Final farewell for Caterham Superlight R500 as last car rolls off factory
11 Jul 2014|2,267 views
After accumulating five-star reviews following its launch in 2008, the 2.0-litre, 263bhp rated enthusiast track car, which is capable of reaching 100km/h in just 2.9 seconds, starred on an acclaimed British automotive show and set a time nearly half a second faster than the Bugatti Veyron at their test track.
Despite the extreme nature of its performance and character, the R500 remains one of Caterham's most popular models ever, attracting buyers from around the world while its place in the garages of several celebrity customers confirmed its legendary status.
The largest export markets for the R500 were Japan and Italy, followed by France and then Germany. In total, nearly 50 percent of vehicles found homes overseas.
As well as attracting recognition for its handling and performance, the Superlight R500 was replicated by model maker, Matchbox, and was produced as a remote control car by Marks & Spencer. It was also recreated for several computer games so that younger enthusiasts could experience the two-seater sportscar.
Caterham Group CEO, Graham Macdonald, said, "It was a landmark model for us in many respects, its performance on the road and track was matched by the impact it had on our brand. It brought new technologies to the Seven range and was the first production Caterham to adopt a sequential gearbox".
Production of the final Caterham R500 - number 174 - concluded at Dartford, U.K. on the 7th of July and is destined for Caterham’s distributor in Peru, South America.
After accumulating five-star reviews following its launch in 2008, the 2.0-litre, 263bhp rated enthusiast track car, which is capable of reaching 100km/h in just 2.9 seconds, starred on an acclaimed British automotive show and set a time nearly half a second faster than the Bugatti Veyron at their test track.
Despite the extreme nature of its performance and character, the R500 remains one of Caterham's most popular models ever, attracting buyers from around the world while its place in the garages of several celebrity customers confirmed its legendary status.
The largest export markets for the R500 were Japan and Italy, followed by France and then Germany. In total, nearly 50 percent of vehicles found homes overseas.
As well as attracting recognition for its handling and performance, the Superlight R500 was replicated by model maker, Matchbox, and was produced as a remote control car by Marks & Spencer. It was also recreated for several computer games so that younger enthusiasts could experience the two-seater sportscar.
Caterham Group CEO, Graham Macdonald, said, "It was a landmark model for us in many respects, its performance on the road and track was matched by the impact it had on our brand. It brought new technologies to the Seven range and was the first production Caterham to adopt a sequential gearbox".
After accumulating five-star reviews following its launch in 2008, the 2.0-litre, 263bhp rated enthusiast track car, which is capable of reaching 100km/h in just 2.9 seconds, starred on an acclaimed British automotive show and set a time nearly half a second faster than the Bugatti Veyron at their test track.
Despite the extreme nature of its performance and character, the R500 remains one of Caterham's most popular models ever, attracting buyers from around the world while its place in the garages of several celebrity customers confirmed its legendary status.
The largest export markets for the R500 were Japan and Italy, followed by France and then Germany. In total, nearly 50 percent of vehicles found homes overseas.
As well as attracting recognition for its handling and performance, the Superlight R500 was replicated by model maker, Matchbox, and was produced as a remote control car by Marks & Spencer. It was also recreated for several computer games so that younger enthusiasts could experience the two-seater sportscar.
Caterham Group CEO, Graham Macdonald, said, "It was a landmark model for us in many respects, its performance on the road and track was matched by the impact it had on our brand. It brought new technologies to the Seven range and was the first production Caterham to adopt a sequential gearbox".
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