There’s a reason why anyone who owns a Caterham probably owns a handful of other cars. These are track cars that happen to wear licence plates, built for the sole purpose of delivering nothing but a raw driving experience.
On paper, you’d have to be slightly bonkers to try and daily one. Is it really possible?
For science, I spent two weeks finding out, first in a Kei car-powered Super 600 and then a more hardcore 320R. Here are a few things I learned.
You almost have to re-learn how a car works
Forget pretty much everything you’ve learnt about operating any car to this point. Even the basic functions of a Caterham are quite unlike anything else on the road.
For a start, like the 320R, most of the road cars now have a battery kill switch fitted. You’ll want to turn this off even if you’re only leaving the car parked overnight – and remember to turn it on before you get in. I promise it’s no fun trying to reach back around for it afterwards.
Indicators don’t work through a stalk, but rather an unmarked toggle switch that will not self-cancel. Similarly, headlights, wipers and everything else associated with those are all controlled by on/off switches.
Oh, and if you have big feet, you probably won’t be able to fit your feet in the footwell of a Super 600 with shoes on. Get used to driving in socks…
For free?
Noise-cancelling earphones become your best friend
I’d never quite understood why people drive with earphones in. Surely, it’s just going to be massively distracting? Then I drove a Caterham.
Honestly, your ears will thank you. It’s not so much about missing listening to music (in case you hadn’t realised, there’s no speakers in a Caterham) but being able to hear anything at all. My first drive in the Super 600 was around the M25, the entire time being bombarded by wind noise, HGV airbrakes two feet away from my head and the grating sound of everyone else’s cheap tyres.
Pop a set of decent noise-cancelling earbuds in and it’ll drop the harsh noises around you a touch and relax you a bit. You can hear enough around you to drive safely still.
Your weather app usage will soar
Not pictured: Taking 15 minutes to put the roof on
Even in the middle of the summer in the UK, we’re guaranteed pissing wet weather at some stage. This is exactly what happened on three occasions in my time with the Caterhams.
Any other car and you probably wouldn’t even give driving in the rain a thought. That’s not the case when you have to clip on a vinyl roof that will keep the rain out, but leads to making it even harder to get in and out of, windows steaming up as you drive and more heat inside than is comfortable.
If you’re like me and have to park outside, even not driving the car becomes a game of checking the weather radar to see if you should pop outside to put the roof back on.
It will (just) hold a weekly shop… for one
Don’t buy anything too fragile
There is a boot in a Caterham, but the likelihood is you’re going to have that filled by the roof you’ve got on hand just in case the weather turns sour.
If you’re going to the supermarket, that leaves the passenger seat and footwell as your place to stuff the essentials in. A Super 600 will handle three big bags of shopping and probably could take a fourth. If you’ve done it with the roof on, I’d suggest taking it out of the car before you take yourself out, though.
You’ll appreciate the right road even more
Driving a Caterham in stop-start traffic is laborious and will make your left leg ache from clutch use. It’ll be a pain to manoeuvre out of a tight parking space with no power steering and not being able to see beyond the seas of crossovers packed around you. Motorways are just a grim experience.
Yet, when you come across the one deserted country lane late in the evening, it’s all forgivable. This is as pure a driving experience as you’ll get from anything with number plates on.
If you push it too hard through a corner, it’ll understeer. Get on the power too early, it’ll slide. You are the traction control, the anti-lock brakes, the power steering. Get the best out of yourself and you’ll get the best out of the car, it’s as simple as that. Do that and expect a big, big smile on your face.
