Caterham Seven 160 launches as a back to basics Seven

The Caterham Seven 160 is a new entry-level Caterham Seven, designed to be a basic entry Caterham. Gets 660cc 3-cylinder turbo.

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The promise of 80bhp from a tiny Suzuki 3-cylinder turbo engine may not sound the perfect recipe for a fun little sports car, but wrapped up in the ‘back to basics’ Caterham Seven 160 it very well could be.

Caterham has revealed details of their new entry-level Seven – called 160 – after a tease earlier in the year, which comes with the aforementioned Suzuki 3-pot engine which is powerful enough to promise brisk acceleration of 0-62mph in 6.5 seconds.

Caterham has stripped the 160 back to the bone with very low weight, it gets a five-speed manual – from Suzuki but tweaked by Caterham – and a live rear axle.

It really is back to the ethos of the original Lotus Seven, with very low weight and a small, frugal engine offering lots of thrills on a budget.

And talking of budget, the 160 will cost from just £14,995 if you want to bolt it together yourself or £17,995 if you’d rather just get in and drive.

Caterham Cars Boss, Graham Macdonald, said:

As the Caterham Group as a whole grows and expands into new sectors and industries, our commitment to keep evolving the Seven is very much alive.

The 160 offers something truly different to the entry-level market. It’s more economical, more accessible and every bit as fun on the road as other Sevens but has its own unique personality.

As well as the 160, there will be a European derivative which gets called 165 as it’s tweaked to comply with Euro 5 emissions in Europe.

Production of the 160 and 165 starts in January 2014, with first deliveries expected in the spring.