" was the best bit for me. Transported me right back to The Fast Show and anything that brings me back to the 90s is good! 😂
It's great. Please make more of these basic car reviews for blue collar lads. Can you do the old stuff too? Gen 1 MX-5? MR-2? GT86 (the first one)? thanks for your perspective too Mr. C
“Feet in the oven, head in the freezer” was a hilarious line 🤣
Please Never Stop Writing, Henry Catchpole
You, my man, are the OG of car reporting. The End.
Thank you to Hagerty for allowing us to continue watching Henry on CZcams after the sad demise of Carfection.
Carfection deserved far more subscribers than they got! It was the best channel on CZcams, better than Top Gear was producing too.
Cars with Hagerty, yachts with eSysman, easy
@@johnsim3722 Agreed, like so many I find Henry far more engaging and endearing than most.
@John Sim JayEmm on Cars made a video on why TV-grade upload won't survive on CZcams.
@@farishanafiah8461 I watched that video too. What amazes me is how a quality production like the Carfection videos never got as many views or subscribers as some just walking around with a GoPro and talking to it. Excellence isn't being rewarded on CZcams and we'll all be poorer for it when it goes.
I recently inherited my Grandad's S1 Lotus 7, and it has half the horsepower of this 600, but weighs 100KG even less. Once I've made it roadworthy again I'm hoping to have an experience very much like Henry here.
wow,that will be fun.......dont procrastinate too long
Lucky boy
Do it soon. My father and I built a home-made version. You WILL enjoy it. power doesn't matter. the drive is fun and even people are nicer around you. Everyone smiles.
Thanks everyone. I won't abandon it. I've rescued classic cars from states of neglect before!
Honda motor & MX-5 Transmission swap ?
I *love* these "back-to-basics" cars. Sevens, Miatas, Elises, and others -- they all just have that charm. I really think their timeless qualities like simplicity and tactility are going to keep them relevant to enthusiasts forever, especially as the larger automotive industry trudges further down the route of more powerful/heavier/numb performance cars.
Cheers for this one, Henry and Hagerty!
Have you owned one? I must admit I want a 7 and or an Elise, but my Maita was just plain boring!
My buddy has a 260hp version of this and it is the rawest and most fun/exciting car I've ever driven. It's not even close to anything else in terms of response and handling. Like a big go cart.
I genuinely believe a Caterham 7 is the best driver's car ever made. It doesn't come with anything, including prestige, that's why it's overlooked. But you just know the owner is 100% a car guy through and through.
@@TeamHeat604 I'm sorry your parents didn't love you
Can't imagine driving around the most bare-bones car like this. HP doesn't even really matter (260HP would be INSANE overkill lol.)
Would be the most pure experience you could have with an auto. I myself have only experienced this in my 88' Supra that is 3,500lbs give or take. It's a monster in size and weight so something this nimble would be a joy.
my caterham only has 240 hp, but it also runs quite well
@@TeamHeat604 What?!
Beautiful car, beautiful video! If we calculate 85hp to 450kg, that equals almost 190hp per ton. That's a very nice ratio, a promise for a lot of fun behind the steering wheel! To reach that ratio with fewer mass instead of much power also gives other advantages:
no (expensive) wide tires needed, no (expensive) carbon brake discs needed, small fuel consumption and (in case of an accident) way less impact energy to absorb. Brilliant!
Congrats, Caterham, for such a statement!
The intro was so good. My biggest pet peeve in recent years is a tie between physical buttons and headphone jacks
Yeah, intro was brilliant. I don't care for touchscreens in cars either, they are for phones.
A just wonderful, honest and accurate video. A simple message put over brilliantly Henry.
Having been fortunate to cover tens of thousands of miles in 'Sevens' on road and track, my abiding memory is a 70's quote (cant remember who, sadly) which said 'even if you sat at the traffic lights all day just blipping the throttle, your day wouldn't have been entirely wasted'
Happy days indeed.
Thank you. And what a great quote.
I’m so happy Henry and Hagerty found each other. This video made my week!
Light car + good suspension = good fun.
We who also have motorcycles - and actually ride them - concur! Love this car. The definition of involvement and bare-naked fun.
I had a Smart Roadster with similar engine and 82hp. One of the most fun cars I ever owned....❤
I've still got one... Fantastic little fun car
The early 70s MG Midget I drove for some time gave me the same smile on my face. Great film, Henry.
Good to see the driver with a smile on his face through the entire video. You know it’s a fun car.
3 cyl is half a flat six - my Polo TDI had 3, I loved it. Has a growl and song that is quite distinct.
the Sun never sets on having fun. ⭐⭐😁😁✔✔
Great film. Love the philosophy of this little car. I have a Seven with a bit more power. I’ll never sell it. It’s pure joy…
My dad bought a 1990 Seven last summer and it's a really great little car.
Corners like a dream, and just the experience with all the noises, the seating position and all, it's just awesome.
As a winter project, he put some higher compression pistons and some bigger cams in, which should push it from 90 to about 120hp.
Can't wait for the weather to get more appropriate for the tires he got on there to give it a go!
I want to bring one of these to the states and put a million miles on it. I am absolutely in love with this car.
Echoing sentiments elsewhere - great to see Mr Catchpole here! A genuine car 'man' (and with a decent collection, and knowledge (as is evident from the commentary) of wristwatches to sidetrack those who are 'in the know') mixed with a fantastic ability to gather the English vocabulary and point it in the right direction of exquisite prose, he deserves.....NO DEMANDS (in absentia).....a forum to educate, illuminate, elucidate and entertain the mere mortals who consume his content. Thanks Hagerty - your faith will be rewarded of that I am sure.
Thanks for making videos in 21:9 with no black bars! These are a joy to watch on an ultrawide
"Back to basics" or "back to square one" is what more car companies should strive for in these electronic times...
Wonderful little sports car, proving that Britain can still make cars. And enjoyable cars at that.
This is just perfect....takes me back to the days of MG Midgets, Morgan plus 4, Spitfires and 60/70's kit cars.
Great for a tour of Europe....or a Sunday picnic.
On the subject of horsepower.
My mum's Hillman Imp had 39 bhp!
You could go round corners and the inside wheel would lift off the road and over the curb,while going sideways!
Great fun, and with it's skinny tyres it would oversteer at ridiculously low speeds,almost in slow motion.
I will never forget that car.
My "toy" today is a supercharged S1 Exige .... 300bhp+ a ferocious beast!
I've had 3 now and they are additive. The first back in '99 was my only car and i drove 16k miles a year for four years. The hood is a life saver when it's sleeting & snowing. It has stiched in guttering to stop the water going down your back when you get in and out. The rear window zips open to get your shopping in the boot and the screen is heated to stop it misting up. There's a tensioner built into the hood sticks to tention it so it doesn't even flap at a steady 85mph. The lower section of the doors lift up and stay up by the air flow above 30mph to create a good breeze if it suddenly turns sunny. The heater will blow cold as well as hot air. Getting in and out isn't so easy but you soon learn to do a kind of tumble forward manoeuvre like Tony Alcock at the Crown Green Bowls. I think its easier than an Elise due to the narrow sill. Plenty of companies like OMP and Sparco make narrow leather shoes suitable for the office. The only consession I ever made was rolling my left trouser leg like a Free Mason due to an occasional drip from the scuttle during a long journey in the rain. I probably could have sealed it but it was never really a problem. Many reviews sign off that you have to be some kind of petrolhead masochist to buy one, but that's because they only keep them for a short time and don't learn about using the weather gear properly. Don't be put off thinking you can't run a Seven every day, just look for someone on a motorbike and think you've got it easy!
Tony Alcock.... Now there's a name I've not heard in many a good end!
I'm tempted to pick up a pipe and play like David Bryant...
@@fortyfour1654 "pop reference" for the kids! Those two were a team and a half!
So happy to see this lovely video. Henry you are absolutely tops! Truly one of the best presenters out there. And this cute little Caterham Seven - it proves beyond a shadow of doubt to all the naysayers, that one can have as much fun driving a smaller, less powerful, slower little car, fast, as you can when thrashing a big bad million horsepower quad turbo monster about. I love these modern retro vehicles. And long May they live!
I'd argue the roads you're able to drive add at least half of driving enjoyment. Maybe even more. Love the simplicity and connectedness to the experience this car seems to afford.
This would make a great commuter. Excellent video, Henry.
I own a 2008 Citroen C1 with a 3cyl 998cc engine which doesn’t even cough up 70bhp and it’s the most fun car I’ve ever driven! You don’t need power to enjoy a fun car 😊
Never change Henry, never change.
Your Evo video of a Boxster GTS in Majorca is to me the greatest automotive YT content ever produced.
These videos, and yours in particular are a delight.
Well said sir, that Boxster video was a classic. All about the journey and the experience the car adds to it not silly numbers and specs.
Love the start of this video! The Caterham dashboard is so much better than any modern car. All the silly features and endless menus are where they should be; somewhere else.
Thank you for this back to basic and good times and fun.Yes sometimess less is more!
The ultimate minimalist automotive experience, great video! And always love to see Henry Catchpole.
F**CK, I love the "through the front window" shots! Great video.
My only complaint… the lack of an awesome noise.
These cars are about all the senses - and a good engine/exhaust noise really would help!
And the irrepressible Henry lives on after the sad demise of Carfection. Always engagingly watchable and probably the best of the car platforms. Welcome back Mr.C!
That last drone shot is incredible
Cool to see one of the best car reviewers online atm. What I like about Henry is it's never "the me show" and is always all about the cars. Thanks.
Rocker buttons, manual transmission, handbrake lever... that's just crazy. Crazy enough to work🤔
What a neat little car. Absolutely love British sport cars
You make the countryside look so beautiful. Great angles and shots.
Glenn always seems to find the best angles. He’s a talented chap!
Down on the south Coast near Beachy Head, great roads.
I really believe Caterham will start to take off as a company. Car enthusiasts want absolute basic cars since we have strayed so far from it. I'd take the 4cyl one with about 100 more horse power. 👍
Alas they no longer make the 1.6 152BHp car. It no longer meets emissions and Ford stopped making it. Caterham haven’t found a replacement. So it’s the little 3 pot Henry has here, or the heavier 2.0 Ford Duratec, or a second hand 1.6… 😢
What do you mean start to take off ?
@@Whateverpoopiepants I guess there's levels to this. Maybe they'll be _the_ go-to for car enthusiasts if that's what they mean. But I doubt they'll every hit the mainstream anytime soon.
@@Whateverpoopiepants yeah I mean Caterham have only been around since the early 70’s!! 🤪🤪🤪🤣
@@jamescruz8678 there are loads in the UK. My old boss had one, I saw about 8 last Sunday morning out for a bhlatt.
Great review. Henry you are a wonderful 'journo' and car enthusiast. Will be a sad day when the only thing we get to read about are powered by batteries. Applause that Caterham made this.
I think I would enjoy this with a small electric motor, for me it's the conection with the world that you don't get from a swish all enclosed luxury car. The power unit in that case is secondardy.
@@lenrichardson7349 I sorta agree, with time there will be electric cars that are fun to drive. But the sound of a nice combustion engine is part of the experience on cars like this.
Fantastic. What a great car
I'm a huge fan of the Shelby Cobra, so I automatically approve, and want this
The Seven already was a barebones, basic and performance-first affair when compared to the AC Ace of the time, which was a more typical luxury roadster.
Of course the Seven has its Cobra equivalents too, including several different V8 variants over the years. They must be about as bonkers as the Cobra is, and again not exactly in keeping with the original idea that this new model is celebrating!
I think the trick is to have one of each :D
Brilliant! I was smiling like a child watching this video. Light is right...
This looks like so much fun, it's essentially the 4 wheeled version of a smallbore motorcycle or scooter.
Fantastic video, I came across this after watching Rick the spuds Caterham videos, love the way Caterhams bring the fun back to motoring 👍👍
This makes so much sense as a driving car on modern UK roads. I had a 320bhp xe s. Impressive, but you could barely use that power. My modded '67 austin healey sprite with maybe 80hp (probably less!) Is way, way more fun!
excellent. Now you made me wanna have one 😃
Driving around in that buggy would make my hair a mess, too. Henry is a great presenter to celebrate driving great significant cars.
Henry is one of the greatest car reviewers on the website, up there with Harry Metcalf. I'll never forget the Carfection classic supercar road test. One of my favorite videos of all time
Thanks for this great review from France :)
Lovely little car. The essence. Thx for sharing the passion for cars.
‘Add lightness and simplify’. What a great idea.
This was very well done, enjoyed the neat "tie-ins" with history and the "experience" as it were. Cheers and Thanks.
Thank you Hagerty and Henry. Wonderful back to basics ideology. Fun. Cannot afford a Caterham, but but I love throwing my little 780kg Smart Brabus around - fun and flawed. 👍
The Smart Brabus Roadster is one of the best cars out there for teaching both left foot braking and throttle management to smooth out both upshifts and downshifts. Agree less is more. And less money is even better 😉
I've owned a few Supersports bikes and some decently fast cars. I never understood low horsepower fun until I bought a Honda Grom. If you want to zip around the streets while having fun without killing someone or breaking the law then these are the type of vehicles you need! ❤
Thank you! Wonderful! The style of presentation really gives the message of you don't need much. You just really want to be involved and have fun and enjoy. Very well done!
In a country where it is illegal to do over 70 on public roads, this proves you don't need a massive engine to have fun!
(Citroen C1 racing demonstrates that too!).
Love this video and loved also your earlier video about the Caterham 160 which I have seen tens of times. Your enthusiasm shines through. Since a few months I am the proud owner of a 170S. Fulfillment of a long-lived wish.
I cant wait to get my 1970 Datsun 240Z on the road - hopefully next year
The location of the video is phenomenal ♥️
Bringing fun back to driving .... funny how something so small can be such a giggle.
Love, listening to Henry, talking about cars great video as always
I could watch a new video from Henry everyday. He is my favorite car journalist.
Loved the review, Caterham is still giving a masterclass of the pure driving experience.
This thing reminds me of my 20y old smart roadster. 700cc, 81hp, small, light, quiryk, technically slow, but such a hoot to drive on narrow roads...
Omg, i love that intro!
The face he makes during this...😆👌
EDIT: 460kg is not only less than half the weight of a modern MX5, it´s also pretty much the average weight of an actual horse.
Now imagine a horse with the strength of 84 freakin horses, the power to weight ratio of this thing is CRAZY!
People underestimate the impact of weight in cars massively with the inflated hp numbers nowadays.
My horse is slightly lighter than this car, and he is kinda small.
But his 0-50k time is pretty fast 😂
@@JoshuaTootell😄
I read that "the maximum output of a horse can be up to 15 horsepower, and the maximum output of a human is a bit more than a single horsepower."
Still, imagine a horse with even double its strength. 😀
@@jesuschristiscallingyou953 Yeah, i think that´s correct. Horsepower was defined by the amount of work a horse can do in one workday, most likely to make the back in the days upcoming steam engines look more impressive because they could run day and night. 😅
That´s where the difference comes from.
I’ve been lucky enough to own 2 Caterhams so far. A K series 1.6 super sport, and a 420R (Ford Duratec). The sweeter car was the k series, 150bhp with an engine that loved revs. The 210bhp 420R was the most impressive track day weapon. There are 3 or 4 use cases for Caterhams, and it’s predominantly about engine choice.
I've never been a car person but I remember seeing a Lotus Seven as a kid n I fell in love. Still want one of these some day, they're just so charming and adorable.
beautiful. simple. usable. fun. its has a humble character.
What a brilliant video on all fronts. Thank you.
Great seeing Henry again, thanks Hagerty
Toggle switches - love 'em!
Top quality automotive journalism, thank you.
Watching this, feeling jealous
As a teenager growing up in Atlantic Canada I had four Minis one was a 1977 Cooper S 1275cc dual carb funnest car I ever drove.👍😎🇨🇦
Great vid - totally agree. Something has been lost with the continual power war that goes on. I have just as much enjoyment in my low powered run around as I do in my other car which has 4 times the power. It's so much fun to be able to use the car towards the limits on a public road without going far too fast.
simplicity makes the experience
What a wonderful video and car...and presenter! Please don't ever change Henry. Wonderful stuff.
Pure, unadulterated, organic driving bliss. Great video. I want one!!!
Great little car! Thanks for sharing!
I've always wanted to get one of these as a track car and secondary summer car.
A well produced, and very interesting video.
Good to see you here Mr Catchpole! 😃👍🏻
Fantastic car! Gorgeous place to drive! You're so fortunate! So envious!
Yes, "never stop driving" enjoyed the ride. Reminds me of my Ford Festiva. That was a small four cylinder with small wheels, simple but fun to drive. Hope someday I can own a car like this one you drove. Great video.
I had a 2014 BMW Z4 3.5 for 6 months with a double clutch tranny and twin turbos and thought, “I need to get my 1990 Miata (purchased 6/2/89) out at give it some exercise.” The next day I took the Miata out, threw it into a 90 degree turn in 2nd, power shifted into 3rd on a country road. My thought was, “This is a much more engaging car to drive!” The Z4 was frustrating to drive as I spent all my time keeping my foot out of it. As Jay Leno says, “It’s more fun driving a slow car fast than driving a fast car slow!”
Lovely video and a great little car. I agree that stripping the car back to basics is a perfect way to add enjoyment to your driving - once you start adding power you need bigger brakes, bigger tyres = more weight. Incredibly light even for a Seven.
Love to have an access to such extraordinary pieces. Someday :). WORLD CLASS!... as always.
I love a seven, one of the best cars ever. I had a westfield se 7 for over twenty years, used as a daily driver for a few years, great fun
I’m a massive fan of these three cylinder engines. So much more character than the sea of boring turbo 4’s. Loved hearing you rev this thing out.
Drive a 7 with around 200 bhp and you would not want this bike engine. I have had a couple and 160 - 190 bhp is probably ideal. I currently have an old 1700 crossflow with 135 bhp and it needs 30 more horses at least. Having said that they are all fun.
It's actually a Suzuki kei van engine
It’s like beans on toast with grated cheese and Worcestershire sauce! Perfect. Thanks Henry excellent.
Beautiful - Hopefully we see more of these on our roads in the future.
The enemy of fun is weight, so this should be a lot of fun. Recumbent bikes usually have a narrow pole sticking up in the air with a small flag at the top. This might benefit from the same treatment.
Henry is the Nigel Slater of car journalism, and I mean that as a very serious compliment. Excellent.
Driving a slow car fast is way better than a fast car going slow. I have great enjoyment out of my 40hp Vw beetle that has bus reduction boxes on it which lift the bug but kills stops speed to 62 mph. But 62 mph the bug is more engaging than my normal cars. Cheers. And great video.
Wonderful review. Just in time too. Brilliant change of pace for once.