Category: Affordable Sports 
Price Range: No data available
Supercar-slaying performance, beautifully balanced handling, great six-speed 'box, racecar-with-numberplates looks.
Unforgiving ride, no ABS, excessive care is needed in standing water.
Hardcore R300 is at home on the road and is our pick of the Caterham range.
Small-volume car makers frequently struggle to create cars with the reliability of their mass-produced competitors, but Caterham sensibly sources engines from Ford that should prove as strong and robust as they do under the bonnet of a Mondeo.
The firm does manufacturer the six-speed gearbox that clonks alarmingly at times, but we've heard no reports of premature failures.
The previous Roadsport we tested (the 175) had a noisy rear diff (that was about to be replaced under warranty) and it was a relief the R300's sounded far healthier. It is worth noting that some Caterhams suffer the odd electrical gremlin, but these are usually simple to fix.
When it comes to quality it's best to approach a Caterham with the mindset the firm spends its cash where it counts for the enthusiastic driver, honing and improving the 7's drive and making it quicker than ever before.
That said the R300 impressed after the 175. That car felt a little old-fashioned and we were disappointed with some of the materials. Thankfully the R300 gains a classy carbon-fibre dash and a great-feeling Momo steering wheel, plus some serious and expensive-looking composite seats that suit the Superlight's character perfectly.
