If I had a couple of quid to spend on something like a track day toy, I've always given a Caterham serious consideration.

An article in Evo magazine has had a quick look at the new Caterham 160, an 80bhp three cylinder turbo Suzuki powered car in the familiar Seven guise. £14k in kit form but, by the time you have the road pack (screen, heater, doors and roof) and paint it creeps up to about £20k. Point is, with skinny tyres, it makes for as much fun as a more powerful and luxurious second hand cars. On an episode of Top Gear, James May made the case for thrashing a Fiat Panda and learning car control and having fun on the cheap. What thoughts do the Brisk community have?

The point of the matter is that speed is only a small part of trackday fun. Yes its good to be blasting around but there is nothing like a sense of achievement of threading a car through a series of bends- such as McLeans and Coppice at Donington. The Esses also replicate the sense of achievement because when you get those right you're out onto Wheatcroft so much faster than if you've hamfisted it.

 

 James May is absolutely bob on- you don't need to spend big to have fun. There are numerous short oval tracks around the country hosting a plethora of non-contact, low budget competitive motoring where preparation is minimal and cars are very similar. Winning on merit rather than budget. 

I spent £350 on the Golf, it is not the fastest car in the world but the handling is good after some fettling by me, also on the track days I have done, the Rover 200's always seem to go like stink but are pretty standard.

 

 The big thing for me with the Golf only being £350 is the fact IF I get it wrong, hit a wall in a high value motor I am sure would result in depression to say the least, hit the wall in the Golf and who cares as long as we all walk away.

 

 Finally, motor cycle engines in cars, IMO all the power is right up at the top of the rev range so you are always flat out, these engines were designed for one man on a bike, possibly two people. I would go for the duratech ford motor or similar if I was getting a kit car.

Depreciation is just about bugger all on a Caterham so that might make buying a little more palatable.

Last time I looked paint was also an optional extra.

 

 Finally, motor cycle engines in cars, 

 

It's not a motor cycle engine.  It 660cc Suzuki car engine usually seen in the Jimny. There's a "first drive" review on Autocar's website.

anything less than a 1.0 litre with only three cylinders is lucky to get called a motorcycle engine, it should be powering a sewing machine!