Wax on, wax off –...
Wax on, wax off – but not straight away! When you polish your car, you want it to last weeks, so endurance is always key to any product we test.
The pace of a Caterham...
The pace of a Caterham has always been enough to shock, but now it will be really electric!
The British maker has announced that itò€™s set to build electric and hybrid versions of its famous two-seater.
While there are no details yet of the power outputs or the technology supplier, boss Ansar Ali has said a battery pack and electric motor will fit under the long bonnet with no appreciable increase in weight.
The electric cars will debut in a one-make race series in 2011, before joining the current range of Ford-powered roadsters in dealers.
Battery costs always inflate prices, but the electric models could slot in beneath the range-topping Ò£40,500 CSR Superlight.
At that price, the Caterham EV would have few rivals.
The Lotus Elise-based Tesla Roadster weighs in at more than twice as much, while the planned electric version of Audiò€™s R8 will top Ò£100,000. Hondaò€™s tamer CR-Z hybrid, due in 2010, will provide some stiff financial competition, at an expected Ò£20,000 ò€“ but itò€™s unlikely to match a Caterhamò€™s thrills.
In the meantime, the firm looks set to add to its range by introducing a new entry-level CSR variant. At the Tokyo Motor Show, the wraps came off the CSR 175, which uses the same 175bhp 2.0-litre Duratec engine as the Seven Roadsport.
Itò€™s billed as a Japan-only car, but the CSR has been certified to meet European standards, which insiders claim hints at a future addition to the range here.
As well as a more sophisticated independent double wishbone suspension set-up than the Seven line-up, the CSR gets a plusher interior.
Three versions of the car are sold in the UK at the moment, all powered by a 2.3-litre Cosworth engine. But by using the 2.0-litre unit, the 175 could undercut the current Ò£33,995 entry price to below Ò£30,000.