Black? Of course it is black. It was just an experience of excitement and fear to witness the behavior of the most threatening new Caterham Seven when it was taken out of the trailer. Any other color looks wrong.

The little warrior appeared backwards, first revealing its square back, then the last pillar of its very bright and very large roll cage, and then the shine of Avon's smooth fat sidewalls. Next is the rolling pin exhaust muffler, and then the windshield-or no windshield-before the exhaust pipe splits into four and dives into the long, long nose of the aluminum body, just before the big number seven, but after The fenders are still cute to some extent. In a few seconds, that was it: Caterham Seven Championship UK Racecar showed off all its unforgettable, insanity glory.

This single-seater seven is not the most powerful seven currently sold by Caterham. This honor goes to the 620, whose supercharged 310bhp makes it a match for any supercar. Champions are a different proposition.

It is not supercharged, so only 175bhp, although even then, its power-to-weight ratio is roughly equivalent to the latest Porsche 911 GT3. In any case, the championship succeeded elsewhere. As a pure racer designed for the highest level of Caterham's four-level single-brand championship series, it is not subject to the rules of the road, just like the 620. Therefore, there is no windshield, and the new tires for the 2021 season are all-smooth tires.

According to road car standards, the gearbox is also different. It is Sadef’s six-speed sequential device. It has appeared in Caterhams where roads are legal in the past, which is true, but it is a rare thing, and through smooth upshifts and delicious mechanical actions, it raises the behavior of gear swapping to a level, even if it is The most sophisticated people can't provide a dual-clutch automatic transmission with satisfaction. It is located between Caterham's Ford 2.0-liter Duratec engine (in this case, naturally aspirated) and the Titan limited-slip differential located in the rear axle of De Dion.

With the advent of oil slicks and the greater forces they generate, the tubes have additional support, and the A-frame has become stiffer to prevent cracking. The spring comes from Eibach and the damper comes from Bilstein. Also in 2021, there will be additional camber adjustment due to the new suspension arm.

After falling directly in from the top of the cage, the molded "seat"—actually just padding to prevent you from rolling around—allows you to lean further back than any highway seven-seater chair. It's very narrow, your eyeliner traverses the top of the quick-release Momo steering wheel, you just need to smash your interesting bones in the unlined metal of the tall transmission tunnel, and you know that bouncing off the rumbling vocal cord is what you should be prepared for event.

Step on the clutch, 420R skimmed neatly along the pit lane of Llandow, the exhaust noise is loud, the steering is like concrete, the differential makes a terrible noise, the throttle is very sensitive, you will swear that they have put the kangaroo gasoline in The fuel tank is gone. The fuel tank has no gauges, but it is said to be able to hold it for 45 minutes. We are far from the relative luxury and comfort of the 420R road bike, but in fact, if there is nothing, it will be extremely disappointing.

On the track, the first task is to get heat into the tires. This is no easy task. I pushed a few laps on the cold rubber, and then came in. John Byrne-an affable and knowledgeable single support team who also happens to be the champion of multiple Caterham series-tell me you can't even warm your fingers on this rubber. excellent.

After that, you still need to run a few more laps-and realize that this is really a car with only some residual road DNA, not a road car that has been enlarged to the largest-to start unlocking this thing correctly. This is an important epiphany, because from this point on, you begin to treat the car more roughly, which is exactly what it wants. You step on the brakes harder and harder, marveling at how the gearbox instinctively matches the engine and road speed. Then, you re-use the ultra-sensitive throttle earlier and earlier: you swear that this kind of behavior will deform the car at a point just one, two, or three meters before you swear four laps.

Now this hardcore seven is really starting to click. It is hot, noisy, sparse and stiff, but it is also very active. A flat upshift that pulls the short rod backwards will hit hard at the red line of the engine's hiss, because there is no synchronizer, where the drive is the most stable.

This car has shift lights, but there is no need to take your eyes off the track. This is completely immersed in the driving behavior. The balanced and cohesive 420R hopes to enter the unassisted but light steering through precise and confident input (the rack is also faster than any road-driving car No. 7) and pedal similar.

Avon is also a revelation. Even in half-baked situations, they will produce grip, which cannot be easily calculated if you are used to testing road cars. At close to the proper operating temperature, combined with such a light car, their towing capacity is profound. You need more downforce. However, they are much better than you think. In fact, to experience the championship in depth, you need to enjoy the feeling of the chassis floating slightly above the surface of the track, because like the old single-seater racing car, the 200-knot rear requires a certain roll angle for best results. This car is so happy. Replacing the steering lock with power is the fastest way and the most fun.

What distinguishes these seven people from the road car is that you can get rid of it completely in this way, but it will never feel that it will come automatically or punish you in a dangerous way. This is an expressive machine, with a lot of bark and a lot of bite, but also a lot of enthusiastic licking.

In fact, Caterham was so inspiring that I eventually wanted more balanced oversteer, even after relatively little time with the car. This can be achieved by adding an anti-roll bar to the rear (to my surprise, neither the front nor the rear ARB is installed in this example), or the inclination of the car can be increased through a spring bracket. However, doing both things at the same time may make the processing too avant-garde.

Naturally, the brilliance of the championship track comes at the cost of versatility. An old Porsche Cayman R costs about the same and still rewards effortlessly on the track, but it is much wider. There is no shortage of legal alternatives to second-hand roads; the S3 Lotus Export Cup is just one of them. Caterham's own CSR-style independent rear suspension will also make the championship more elegant, and the extra mid-range torque will be good.

So it's not perfect, but the championship still feels like the ultimate track day experience from an authority driver. Coupled with the potential for unlimited settings of experiments, it is not only unique but also irresistible.

All the scaffolding is fixed to the upper body, which does not look like a very pure racer. I appreciate the need for safety on roads and tracks, so is it time for Caterham to redesign the No. 7 car so that rollover protection becomes an integral part of the car? Perhaps the lines along the F1 halo will look more pure and elegant. Such a good car deserves an appearance that matches its unquestionable speed!