IN THIS FEATURE McLaren in the rearview mirror 45 years and still going strong Total update The enthusiast's dream car

You will know the Caterham Seven, the shape's been around for over 45 years, after all. It started life as the Lotus 7 and its success helped establish Lotus as one of Britain's pre-eminent sports car manufacturers. But by 1973, the 7 had no further future in the plans Lotus's maverick founder, Colin Chapman, who sold the rights to the car to his dealer down in Caterham, Surrey. It was duly renamed the Caterham Seven and has been embarrassing supercars ever since.

But while the CSR260 may look outwardly similar to all those that have gone before, it represents the most radical update in the history of the car. Caterham says it's over 85 percent new and when you consider that the chassis, engine, most of the bodywork, the interior, braking system and suspension are all being seen for the first time, you have little trouble believing it. Most importantly, though, it is an addition to the range and not a replacement for it; the current Seven will continue in production for the foreseeable future, allowing people to sample Seven-style motoring for as little as £15,000.

Interior is barebones: don't expect creature comforts

Several factors motivated the design of the CSR260, only one of which is the clearly unhinged mental state of its creators. Caterham wanted a flagship model so that its more affordable products could bask in its reflected glory, but it also knew that its existing car was reaching the limits of its development potential.