My mate has just taken delivery of his 500r, one below the 620r. Oh my god, what an amazing car. Its not run in yet but I am so impressed, revs to 5.5k until run in then 8250rpm. Not spending any money on the fabia, I need a 2 seater kit car.

500bhp per tonne or therabouts is bound to be fun.

 

Good thing with cars like that is they actually feel quicker too as you are so exposed.

Great experience.

It was great, think you should get one. I would love to sell the fabia and get one of the 2 seaters based on that chassis

I went in a 500R a while ago, was hellish quick!

Great cars and the sensation of speed with on the edge handling.... Is awesome!

< Jealous.

 

That's motorbike power/weight.

 

I've always loved Caterhams despite never even having been in one.

He has put a video up and I am grinning like a cheshire cat in it. Looking at other kit cars now. Slippery slope

Don't do it... once you got the bug there is no cure.. building my second one with a tuned 620R lump going in it. should be a scream.

 with a tuned 620R lump going in it.

 

 

trying to find an image of a hammer with a knife taped to it.

 

My dad had a Caterham for a few years and I've done a couple of trackdays in it.  Never been in a 500 but ours was a Superlight with a Minister rebuild of a 1.6.  It was rated at 155 bhp (for the class regs in the hillclimb) and weighed 495kg.  That was fast enough. 

 

Actually scrub that.

B33fy are you building a caterham and nicking the 620r engine. You cant build a 620r and my mate had to sign a disclaimer before he was allowed to build his 500

B33fy are you building a caterham and nicking the 620r engine. You cant build a 620r and my mate had to sign a disclaimer before he was allowed to build his 500

Iirc he is building a custom kit car and just using the same engine!

That is what I was trying to ask in a roundabout way.

I had a superlight R a few years ago and that was quick enough with a VHPD K series and around 190bhp!

Building my own car based on a book design called a Midlana, a guy in the states built the original one and documented the build. The engine is essentially the same spec as a 620, they are detuned for longevity originally pushing around 315bhp when the prototype racing version was built. Its easier to say its the same as the 620 than post up the spec tbh as people can relate to the car/engine. It has all the right bits, cosworth pistons, newman cams ARP bolts, race bearings and a rotrex supercharger strapped to it TTS (rotrex specialists) suggest 440bhp is achievable, but not in it for the numbers, more the fun of the build, then the satisfaction of gettin g it roadworthy, if it does the business as well its a bonus. A couple of images below of the car the build is based on along with the engine..

 

 

before rebuild and with an after..

A couple of arty shots...

One more after..

Love it. Do you have a build thread anywhere. My mates is caterham500r.

B33fy are you building a caterham and nicking the 620r engine. You cant build a 620r and my mate had to sign a disclaimer before he was allowed to build his 500

 

That's interesting because I thought you couldn't build the larger power versions.

They officially state supply as a built car only.

So they must have thought he knows what he's doing.

Love it. Do you have a build thread anywhere. My mates is caterham500r.

 

I've a build blog on http://www.midlana.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=505 I'm literally starting from scratch so it will be a lenghty build

Bossfox, he spent 6 months emailing them asking to build it. He signed a disclaimer and Caterham also checked it over before it went for its IVA.