JUST when you thought Caterhams couldn’t get any more extreme, the manufacturer launches this 500bhp super-charged monster!
The Caterham RST-V8 is produced in association with RS Performance and features – you guessed it – a V8 under the bonnet. The 2.4-litre unit boasts 40 valves and a supercharger that’ll propel it to 60mph in a breathtaking sub-three seconds.
The RST-V8 comes with a six-speed sequential gearbox and can crack 150mph top speed. Thankfully, there’s traction control to keep all that power under control and launch control to help drivers get it to the ground.
The whole car weighs in at just 90kg with full running gear and has been 16 years in the making. Developed by Russell Savory’s RS Performance – an exclusive tuner and engineering house – the 2.4-litre model delivers an incredible 1,000bhp per tonne. That’s more than double a Bugatti Veyron!
Seats are made from Kevlar and the cockpit is carbon fibre to keep weight at an absolute minimum. If you fancy the ultimate Caterham you’ll have to have deep pockets and a bit of patience – the new model will set you back £115,000 and there’s currently a 12-week waiting list. Only eight will be built. They’ll also be a non-supercharged model with 380bhp and this will be made to order.
‘Caterham and Russell Savory have a long history and this seemed a natural progression of that relationship and shared engineering philosophy,’ said Caterham Cars boss Ansar Ali.
