If a two-seater, lightweight sports car that does not look a typical sports car gets your interest piques, you must have heard of Caterham. Or at least seen it somewhere. For those who know Caterham, there is something new to rejoice in. Well, not if you live outside Europe because the new Caterham Seven 340 is only for Europeans.

The new Caterham Seven 340 is here to replace the Seven 275 which had to be discontinued because Ford stopped making the Sigma engines that used to power the Seven 275. Instead, Caterham decided to up the game by using a naturally aspirated, 2-liter, four-cylinder Ford Duratec engine that delivers 172HP as opposed to 134.6HP that the Seven 275 delivered. The Caterham Seven 275 used to do 0-62mph run in a little over 5 seconds, and we expect the Seven 340 to outdo the Seven 275 by a decent margin.

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The Caterham Seven 340 Is A Hoon-Machine

Caterham Seven 340 Front Three Quarters Image
Via: Caterham

One look at a Caterham car and you know it will be fun. Most of the Caterham cars are light and deliver exceptional power to weight ratio. In fact, the Caterham 620 R had a power to weight ratio of 568 hp/tonne which is more than most of the supercars even today. The Caterham Seven 340 here is no exception, and with its 172HP engine, it might not be as ‘dangerous’as a 620 R, but it will still deliver an exhilarating experience.

Caterham will let the buyers choose between two options of the Seven 340 – S and R. The road-legal Seven 340S is more forgiving and will attract buyers who want to use it on highways for a grander ‘touring experience’. The Caterham Seven 340S will have features like a five-speed manual gearbox, road suspension pack, 14” classic alloy wheels, full windscreen, hood and side screens, and black leather seats for a more nimble time on the roads.

Caterham Seven 340 Rear Image
Via: Caterham

The fun quotient starts rising with the Caterham Seven 340R, which will lure someone who would like it to take it to a track to test its abilities. To make it more suited for a track day, the Seven 340R will come loaded with a limited-slip differential, sport suspension pack, 15” Orcus alloy wheels, four-point road harnesses, carbon-fibre dashboard and? a composite aeroscreen. These two options mean that the Caterham Seven 340 will appeal to a larger audience by catering to two very different sets of people.

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Who Gets To Drive The Caterham Seven 340?

Caterham Seven 340 Front Image
Via: Caterham

Just the Europeans and Japanese for now. The duo of the Caterham Seven 340R and the 340S has been reserved only for the European markets and the Japanese market for now. It will arrive at the European dealerships first, and the Japanese fanatics will have to wait a little longer till more information is available on the dates when the Seven 340 will reach the Japanese shores, and the prices of the two trims.

The price for the Caterham Seven 340S and the Seven 340R have been kept at €45,700.00 (~$47,352) and €47,200.00, (~$48,906) respectively. Some countries in Europe, like Spain, might feel left out due to no Caterham dealerships in those countries, but we are sure that the Caterham fans will find a way around it.

Caterham Seven 340 Front Image
Via: Caterham

Commenting on the new Caterham Seven 340, Bob Laishley, CEO of Caterham Cars said, “We are delighted to expand our EU range with the new Seven 340 following sustained demand to fill the gap in our range left by the discontinuation of Seven 275. Thanks to Seven 340 being available with an S and R pack, it really is the do everything Caterham. It’s a car that lends itself perfectly to those long road trips and Sunday drives, while the R version is more than capable of setting blistering lap times across Europe’s premium race circuits.”

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The Caterham Carries The Legacy Of Colin Chapman's Lotus Seven

Caterham Seven 340 Front Three Quarters Image
Via: Caterham

The British carmaker Caterham knows how to seduce people. For those, who have not heard much about this lightweight sports car manufacturer, it has a lineage that links it directly to Lotus – one of the most iconic carmakers the world has ever seen in the second half of the 20th century. It was 1957 when the legendary Colin Chapman decided to build a two-seater sports car that was a right mix of joy and thrill.

Caterham Seven 340 Front Three Quarters Image
Via: Caterham

On the same principle, he built Lotus Seven and then decided to can the idea in order to move closer to satiate the genius that he was. Once the guys at Caterham – the largest distributor of the Lotus Seven back then – heard about this move, they bought the rights to make and sell the car that the world was beginning to like and witness. After taking the biggest decisions of their lives almost half a century ago, the folks at Caterham are still making two-seater cars that are synonymous with fun, adrenaline, and joy at the same time. With auto markets experimenting on a regular basis to attract all sorts of people, Caterham is finding more and more loyalists with each passing day. We hope that Caterham continues to do what they do best. Deliver fun and thrill at the same time in a two-seat format.