The Caterham Superlight R500 is designated by Top Gear as its 2008 ‘Car of the Year’. The most tremendous variant of the well-known Seven appeared on the famous BBC show for the first time early in December, immediately leaving a lasting impression on presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.
In the hands of Top Gear’s ‘unknown’ test driver, The Stig, the R500 put in one of the most optically stunning laps around Dunsfold, their standard test circuit. Without any driver aids, the Seven stayed on course to a lap time that disgraced vehicles costing over ten times as much. In spite of the incredibly cold conditions, the £37,000 Seven was slower by under a second compared to the supreme record around the ‘Top Gear lap’ and fast enough to get the overall fifth fastest time, which the £1million Bugatti Veryon formerly held.
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