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Caterham Seven Gallery
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| DRIVING RATING: |
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Few cars come close, really. Driving a Caterham is back-to-basics performance motoring. It's loud, it's windy, it's noisy, it doesn't ride particularly well, but none of that really matters, to be honest. Occupants sit low - ground clearance is minimal and the seats are virtually on the floor - and the driving position is good, which is great for the race track, enhancing the driving experience and impression of speed, but can pose visibility problems on the road. There's no power steering, no ABS, no traction control; in fact, no electronic gizmos at all, and all the better for it. The steering is immediate, terrifically responsive and accurate, and loaded with feel of what the front wheels are up to. How heavy the steering is depends on which wheels and tyres you've specified, and different engines or whether you're carrying a passenger can change the handling character of a Seven too - they're that sensitive, that communicative. The ride is often harsh, but the trade-off is terrific control of the body's movements and superb responsiveness and agility, allowing you to place the Seven exactly where you want to; and if you want a little slide out of a slow corner now and again, the throttle's response and steering sharpness let you have that too. Brakes are un-assisted, so pedal feel is heavy, but the payback is really adjustable braking pressure. If you're used to driving normal cars, then the alertness of a Seven will blow you away - it feels more like karting than regular, cocooned motoring.
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