JBH

Ironic you should bring this up - I was just thinking about it yesterday as I was traveling back roads that are farm land and woods. The whole Cristiano da Matta accident was playing through my mind. We are certainly better protected than a motorcycle, but without a windshield it leaves the head and neck exposed. Despite being open back roads, I still drive pretty slow.

Here's a picture of mine. I am not sure it does much - above 60 mph, the wind buffeting is pretty intense. I am going to look into getting a larger one made. http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/cockpit__red_copy1.jpg

Tricky or slippery? Something is happening there - I watched this video and one that was part of the website posted by Pierats. The sudden loss of traction in the rear is not typical of missing an apex or too fast an entry. The sudden oversteer is reminiscent of the Porsche

Nice Seven! I love driving w/o windshield, but I can only do it for about 45 minutes at a time and only on back roads - it's the wind that gets to me. Also, the idea of stones embedded in my forehead keeps me away from highways. I suggest taking a full face helmet as a backup. Even with cycle fenders I get a lot of small stones in my lap (sticky tires) - you may find that's an issue for you too.

I agree with that and the suggestion to lose weight. The Raceline website explains how to get 250 out of the Zetec, but I would start to worry about reliability. Unless you are drag racing, I don't think turbocharging is a good idea because of the lag and additional modifications beyond the engine (transmission, headers, cooling, etc.). For shops in the Southeast - Quicksilver, Focus Power are good choices.

One of the reasons I started this thread was twofold: (1) to see how many actual and potential LSiS were out there (I'm a newbie) and (2) to get individual insights into the elements people consider important about the Seven. In my mind, one has to go back to the design basis and intent of the Seven. This was a car to be driven to the tracks in England, raced and then hopefully driven home. I am no expert, but I would say there are some key elements: * tube frame construction * front engine * manual transmission * close ratio transmission and high rear ratio suitable for short tracks * rear wheel drive * out-board suspension * outboard brakes * double A-arms in front * live axle rear * r&p steering * two seats * minimal appointments * use of lightweight materials * street legal (hence the presence of headlights and taillights) Not all of these elements need be present, but a predominance should be there in a LSiS. The problem with this is that there are non-LSiS that fit this definition (hence the need for styling cues) and there has been considerable evolution of design among those that started with the Seven as their design basis. With the fully independent suspension, Caterham has parted significantly from one of the main design elements of the original Sevens, but that's what happens as cars evolve. Look at the current 911 versus that of 1966, yet there is no doubt it is still a 911.

This is the list of Lotus 7 Replicas according to Wikipedia: * McGregor Motorsports Ltd (New Zealand) Lotus 7 replica kits and manufacturers[1] * Marc Nordon Racing Vortx RT, RT+ and RT Super * Luego Sports Cars Velocity and V8 Viento in UK * Almac a kit car manufacturer in New Zealand * Caterham owns the rights to reproduce the Lotus Super Seven * Dax Cars ltd * Deman Motorsport[2] * Westfield Sportscars produces several models * Stalker V6 Clubman by Brunton Automotive * Raptor by Tornado Sports Cars * Donkervoort from Netherlands with Audi-Turbo-Engines * HKT from Germany also with Audi-Turbo-Engines * Hauser from Switzerland with BMW engines * Tiger Z100 from Z Cars Ltd * MAC #1[3] * MK Indy from MK Engineering (using Ford Sierra parts) * Mitsuoka Zero 1 from Toyama, Japan * ESTfield from RaceTech (using Lada parts) * Esther [4] * Several models from Robin Hood Engineering Ltd * Dala7 (a taller and wider design using Volvo parts) [5] * Rotus, originally built with components from Japan and a Mazda rotary engine * Gregory * Superformance S1 Roadster * Leitch Super Sprint, Leitch Industries, Invercargill, New Zealand * Fraser Clubman from Fraser Cars Ltd * Vindicator Sprint and the four seat Vindicator Family by Vindicator Cars [6] * Irmscher 7[7] * Elfin [8], Australian manufacturer of the MS8 (V8 powered) and Type 3 Clubman * Super Martin from France * Pegasus Automobile from Germany. * FM Westfield from Flyin' Miata * Birkin S3, Lotus 7 replica

From the picture, I see the Panoz as being a descendant: open top, two-seater, front engine, outboard suspension, bug-eye headlights, and wide rear wings Here are a few obvious ones that we don't see often Quantum Xtream http://www.davebence.co.uk/quantum_xtreme/images/indexpic.jpg Locoblade & Loconinja http://web.ukonline.co.uk/locosaki/pics/photos030504/139-3950_img.jpg Tiger Six http://www.fq101.co.uk/info/images/tiger.jpg Dax Rush http://www.replica-cars.nl/rush_dax8.jpg TVR http://trvmotorsport.com/images/willowpic1.jpg

The Panoz Roadster seems really close http://web3.ichwobbledich.com/cms/images/stories/1cali_0306net/1cali_0306net_gr11.JPG If I squint, I see a resemblance in the Prowler: http://www.zianet.com/SLlover/prowler01.JPG Is this X-Bow? http://l.yimg.com/img.autos.yahoo.com/i/articles/ktm_xbow_concept/ktm_xbow_show_x.jpg Some think the Atom was inspired by a Seven: http://www.arielmotor.co.uk/04/press/autocar_arial_aerial.jpg I don't know what this is: http://www.lightauto.com/cc12.JPG Aerodynamic Seven: http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd136/soareyes/1.jpg

Raleigh, NC does not exactly have a lot of interesting or high hp cars. Then again, I pretty much avoid 4+ lane roads and try to stay on back roads. Mostly, people (male & female) want a ride to which I am always willing to oblige. If I was challenged, I would probably pass. After too many speeding tickets in the P-car, I lost my umbrella policy. Next March I get it back if I get no violations.

Wow...I am glad some Atom guys showed up. It is always good to hear the perspective first hand - there is some good information there. If you look at one of my posts describing my test days at VIR, you can see all the things I like/dislike about the Seven. I also posted my north course lap times there - these were essentially open laps with no traffic. I would be interested in lap times for the Atom at various tracks.

A few comments: The Aerial would be street legal in NC. I have seen one tagged and titled. My SLR is also tagged and titled in NC despite not having a windshield or wipers, so that is not a barrier. Oddly, the toughest thing was the license plate light, but that's another story. I have followed and ridden in an Atom on the track. My car was quicker through the turns, slower on the straights. I attribute this to a lower center of gravity in the SLR, more predictable handing in the SLR, a difference in weight, and a somewhat more timid driver of the Atom. That said, I think the Aerial has lots of potential to be fast. I have to confess, I do not like the openess of the Atom. I felt vulnerable, even with arm restraints. It's probably a psychological thing more than anything else. I also felt like the rollbars were to short. That's not to say I don't also have issues with the SLR with respect to protection against with side impact The Atom appeared to be well assembled with very good build quality. For $70K - 80K, it better be pretty damn nice. Just on that basis, it seems a little unfair to try to compare it to Sevens. At that kind of money there are many interesting options (Corvettes, 996 GT3, M3, Viper, Noble, etc. ). I don't think I would ever pick an Atom over one of those alternatives unless I already owned one of each. Why anyone would characterize the Aerial as the ultimate track car is something I don't understand. Again, for that kind of money I can get two nice FSCCAs that will blow right past the Atom, be less expensive to operate and maintain and have a better resale value when I want to move on to something else.

Al: Based on my track time at VIR, I would guess my hp and torque are similar to yours - this strictly based on my experience in following and then passing a FF. The good news is the torque curve is pretty flat between 5000 and 6600 rpms and your A/F looks constant throughout the range. I have no way of knowing if the 15% drivetrain loss is correct. I would send the results to Caterham USA and see if they can give you any insights/suggestions. I will try to find a dyno here to provide a comparison. Love the video - it must be the throttle bodies that give it that great exhaust note.

Two days at VIR North Course (my first 2 days with the car on the track)...here's the assessment of my Caterham SLR. To offer some insight to my perspective, I have logged many hours and laps on the same circuit with a Porsche 964 Turbo (heavily modified engine w/ 380 rwhp, tanny, suspension and brakes) and a vintage Formula Ford (1600 cc, 110 hp, ~1000lbs) 1. I was turning lap times of 1:43 by the second day, but I know I can get into the high 1:30s after a little more time with the car and cooler weather 2. The brakes and handling of car are superb. Handling is very neutral and predictable. I can improve my times by going deeper into some of the corners. I have yet to find the limit of those brakes. Absolutely no fade and the car was straight-line rock solid under braking. 3. A 6 speed transmission will take some getting used to. Too many times I ended up in fifth gear instead of the intended third. For racing, my preference would probably be a 5 speed. I also think the gear ratios don't need to be as close as they are. I would love to see the torque curve for this engine so I could get a sense of how to set the gearing. 4. On the straights, I thought I would blow past the vintage FF in my run group, but it took the entire distance of the 3000 foot straight to get by them and even so, I had to out brake them at the end. Three-quarters of the way down the straight, I am out of revs in sixth gear - roughly 125 or 130 on the speedo. I am not sure what I am going to do on Full Course - I'll be at redline half way down the 4000' back straight. 5. The foot box is tighter than I expected. On the street I drive in socks, but with size 11 race boots, it is harder to reproducibly and reliably heel and toe. I lose some of the feel for the pedals. Like the 6 speed, I am sure this is just learning the car. 6. It was over 100F on Saturday, but the engine temp never exceeded 105C. On two occasions, I came into the pits and noticed dripping coolant. Turns out the heat cycling loosened up some of the hoses. How lucky am I that none of that happened on the track? Great thing about a tidy build- it is easy to find and correct problems. 7. My car has muffler with a cat, but after the second track session, my left ear was ringing. You need ear plugs - I love the exhaust note, but the car is loud. 8. First session of Day 1, a beautiful Swift DB2 spins right in front of me. I stopped the nose of my car only inches from his side. I had visions of the weekend ending with me going home with a broken nose (carbon fiber) and split radiator. Last session of Day 1, I go a little wide out of roller coaster, up on the concrete curb and hit a cone. Damage shown in the picture below. I thought carbon fiber was stronger than steel. The cone got the better part of this encounter. Do you think the broken wing hurt my aerodynamics? :lol: 9. I try not to think about how vulnerable I am without any side impact protection. Arm restraints are a must. Everyone stopped and chatted about the car - many asked for rides to which I was happy to give. http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/rr_wing.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/rr_body.jpg

2.25" but I have never hit anything

13" Mg Lightweight w/ Avon CR500

Ouch....I could almost feel the impact. Glad you are ok. I had a similar crash in my Formula Ford a couple months ago. Once you realize you are ok, the pain of seeing your car in that condition starts to set in. Hopefully the repairs will be straightforward. Please let us know the condition of the car and what needs to be done. Sorry man!

Thanks for the information! That is the Autoweek article, though you can't see the picture of the car unless you click on the print option. I had a PPI, alignment and cornerbalance done on the car at RMSC before it left Denver. Next task is getting it registered in NC.

Check that...Caterham USA built the car, not RMSC. I don't know the compression ratio, but when the ppi was done the compression across the 4 cylinders ranged from 188 - 190 psi (12.8:1 seems high to me). I have some communications from Caterham USA somewhere, but I don't think they gave me specs on the car. Where can I find the chassis number? I know next to nothing about the engine which is strange territory for me. If anyone can point me to places that offer more information about the design, fabrication, assembly and/or tuning of these engine, I would be very grateful.

Finally...pictures of the recent addition. It's a 2002 Superlight R press car built by RMSC that appeared most notably in a 2003 Autoweek article. It has the 205-210hp (claimed hp) Zetec mated to the Caterham 6-speed. Magnesium wheels, carbon fiber - you get the idea. I am 6'2, 185lbs and I fit the car perfectly. I also have a 1969 FF and a 1991 Porsche Turbo. Both those cars now sit quiet as I enjoy the handling and power of the Caterham. It handles very much like the FF except it has more power, more grip and better brakes. The first track date (VIR) is the end of the month. http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/side_anglered.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/frontred.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/cockpit__red.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/throttle_bodiesred.jpg http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/enginered.jpg

Al: Thanks for all your efforts - through this website you are one of the uniting forces. Any Se7ens that are head to VIR, let me know. The only reason I didn't make it last weekend was the crush of work. Anyone that wants to join me on member day, give me a shout, Next session is the 2 days of August 25/26. As a guest you can only drive in Touring Lights which means pace car (fast paced) but no passing. Good for beginners. I am a qualified instructor so I can show you the lines and let you ride with me. One caveat...I have done many laps in a Porsche Turbo and Formula Ford, but that weekend will be my first in the SLR

Wow...it already disappeared from their site. The car arrives here on Thursday or Friday. I'll post pics after it arrives. It won't be long before it runs VIR.

Me :hurray: :hurray: :hurray: Raleigh, NC I have wanted a Super 7 since I rode in one during an autocross. That was 15 years ago - so this is an exciting event for me. I also own a highly modified 964 Turbo, 1969 Formula Ford, Audi S4 and tow vehicle. I drive VIR regularly - so if you are ever going there, please let me know.