Caterham Seven 2006 (06)

The Caterham Seven traces its roots back to the Lotus 7. During the 1960s and 1970s, Caterham Cars was a leading supplier of Lotus 7s, making it the natural choice when Lotus announced its intention to cease production, to acquire the rights to continue building and developing the platform.Now, over 50 years on, you will find at any race circuit across the UK, a gaggle of Caterhams ready to swarm on track. Caterham did not just keep building the original; they developed, creating a Caterham for all shapes and sizes, from low-powered original-inspired examples to bonkers fire-breathing specials with more than 550 BHP per tonne.This particular car is a 2006 Caterham 7 Roadsport SV140, which is quite the mouthful. So, to break it down. Roadsport is a trim level, a do-it-all kind of car, as comfortable on a B-road as it is on track. SV is a larger chassis that offers significantly more space for larger drivers, whilst adding just 25kg of weight.The styling is very similar to that of the original cars, though minor tweaks have been made over the years. Finished in Gunmetal grey, the car wears its contrasting black decals with pride, seamlessly blending a menacing stance with a happy, friendly face. The car sits on a set of unique Caterham alloys, which are wrapped in sticky Nankang NS2-R semi-slick tyres.The interior is predictably sparse, with just black leather seats, a handful of switches, gauges and a MOMO three-spoke steering wheel. The only form of creature comfort comes from a clip-on tonneau roof and a 12V power socket to charge your phone. It also has a heated windscreen and an actual heater. Under the bonnet is a 1.8-litre twin-cam Rover K-Series engine. The K-Series gets a lot of flak, but it is a remarkable engine. It is all aluminium sandwich construction, which means that it is not only incredibly strong, but incredibly light, weighing in at less than 100kgs.This unit is a 140BHP variant, but modified engines regularly make close to and sometimes over 200BHP. It has an enormous aftermarket support network, thanks to its use in both Lotus and MG Rover models. The rev-hungry K-series has been regularly maintained and is fitted to a 5-speed manual gearbox. It was serviced in May 2024, and in April 202,3 the cambelt and waterpump were replaced.Caterham ownership is all about the driving experience. The raucous noise, the looks, the feeling and the nostalgia combine to make something truly unique and truly special. This one has covered just 23,326 miles and has had just 4 owners. Something often imitated but never duplicated.As with all our vehicles, an entire digital folder is available upon request and contains more images, walk-around videos, and scans of the service history. The car can also be viewed by appointment at our West London showroom.