All eight, £115,000 Caterham RS Levantes sold out
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Caterham RS V8 Levante
With only eight examples of the Caterham RS V8 Levante being produced, it's no surprise that well-to-do track-tards have snatched up all of them after it went on sale this spring.
The 500-hp Caterham is packing a supercharged 2.4-liter V8 driving the rear wheels through a six-speed gearbox, and with a body comprised almost entirely of carbon fiber, Kevlar and aluminum, the 1,150-pound ode to maximizing minimalist motoring is able to hit 60 in under three seconds. That kind of firepower isn't cheap, with each example fetching £115,000, and thankfully, Caterham is requiring all the RS Levante's owners to enlist in a two-day advanced driving school when they take delivery.
Check out all the details about the Caterham RS V8 Levante here and make the jump to read the automaker's press release, along with a video of the Levante in action.
Gallery: Caterham RST-V8 Levante
PRESS RELEASE
Caterham RS Levante – Sold Out
Despite the recent decline in car sales and consumer spending, all of the £115,000 plus Caterham-based Levante supercars scheduled for production have been sold.
Launched in Spring 2008, the Levante is the most powerful production Caterham ever, with only eight being hand-built by Hertfordshire-based RS Performance in association with Caterham Cars.
The Levante boasts RS Performance's unique, in-house designed supercharged 500+bhp 2.4 litre V8 engine, housed in a modified version of the lightweight Caterham SV chassis. With close to 1000bhp-per-tonne, the figure is nearly double that of the Bugatti Veyron.
With its modern and aggressive interpretation of the Seven's classic looks, the Levante possesses a sophisticated electronics package, including traction and launch control, to allow drivers to get the most from the incredible machine.
All new owners of Caterham RS models are required to attend a two-day advanced driving course on delivery of their machines.
Caterham sales & marketing director, Andy Noble, commented: 'The fact that all eight Levantes have been sold so quickly comes as no surprise. Over the last 51 years, the Seven has created and met the demand for those searching for the purest form of driving available. For drivers looking for the ultimate, the Levante facilitates that by taking Colin Chapman's original design to a staggering new level.'
In parallel to the success of the Caterham RS Levante, Caterham Cars enjoyed one of its best ever sales periods this summer thanks to the arrival of the critically acclaimed Superlight R500 and the expansion of the Academy race series from two to three grids for the 2009 season.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
hatchbacks are cool 3:12PM (10/16/2008)
Yes if theres only 8 of them you would expect them to sell quickly .
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matt 3:19PM (10/16/2008)
2.4L V8 @ 500+bhp???
What kind of RPMs are we talking here? Does this thing have the scream of an F1 car? (Sorry can't watch vid, at work)
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Torrent 3:34PM (10/16/2008)
Sounds like a loud ass bumblebee...
I want one.
dac 3:38PM (10/16/2008)
500+ bhp @ 10000.
300 lb/ft torque @ 8500.
Out of a supercharged 2.4L V8.
Coolest little car ever.
larry a 8:43PM (10/16/2008)
so worth it!! i love everything about it
Paul P. 3:28PM (10/16/2008)
After watching the video I want one! That thing is insane, in all the right ways!
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fixitfixitstop 3:33PM (10/16/2008)
2.4 V8....that's smaller than the Hartley Hyabusa Frankenmotor!
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Kaveh 3:34PM (10/16/2008)
Wow, it's totally insane, I bet it can bend time itself.
I would probably put full race seats in it so I won't get whiplash from the g force, it looks insane
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Quattrofan 3:50PM (10/16/2008)
Kudos to Caterham for offering driving classes. This thing SCREAMS!
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innoc3nt 4:07PM (10/16/2008)
WOW. 500 hp @ 10,000 RPM from a 2.4L V8 in a 1150 lb car. Those are some stats to die for right there.
Forget the Veyron, that's right up there with the Caparo T1!
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ichime 4:21PM (10/16/2008)
This or Caparo T1?
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Michael 4:26PM (10/16/2008)
OMG!
I don't think I've ever giggled like that in my life before.
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Golferal 4:43PM (10/16/2008)
You guys (and gals) are probably going to hate me for saying this, but I don't care how fast it is when it's that ugly. There is not one angle from which this car looks even remotely appealing, and I usually love quirky cars.
At least I don't have to worry about even the remote possibility of one landing in my garage.
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Chase 7:03PM (10/16/2008)
That's blasphemy. Caterhams have one of the most classic shapes. They've looked the same since 1973, and the shape is very similar to race cars, F1s even, of the 1950s.
HotRodzNKustoms 4:58PM (10/16/2008)
I think my head just exploded...
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ken_aisin 7:39PM (10/16/2008)
Here's an alternative: The Caterham R-Type Hayabusa, which also goes 0-62 below 3 seconds.
http://www.super7cars.com/Super7_R-Type_Hayabusa.html
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Tony 10:15PM (10/16/2008)
As much as would love to have a Super 7 or it's brethren. Being 6'3" tall with size 13 shoes makes that dream, just a dream. I have seen them in action especially when we take our XJS convertible to the British car show. A horrific moment happen on our last journey when an eighteen wheeler didn't see the Lotus beside him and swerved hard over to avoid another idiot. Luckily the 7 had just enough room between the legs of the trailer and the guard rail. I was fully expecting little chunks of metal to come out the back of the truck. The wife of the Lotus driver later told me she was really more concerned that her husband would hit the guard rail. I know I lost a year or two watching that.
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bhtooefr 2:07PM (10/17/2008)
This is the SV chassis, though, which is quite a lot larger.
I've actually ridden in a Classic chassis Caterham (with a 270 hp naturally aspirated (obviously, heavily modified) 2.0L GM Family II motor.) I probably wouldn't have been able to drive it, and it was EXTREMELY cramped. Oh, and I'm 6'1" and wear size 12 or 13 shoes. But, an SV would've been OK.