02 Apr 07
The max torque arrives earlier in the R400 than it does in the CSR260, which makes the R400 feel a little more eager at lower speed - you now just need a fraction of a millimetre's movement from the accelerator to get up to scary speed, rather than a full millimetre in the CSR.
Around the track, the Caterham shines - even making my ham-fisted attempts look good. The steering again is super-sharp and the brakes are strong, but there's something not quite right. It's not the power: that's definitely there, although you have to feed it in gradually in order to keep yourself going in the right direction. It's not the gearbox, either, despite it needing accurate guidance between gears - especially from fifth to fourth. No, it's the helmet.
Driving a Caterham with a helmet cuts you off from so many of the sensations that make driving one so special. The wind, the noise, the smells, the stones bouncing off your forehead - with a helmet, everything is muffled into the background. Your visibility is hampered by the letterbox opening, so you can't see what the suspension's doing, nor accurately plant the outside wheel just millimetres from the apex.
After a few laps, I trundle back to the pits feeling a little let down. Obviously, when your first experience is the top of the range, anything else it is going to feel inferior. But that's not it, as I still rate my time in the Classic higher.
