![]() ![]() The production run lasted about a year, and only 16 examples left the Caterham factory in Dartford. ![]() With 168 hp on tap and an overall weight of 970 pounds (440 kg), the Seven Blackbird could do the 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) sprint in a supercar-worthy 3.5 seconds. Under Caterham's ownership, the Seven has continued to evolve, and it's still in production today.Īmong the huge number of versions developed by Caterham, the limited-series Blackbird introduced in 2000 remains one of the most intriguing.Ĭreated to push the notion of lightweight and power to another level, this version received a 1,137-cc DOHC four-stroke from the Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird (hence the name). When the carmaker discontinued the model, the blueprints and manufacturing rights were purchased by Lotus dealership-turned-carmaker Caterham. A few units were subsequently completed in the late 1990s, bringing total production to 46 examples.ĭesigned by the famed Colin Chapman in the late 1950s, the Seven was the street-legal embodiment of the Lotus founder's " add lightness" creed.Ĭonceived to be driven on both the road and the track, the Seven was initially available only as a kit car and became one of the most successful Lotus production cars of all time. The initial production run lasted until the end of 1992 and was cut short by safety regulations changes. Launched in 1992, the nimble little Rocket was also capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph (97 kph) in four seconds, which made it one of the quickest production cars in the world. Simply called Rocket, the open-wheel, single-seat model tipped the scales at 850 pounds (385.6 kg) and could reach a top speed of 142.9 mph (230 kph) courtesy of a 1,000-cc Yamaha engine available in either 143 hp or 165 hp setups. ![]() He did just that with the McLaren F1 (and the modern GMA T.50), but you may be surprised to learn that the iconic supercar was different from the F1-inspired road car he created.Ībout a year before the McLaren F1 was unveiled, Murray and former racing driver Chris Craft founded the Light Car Company with the aim of producing the fastest ultra-lightweight road car. Legendary Formula 1 designer and engineer Gordon Murray always dreamed about building an F1 car for the road. ![]()
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