Caterham SP/300.R

[Ecnelis]

Caterham SP/300.R

Caterham SP/300.R
The future of motorsport. Today.

It’s always been about driving. The feeling of the car beneath you, inspiring you to push boundaries. The aggression of the acceleration and braking forces acting on your body. The satisfaction of placing the car with absolute precision. The way the car communicates with you, constantly feeding a stream of data to every sense, synapse and nerve ending. Only a true driver knows these feelings. This is driving.

As with all Caterhams, the SP/300.R has first and foremost been developed as a true driver’s car. It doesn’t matter how fast a car is, if it isn’t rewarding to drive it will never be truly thrilling. However, the SP/300.R fuses all of Caterham’s core brand values such as durability, ease of use, practicality for racing and low maintenance costs with Lola’s technologically advanced approach to research and development. Working alongside Lola Cars, we have the perfect alchemy of British engineering superiority and rich motorsport heritage to deliver a lightweight, minimalist product that amplifies Colin Chapman’s Seven philosophy, yet conveys everything Caterham and Lola stand for today.

The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium. Home to the notorious Eau Rouge. The distracting wall of asphalt towers steeply above you, looming ever larger as you race towards it. It dominates your peripheral vision, filling the entire sky. You remain completely focused on the apex though; any slight hesitation will be punished along the eternity of the Kemmel straight. You sweep left then right with millimetre precision, going faster than you believed possible. The aerodynamics pin the car to the surface as the supercharger begins to impose it’s will on the laws of physics. Your inexorable acceleration towards 290kph continues unabated. The next corner begins to come into view. This is SP/300.R.

Technical specification

At the heart of the SP/300.R is an extensive technical specification which unlike many racing cars includes a very comprehensive list of standard equipment with no hidden costs or expensive extras required. Standard specification includes:

Engine Supercharged Ford Duratec 2.0L
Max Power 305PS @ 7500rpm
Push-to-Pass Power 335PS @ 7800rpm
Max Torque 290Nm @ 7500rpm
0-60mph (claimed) 2.8s
Top Speed 290kph
Wheelbase 2600mm
Overall Length 4200mm
Overall Width 1700mm
Height 1015mm
Downforce 450kg @ 250kph
Weight 545kg

Powertrain
• Caterham supercharged Ford Duratec 1999cc
• Rotrex supercharger with charge air cooling
• Aero optimised induction
• Uprated conrods, pistons and bearings
• Dry sump oil system
• High efficiency ducted cooling system (40oC ambient)
• Aero optimised high level ducted quiet exhaust
• Hewland FTR six speed sequential gearbox
• Shiftec paddle shift system
• Dual plate sintered clutch
• Limited slip differential

Suspension
• Adjustable pushrod activiated coil-over spring-dampers
• Adjustable anti-roll bars front and rear
• Lola Formula 3 gearbox mounted suspension

Chassis and Body
• Lola-developed aluminium honeycomb monocoque chassis
• Seven-piece lightweight polyurethane body system
• Lola-developed aero package, including:
– Adjustable carbon rear wing
– Composite front splitter
– Composite rear diffuser
– Aero optimised dive planes
– Three stage downforce configuration
• Quick lifting onboard air jack system
• Left or right hand drive
• Schroth six point harnesses
• MSA specification twin roll over protection hoops
• MSA specification front crash structure
• FIA approved fuel cell with external filling point

Braking System
• AP Racing braking system
• AP Racing adjustable pedal box

Wheels and Tyres
• ATS centre-lock Formula 3 wheels 9x13 and 10.5x13
• Cooper Formula 3 size bespoke slick tyres

Electronics
• Front low/high beam lights with permanent LED running lights
• Rear LED running lights with integrated brake lights
• High-intensity rain light
• Pectel engine and gearbox management system with integrated data logging
• Momo steering wheel with integral driver display system

[Ecnelis]

Caterham SP/300.R #2

[Ecnelis]

Caterham SP/300.R #3

The SP/300.R from Caterham and LOLA

[Magnum9987]

So its a watered down Caparo T1?

Come on, the Caterham 7 is so pure and simple that this looks simply like an exersize to squeeze a few more dollars out of people. And forgive me if I'm wrong, but the wheelbase on this looks longer and the track wider than on a RS500....

Not to mention the regular 7 is much classier.

[fpv_gtho]

Not to mention the regular 7 is much classier.

But a pig aerodynamically. 450kg of downforce at 250km/h will make it feel alot different at speed as well. No doubt this is a different kind of product than the 7 but that shouldnt take anything away from it.

[csl177]

Caterham's 7 has it's place but this is a logical step for the company. Working with Lola the SP addresses a market that includes Diasio, Radical, Dallara, Stohr and several others. Looks like a nice package... simplicity of service and setup is key so it should fare well.

[Dino Scuderia]

Push to pass? They use that in those series?

[henk4]

Push to pass? They use that in those series?

well, if you have a supercharger it is easy.
The Radical series (NA engines) don't have it as far as I know.

[thebrochureman]

So its a watered down Caparo T1?

Come on, the Caterham 7 is so pure and simple that this looks simply like an exersize to squeeze a few more dollars out of people. And forgive me if I'm wrong, but the wheelbase on this looks longer and the track wider than on a RS500....

Not to mention the regular 7 is much classier.

looks cool. i think this will do Caterham good, the Caterham 7 is a very good car and so are caterham other car but i think this will help them move on and Produce a more modern car plus because it’s got Lola’s technologically it will have fantastic handling.
I agree its like a watered down Caparo, but lets hope its more Reliable than one.

[derekthetree]

Looks good, trying to push into radicals territory and avoiding the Caterham 21 route.

[LHamilton_w]

Interesting car. Don't like that everyone wants in on the LED drl's, but at least it integrates well on the car.

[Cobrafan427]

I wouldn't say it's a watered down Caparo because the Caparo was supposed to be an F1 car for the road, this is more along the lines of Le Mans prototype for the road a la Radical and the others as csl stated

[clutch-monkey]

Interesting car. Don't like that everyone wants in on the LED drl's, but at least it integrates well on the car.

everyone wants in on them because they're mandatory by law now iirc..

[Matra et Alpine]

LED = fraction of the weight of a bulb, reflector and lens

If ( as expected ) it matches the handling/performance of the superlight seven copies then it's a BIG PLUS as now you wont get covered in wheel spray from the fronts every time you corner in the wet at speed

[csl177]

LED = fraction of the weight of a bulb, reflector and lens

Why sad face, Matra? LED performance with lighter weight is a good thing.