Tiny Engine, Huge Fun: New Caterham Super Seven 600 | Henry Catchpole - The Driver’s Seat

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.

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[HenryCatchpole]

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.

[YachtReport]

Thank you to Hagerty for allowing us to continue watching Henry on YouTube after the sad demise of Carfection.

[althejazzman]

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.

[MD-uunt]

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.

[thekeccles]

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!

[FarmerTorque]

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.

[allwheeldrive]

We who also have motorcycles - and actually ride them - concur! Love this car. The definition of involvement and bare-naked fun.

[SH]

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!

[NickBosshard]

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!

[au]

The intro was so good. My biggest pet peeve in recent years is a tie between physical buttons and headphone jacks

[thehighwaychild]

I’m so happy Henry and Hagerty found each other. This video made my week!

[GMTron]

I had a Smart Roadster with similar engine and 82hp. One of the most fun cars I ever owned....❤

[AlfieGoodrich]

The early 70s MG Midget I drove for some time gave me the same smile on my face. Great film, Henry.

[KrisFLton]

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…

[shankarbalan]

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!

[sportsterable]

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 DEMANDS (in 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.

[nearlyretired]

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!

[eleveneleven]

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.

[simoncoppingongoogle]

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!

[dbw]

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.