The Seven 310 Encore will be the last Ford Sigma-engined Caterham
The Seven 310 Encore will be the last Ford Sigma-engined Caterham
Sniff, here endeth 50 years of 1.6-litre Ford engines in Caterhams... and only 25 will be built
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It's the end of an era for Caterham, as it bids farewell to its partnership with the Ford Sigma engine - which it has utilized since 2007 - with this Seven 310 Encore edition.
Limited to just 25 cars and priced at £39,995 apiece, the open-top two-seater will be the last we see of that naturally aspirated 1.6-litre four-pot and its 152bhp. We're not crying, you're crying. Get your five-speed manual changes bob on, and its 0-62mph in around five seconds before levelling out at 127mph.
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The Encore also gets several key mechanical changes over a standard Seven, inspired by the 310R Championship. Those include a lighter flywheel, sports suspension with adjustable springs, a wider track and a firmer anti-roll bar. Thicker 254mm vented discs sit out front, fed by a new, race-grade brake master cylinder.
As a result of these changes, the Encore can lap Donington Park in 1m18s. Which is really rather fast indeed.
There's a few styling changes over a regular 310 too, including a 620R-esque aero nose cone, carbon fibre front wing panels and the grille from a Cup racer. The exhaust heat shield also gets a new cover, and there's a gun metal finish for the chassis. Throw in the tiny 13in Apollo alloys and black windscreen surrounds, and it's a neat little package all round.
Caterham will also offer customers a choice of six unique body finishes named after well-known pop and rock songs, including 'Blue Monday', 'Orange Crush' and 'White Noise'. No sign of a Linkin Park-inspired 'Purple Papercut' though.
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As with all models from the Kent-based marque, the cabin stays simple. You'll get black seats with dark grey stitching and four-point harnesses, a carbonised dashboard and lots of Encore edition logos. Other than the individual number plaque along the centre console, not much else to report on here.
Bob Laishley, the CEO of Caterham Cars, had a few words to sign off a most excellent partnership: 'For over 50 years, the Caterham Seven has been powered to success by various versions of Ford's four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine.
'From the simplicity of the original 1.6-litre Crossflow through to the sophisticated Sigma, these units have offered an unrivalled blend of exhilarating performance and affordable running costs. The Sigma also has incredible motorsport pedigree, having been at the heart of numerous Caterham race series for nearly two decades.
'As a result, the Seven 310 Encore really is a proper tribute to this long-lasting and unique association. Perfectly designed for road and track, it distils all the successes of the last half century into a unique vehicle that truly acts as a fitting celebration of the Ford Sigma's indelible mark on Caterham history.'
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So where does that leave Caterham's inventory? Well there's Suzuki's chirrupy 660cc turbo found in the likes of the Super Seven 600, plus Ford's trusty 2.0-litre Duratech and Horse Technologies' 1.3-litre turbo for its Academy cars. And in the future? A lightweight electric sportscar powered by Yamaha.
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