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Moving to Albuquerque this year, and bringing my Caterham R500 from California. Looking forward to spending some time at Sandia Raceway, and hopefully visiting some tracks in Colorado and Arizona. Any other Sevens in the Albuquerque area? Justin

I've run both the A60 and A24 compounds on the Avon ZZR, and have really liked he A24. Great grip, good longevity, and very nice feel. Take a look at the Avon ZZR from Roger Kraus Racing. Even though they are heavier than the ACB10, they are much cheaper and very fast. Just ask for the A24 compound rather than the A60 compound. I have found the A24 ZZR to be nearly as fast as slicks, longer lasting, and far cheaper. Justin

I called ATL last year to order the 10 gallon cell for my 2008 R500. It came in about 2 weeks, cost 2400 including fuel probe and gauge, and fit perfectly in the stock location. I had to also get an external fuel pump, and a fuel pressure regulator. The install was pretty easy. Justin

I haven't had any problem with the A6 getting too hot - as a matter of fact, on some of our tracks I can't even get them up to the temperature I'd like to run them at! We have guys in SCCA T1 corvettes using the A6's for 30 minute races. They can work for 30 minute sessions, and are more durable than you'd think for road racing. You still have the "hero" laps where the first few sessions are incredibly fast, but even after a dozen heat cycles they are still pretty sticky. The sizes I run are 13 255/40 rear and 13 225/45 front. After using the ZZR's for a while, I feel that although they are a very good track tire, they are slower than the A6 or the Kumho V710. They feel great on track, but just don't have the traction that I had hoped for. They are probably an ideal tire to drive to the track on and then use for lapping, but not sticky enough for me. I am using the 13 215/55 rear and 13 185/55 front for the ZZR's. I wish they would release the ZZR in a softer compound like they did for limited production runs in the UK. I have tried 10 inch slicks on front and back like it seems that many of you use, but I don't tend to have any faster lap times than with 8 inch rears and 7 inch fronts. The most incredible setup I've tried so far is Avon A11's, 8 inch rear and 7 inch front. So much faster than the Hankook and Goodyear slicks I've tried, but not cheap! If I were wealthy enough, I would run Avon A11's all the time. But I will probably continue to run Hoosier A6's since they are much cheaper and very durable. I am mostly using the Caterham for fun, and to improve my driving skills. So even though it is entertaining to torture the Cup Cars and the Radicals with the Avons, I can live with losing a few seconds to them on the A6's! I'd love to hear any one else's opinions on tires they've tried. Justin

Does anyone have an idea how to unlock the MBE computers that come on current Caterhams? I've spent a few hours googling, and it seems that there is a program floating around there to unlock the older MBE's, but I'm not sure this works for the newer ones. I would like to work on the mapping for my 2008 R500, but we are unable to because it is locked. I am e-mailing SBD to see what my options are. A new computer from them would be about $850. Ouch. Their site says: "Please note that all Cosworth & Caterham MBE ECUs are locked during manufacture, which means they cannot be modified in any way. You can only use the CAN mapping kit & Easimap 6 software for Real Time Viewing as an aid to diagnosing faults with sensors & replacement or setting up of throttle pots." http://www.sbdev.co.uk/Engine_Manage...rogramming.htm Among other threads, here is a recent one: http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=1338322 But it looks like current computers may not be so easily unlocked. Anyone found a way to get around this? Thanks, Justin

Will look forward to seeing it! There aren't many options for a lightweight car with an aerodynamic body. I would love to see a hard top version of it.

I love it! Randy, do you know if they will have a cage for it? Or how much side impact protection there is without the cage? This really looks like a wonderful car. Justin

You certainly do get "thumbs up" at least once a block when driving a seven!

Funny how many of us who own sevens also have or had Porsches and Corvettes. I've had all three too, and they are certainly all very different cars, with different purposes. Don't sell the Porsches short though on either the road or the track. My 996 turbo is a blast both on and off track. It has the right bits, so runs about the same lap times as my R500. I much prefer the Porsche on the road. It's no cadillac, but I never want to get out of it. Even long drives, I am sad when I get there and have to stop driving it. Z06's are fantastic values, so are a great option. But if you can afford to maintain a Porsche (which can be very expensive), they are extremely rewarding cars! Hence the almost fanatical following. Justin

I had the ZZR's out on track this weekend. I was only able to go out for a few sessions due to some electrical gremlins who came along for the ride. But my first impression is that the ZZR's are a wonderful track tire. Good feedback, great grip, and probably only a second or two slower than medium compound slicks. When I chase away the gremlins, I will take them back out for a head-to-head with some sticky tires and report back. Justin

I had the clear brake light cover like those on your car, and found that they were less easily seen than the standard brake light covers. Even though the clear light covers with LED's look cool, you might consider changing out to standard brake light covers. Also, since our brake lights are mounted lower than most cars, I just installed a brake light bar on the roll bar - this is something everyone should consider! Justin

Simon, I have several people who have expressed interest. I will check with them again in the order that they contacted me and let you know. Justin

I track a turbocharged larger car, and the "lag" really isn't a problem. Even the smallest engines in sevens have enough power to throttle steer through corners, and you don't need tons of low end torque on the track. And on track your revs will be up anyway, so there is always some pressure built up. You really could argue that in many situations a big turbo which does not come on strong at lower rpm's will give you lots of potential power on the straights, where you really need it, without the excessive low end grunt that can make it difficult to manage the throttle coming out of corners. Either way, I have found that the "turbo lag" has not been a problem for me on track, even with a heavy car and huge turbos. That being said, I would prefer to put a Rotrex on my seven if it were easy to do! Someone come up with a kit for us!

I do not know of anyone specifically. Caterham sells the rear seals, so that part should be easy to replace, but I don't know about the rest. Justin

I am hoping they will live up to all the hoopla! I've seen a few comments on the internet of people who were ordering them to try them, but not a lot comparing lap times to slicks or other R compound tires. I will see how they compare in lap time to the Hoosier A6's, and if not considerably different, will try the Avon slicks in A11 or A53 next. I love trying new track tires. Would buy a few sets a year if my wallet would cooperate. Justin

Hello all, I'm back in the Caterham after a bit of time to put a new transmission/shifter system in. I have run a wide variety of tires over the years,including Kumho V710, Hankook slicks, Avon CR500's, and most recently Hoosier A6's. The A6 is fine, but I am always looking for the best time trial tire. I was getting ready to move back to slicks, but after talking with the guys at Roger Kraus Racing, I am going to try a set of ZZR's. I ordered rears for all four corners. He said there are a number of Texas Caterham owners using these, and I was curious to your experiences. His impression was that they may be within a second of the Avon A53 slicks on a two minute course, and lasted much longer. Would love to hear about any experiences with these or and other recent road race/time trial choices for your seven. Justin

We have installed a Sadev sequential transmission with a Geartronics paddle shifter system in my R500, so I am selling the original Caterham 6 speed transmission. The car was built in 2010, and this transmission has 4,000 miles on it since new. Many of those, however, are track miles. The transmission was performing without any problems when removed from the car. It will need a new rear seal, though. These list on the Caterham site for 2550 GBP, which is $4320 by current conversion rates. I'd like to get $2000 for this transmission. If not a local buyer in Southern California, can ship. Thanks, Justin

Randy, John is mostly done, just some final touches. I'll post some pictures of the completed project. John rewired most of the engine harness with better connectors than the original, and I am amazed at the quality of the build. It looks like it is going to be insanely fun! Before the Geartronics/Sadev, I always had a huge grin on my face driving this car. I am imagining this is going to be outrageous! Justin

West coast track rat here! I agree that this is a niche market, and I don't expect that there will ever be a large number of Caterhams sold in the U.S. I also feel that they should be able to sell these for a bit less. But, even though I have a finite budget, given all the other options, I still am happy I bought a new R500 a few years ago. It has given me many hours of absolute bliss on the track! I weighed heavily before I bought it the fact that I could get a new Z06 or GT-R or Radical in this price range. But for me (not starting an x vs y comparison - just saying for me) the Z06 and GT-R are not nearly as fun, and the absence of downforce I think makes the Caterham even more fun to drive. Again, not meaning to start a discussion of the merits of each car, I am saying this is still the car of choice for me! There are as many different reasons to choose one car over another as there are drivers, but I am happy that we have the ability to buy Caterhams here in the U.S. I hope it continues to be a viable option for enthusiasts here. Justin

I chose to go to a lower powered car this year to improve my driving skills. I'm going to run in Boxster spec this year, and it is quite a learning experience for me! Among other things, I am learning that braking and turn-in points on the lower powered car are extremely critical. If I lost too much speed with the vettes or cats or the 996 turbo, I could make it up pulling out of the corner. If I lose too much speed on entry or through the corner with the boxster, I am screwed! Not only do I need to be on the throttle early, but also not have lost too much speed setting up the corner. I am also enjoying running against cars that are all exactly alike. It is a blast trying to jockey for position in the pack! That being said, I obviously love horsepower too! Justin

Beautiful car! That is one of my favorite Porsches! I bought a built 996 turbo 1 1/2 years ago with the idea of having a street car that could function as a spare track car. My Caterham has spent a lot of time getting some upgrades, so I spent more time on the track than I intended in the Porsche. I have less self-control than you, and have spent a bit keeping mine on the track. 700 hp is awfully hard on the brakes, bearings, transmission, etc. I hope to only track it once or twice a year now. I hope you do get it out on the track just long enough to let it unwind a bit! Enjoy Justin

The 996 and 997 turbos, GT2's, and GT3's have engines based on the "Metzger Engine," used in the GT1 race car. They are dry-sumped, and a completely different design than the other 996 and 997 engines. I think the next generation of 911's, the 991, will not use these at all. Although an older technology, they are still impressive in the power levels they will handle, and longevity.

Another FYI - that era of 996 turbos have an entirely different engine, so are not subject to these failures. I have a 2002 turbo, and although the maintenance/repair of these is much higher than other cars, I enjoy driving it more than any car I've been in next to my Caterham. I love the 996 turbos. You can buy one in perfect condition at a third of their original price, and have a luxury sports car that can run with the fastest newer cars with just a few tweaks. Porsches are certainly not the best bang-for-your-buck when it comes to dollars/performance. But I wouldn't think of trading mine for anything else! Justin

I suspect I am in the minority here, but that seems to be a decent looking attempt at making this style of car a bit more aerodynamic. I'd have to see it in person, but I kind of like it. I love the look of the Series 1 - 3 Sevens, but if you did have to make it more aerodynamic.... I wonder if it has a significantly reduced drag coefficient? Justin

I don't have that strong of an opinion about guns, but it is a bit frightening to see all the inexperienced new gun owners out there! I grew up hunting, and was taught to be extremely careful with them. I would have lost my privilege to have a gun, not by the government, but by my Dad, if I ever mishandled a firearm. I was with a friend recently that was proudly showing off his new gun, unaware that he was flagging everyone in sight. Even when I pointed it out he didn't seem to quite get it. Not saying we don't have the right to have guns, just saying there are a lot of unsafe new gun owners out there!