Watch the Caterham CSR260 take the top spot on Stig's track
It is the supreme testament to the capabilities of the Caterham CSR260 that it captured the track record on Top Gear's test track. The unsuspecting CSR260 lapped TG's test track faster than a Koenigsegg CCX, a Pagani Zonda F, a Maserati MC12, or even an Enzo. If this isn't an advertisement for the less-is-more philosophy of Colin Chapman, we don't know what is. The real cool bit is you can watch the fast Caterham do its business in real time at Dunlop's Injection.tv by clicking the Read link. Check it out, it's the best 1 minute 17.4 seconds you'll spend today.
[Source: Dunlop via Pistonheads]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Meckser 2:52PM (10/27/2006)
Course it had special track tires on it, while the other top performers had street tires, so its a completely irrelevant comparision, nice try though.
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JS 2:57PM (10/27/2006)
Gee...and to think you can get this here in the states...save roughly $480,000 from the lowest priced model to buy a house, a garage, spare parts, a sweet TV, and plenty of lap time to really hone my skills and I can still beat *almost anything on the road! Ill take one please! Chapman had it right all along...when will other car manufacturer's realize this?
*almost denotes the existance of "modified" cars on the road that might be able to run faster...but blow up quicker.
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mauthbaux 3:16PM (10/27/2006)
Sorry for this post being mildly off-topic.
This brings back memories of my first game of Gran Turismo 4. I was a GT3(A) junkie and so I transferred over my game to 4 (all the licenses and 100k extra cash to start). I browsed through the car listing. A Caterham Seven! I had wanted to drive one, but this was probably as close as I was going to get. I bought the Seven, and used ALL of my extra cash to 'trick it out.'
With my pristine Seven ready in all of its modified glory, I headed to the first set of races. What!?!? 'The Caterham Seven is a special car and cannot be raced here' (I'm paraphrasing, but it was something to that effect). I tried racing elsewhere, only to meet similar failure. Turns out you can't really race the seven anywhere in the game except the test track. So I'm stuck with an awesome car, all my licenses, but no money and nowhere to race.
So I reset the game and started over with a Lotus instead :-)
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Jeff the Baptist 3:17PM (10/27/2006)
Course it had special track tires on it, while the other top performers had street tires, so its a completely irrelevant comparision, nice try though.
Since the tires were completely road legal and a factory option on the 7, it might not be as irrelevant as you think.
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Graham 3:28PM (10/27/2006)
Wow, it's faster than "the Maserati MC12, the Ferrari MC12, and the now toppled champion customised Koenisgsegg CSX."
Jesus, who wrote that?
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Fabulo 3:44PM (10/27/2006)
Lighter = faster = better handling = better mileage = better acceleration
Not necessarily safer though.
Caterham (and other light kit cars) definitely rules.
Now is it available in the us?
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JS 4:01PM (10/27/2006)
You rang?
http://www.uscaterham.com/
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Andrew 4:59PM (10/27/2006)
Around second 36 driver's feet are shown. How may pedals does this have?
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david 5:22PM (10/27/2006)
OOO a whole 0.2 seconds faster than a much more beautiful car that can carry a passenger and is much more a marvel of engineering.
Yes, I am impressed with the caterham, but saying that it's faster than the Koenigsegg dosen't mean much. Two different cars, and for the most part, two different purposes.
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Disco Stu 6:21PM (10/27/2006)
I love Caterhams for their pure rawness. Cool video.
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SamMalone 1:45PM (10/28/2006)
Wow that track had good weather for once. At least several of those other car's times have been set in the "wet".
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kent woodworth 10:00PM (10/27/2006)
Fast, yes. Street legal tires, HELL NO!! Also not stock roll bar for CSR model=Extra rigidity. Let me brace and install "track day tires" on an MC12, Enzo ,Koenigg, Pagani or Benz SLR and they would all do sub 1:17's. I also question the street legality of a car with no horn on the steering wheel. For the money though it is a VERY cool car.
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RocketPunch 1:40AM (10/28/2006)
Yeah, the CSR260 is on the top of my dream car list along with the Atom. I like the CSR more cause it is "relatively" more streetable. the CSR will cost you around $70K (yup, I asked)
"Hello Aaron,
A CSR less engine and transmission will run you about 44K. Right now the only engine package we are offering is the Cosworth 260 hp dry sump Duratec with Caterham 6 spd. transmission. That package will run you about 22K. While it is expensive to many seven enthusiast- it is a cheap supercar with supercar numbers! If I can answer more questions- let me know,
Cody"
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M 2:17PM (10/29/2006)
Hmm, I want to see the Stig race that on his track. How can you have someone else do it and put it on the same list of track times as the rest of the Top Gear times?
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superseven 11:09AM (11/01/2006)
Where can I get me some of them special tires?
My friends all have Z07 Corvettes, Ford GTs, Ferrari F430s and Dodge Vipers
and I want to beat their pants off with my Caterham Classic!
Wonder how much faster the Stig would go?
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superseven 5:56PM (11/02/2006)
response to #8
4 pedals are shown
from right to left are
1 throttle pedal to accelerate, blip for downshifts and slow up-shifts, and for cornering yaw control
2 brake pedal to slow down, stop and cornering yaw control
3 clutch pedal for standing starts, changing gears and spin-outs "both feet in"
4 false pedal to rest left foot when not using the clutch pedal
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