Having recently unveiled at the recent Monterey Car Week in California, the Caterham 360 and 480 will be available to the eager enthusiasts Stateside. Being a more modern version of the Lotus Seven despite its fairly similar looks, the cars are an open top two-seater that rides on the philosophy of mechanical simplicity and being superlight.
Both of these US-spec Caterhams are powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder Ford Duratec engine that pushes out 180-horsepower and 143 lb-ft of torque for the 360, and a heftier 237-horsepower and 152 lb-ft of torque for the 480. The engine is mated to a six-speed gearbox that sends all the power to the rear tires.
Of course, those figures might sound minute in today’s context, but one should remember that the Sevens weigh close to nothing. Tipping the scales just a little bit over 515kg, zerotohundred is dealt in just 4.9 seconds for the 360, and a quicker 3.4 seconds for the 480. The 480 has a higher top speed of 225km/h, while the 360 is more than comfortable with a 209km/h.
