The Infuriating Joy of Driving a Bare Bones Caterham 400 Miles in One Day

[scannon]

What a wuss!

 

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/news/a27755/what-you-learn-driving-a-bare-bones-caterham/

[MightyMike]

You either get it or you don't. The writer certainly lacks what all Seven owners have: testosterone and masculinity.

[jlumba81]

He should have thought ahead and brought a hat and something with long sleeves.

[slomove]

I have seen several similar reviews of various vintage of Sevens over the years. They have a certain point but (like most journalists) totally exaggerate because nobody would buy the story if they just wrote "great drive, fun on windy roads but a bit loud and windy". For that matter, my wife and I have done some 30,000+ miles on long distance trips sometimes with pouring rain or scorching heat but never regretted a mile. That said, good seats, footwell insulation, sun roof and effective wind deflectors are kind of necessary.

[xcarguy]

You either get it or you don't . . .

 

Yessir! :auto:

[NVP66S]

Boy, it's pretty obvious that Peter Egan is no longer doing these trips and writing for R&T about them. I well remember getting my subscription copy and reading his story about assembling and driving the Westfield Eleven from SoCal to Middle America. Damn I wanted one of those cars.

[lucky dawg]

Caterham finally gets some attention from a national magazine and Hillbank provides a car without doors? What the he[[ were they thinking? Are sales so high so they wanted to scare off any potential customers?

[Croc]

While I am not a fan of Hillbank's strategic approach towards Caterham in the US, even I give them a break here. Honestly, who would have thought that Road & Track employ a motoring journalist that needs a testosterone enhancement in the form of some balls. He should have stayed reviewing fashion shows in New York City. Are all of the Road & Track journalists this weak? I suppose Car & Driver are just as bad?

[Croc]

Does anyone here use FacePlant? Can they post a link on the R&T article back to this thread for the journalist to get a fair rating of his article?

[Kitcat]

Well, I find it refreshingly honest. It is not the usual car-magazine love-fest with the se7en (emphasizing the "purity" and romance of the experience over the incredible discomfort).

I have had exactly the same reaction to driving my se7ens many thousands of miles on public roads (exhilarating, memorable, hot, cramped, etc). Then throw in the typical se7en's occassional mechanical snafu's (that would make a Miata unmarketable if it were similarly constructed) and trips CAN be a challenge.

Don't get me wrong, unlike this writer, I do love all my se7ens. And the most memorable automobile trips of my life have all been in my cozy little se7en. I love the standard Cat seats and like Slomove, I have found that just a few adjustments and the trip can be much easier (starting with ear protection, then sun protection, followed by foot well insulation and sunglasses). But to a normal person used to driving normal cars, the se7en experience can initially be bewildering and disorienting.

[yellowss7]

 

But to a normal person used to driving normal cars, the se7en experience can initially be bewildering and disorienting.

 

Based on the cast of characters that attend the NJMP 7s gathering, I don't think there are any normal people who drive se7ens. We're all crazy. :jester: Tom

[powderbrake]

Of course he is right about the Seven. It's all that and more. He totally missed the idea of a seven with his statement "That made it the best road trip ever. And a road trip I'd never do again"

 

Seven owners say " wow, that trip was awesome, I can't wait to go again"

 

He should be testing minivans, or 4 door sedans with puny engines and a soft ride.:auto:

[tokulski]

Hey everyone,

 

I'm the "wuss" without "balls" who needs a "testosterone injection." Thanks for reading!

 

I honestly loved the car. It was the most memorable and fun road trip I've done. But it was far from the cushiest, which is something that I think you'd all agree with. 10 hours in one day in a Cat is a big ask, especially with weather that swung from over 100 degrees to about 50 as we drove from LA to Monterey. I never said I was expecting a coddled, relaxing experience; I knew what to expect since my dad used to own a Cat and I've always loved them. I knew this would be interesting with moments that were amazing and other moments that weren't as ideal. I'd find it hard to believe anyone would have been comfortable after spending that long in one!

 

Anywho, as many have suggested, I'm going to go start a search for my balls. Once I find them I'll do the trip again and walk away relaxed and refreshed, with an article full of cliches about how pure and unadulterated the experience was.

 

Have a great day,

 

Travis

[Sean]

I do the same trip in my 7 just about every summer, going from San Jose to OC or San Diego and back mostly on backroads, usually through Monterey/Carmel, and I like to take 33 through Ojai as well - great road! Took a little side trip through Yosemite National Park on the way back in '13. Tilletts with zero padding, no footwell insulation, and aeroscreen in place of glass windscreen. I look forward to doing another similar trip, too. Yes, there are times of discomfort, and even thoughts of "What the hell am I doing?!" when it's 110° out and I pull in for fuel and literally scare children with the dirt and bug guts stuck to the sunscreen on my face, but the joy part erases all of it, for me. If I had the opportunity to do the same trip in a Bentley, I would love to do that once, just for the experience, but after that first time, I'd probably just catch a flight next time and leave the Bentley at home.

 

These cars are clearly for the more "hardcore", willing to sacrifice a LOT in the pursuit of the ultimate driving experience. I understand that some (most) aren't prepared to make this level of sacrifice for that payoff. I frequently wonder if these others can see my perspective as clearly as I can see theirs?

 

I'm thinking we should now all pause for a moment to reflect on Alaskossie's epic drive from Denver to L.A. across the Mojave desert in summer, and then continuing on to Anchorage alone in his 7 a few years back. His trip makes us all look like wimps with no testicles seeking testosterone injections!

 

Thanks for the article as well as for making the effort to follow up with us, Travis. You spoke your mind without malicious intent, and I've gotta respect that, sir.

[yellowss7]

Take it out on the track and I bet your article will have a whole different slant. These cars are fun on the road, but they are AMAZING on the track. 180hp will only matter on the straights and that's not where the fun is. Tom

[lucky dawg]

Travis - When you do the trip again, just get a 7 with the weather package. This will give you the doors and heater which would make the drive almost a pleasure instead of a chore. Also, make sure you have the wider SV chassis (which it looked like) instead of the 3 (as the article implied).

[MoPho]

While I am not a fan of Hillbank's strategic approach towards Caterham in the US, even I give them a break here. Honestly, who would have thought that Road & Track employ a motoring journalist that needs a testosterone enhancement in the form of some balls. He should have stayed reviewing fashion shows in New York City. Are all of the Road & Track journalists this weak? I suppose Car & Driver are just as bad?

 

 

When was the last time you did a 400 mile road trip in yours without the doors or anything on it? Despite having put more than 17k miles on my car, the longest one day drive I've done is 200 miles and that was with an aeroscreen and a helmet on (for the freeway parts). For me, the Caterham is a hit off the crack pipe (especially as mine is set up), it's good for an hour or two buzz but I'm not really that interested in going on long road trips with it.

Obviously not everyone is cut out for such elemental sports cars, if they were, Caterham would be selling tens of thousands of cars a year. Most people aren't willing to put up with cars like these.

 

Hillbank should have put the doors on. Car companies go through great pains to make sure everything is perfect and the experience is as controlled as possible before setting journalists off in their cars. A bad review because of something that could easily have been rectified can't be taken back, especially in the digital age. Supplying the doors would have been a real simple thing to do and would have changed the experience for Travis, they should have thought of that.

 

Back when I was working with Car and Driver, one of the writers gave a pretty bad review of a Caterham, I confronted him because I knew he had owned a Caterham and always said how much he loved it. He said Caterham gave him the car (with no top) in January around the frozen potholed roads of lower Michigan, he had to report on the experience without letting his personal bias reflect on the story.

 

 

 

 

Boy, it's pretty obvious that Peter Egan is no longer doing these trips and writing for R&T about them. I well remember getting my subscription copy and reading his story about assembling and driving the Westfield Eleven from SoCal to Middle America. Damn I wanted one of those cars.

 

Having done something of a road trip in a Westfield 11 (while battling the flu) it is more aerodynamically "comfortable" than a seven with the windshield on. Though that is still a pretty hardy trip

 

 

I do the same trip in my 7 just about every summer, going from San Jose to OC or San Diego and back mostly on backroads, usually through Monterey/Carmel, and I like to take 33 through Ojai as well - great road! Took a little side trip through Yosemite National Park on the way back in '13. Tilletts with zero padding, no footwell insulation, and aeroscreen in place of glass windscreen. I look forward to doing another similar trip, too. Yes, there are times of discomfort, and even thoughts of "What the hell am I doing?!" when it's 110° out and I pull in for fuel and literally scare children with the dirt and bug guts stuck to the sunscreen on my face, but the joy part erases all of it, for me. If I had the opportunity to do the same trip in a Bentley, I would love to do that once, just for the experience, but after that first time, I'd probably just catch a flight next time and leave the Bentley at home.

 

These cars are clearly for the more "hardcore", willing to sacrifice a LOT in the pursuit of the ultimate driving experience. I understand that some (most) aren't prepared to make this level of sacrifice for that payoff. I frequently wonder if these others can see my perspective as clearly as I can see theirs?

 

I'm thinking we should now all pause for a moment to reflect on Alaskossie's epic drive from Denver to L.A. across the Mojave desert in summer, and then continuing on to Anchorage alone in his 7 a few years back. His trip makes us all look like wimps with no testicles seeking testosterone injections!

 

Thanks for the article as well as for making the effort to follow up with us, Travis. You spoke your mind without malicious intent, and I've gotta respect that, sir.

 

To be fair Sean, the aeroscreen makes the car way more comfortable without the buffeting from the windshield. And not to take away from Alakossies adventure, his car is known as the executive 7 with all the "luxury" items. Gert has all kinds stuff added to his car to make the long journeys more comfortable too.

I wouldn't mind making that SF-LA trip maybe once in the 7, but doing it all on the highway would completely suck

 

The real people with balls are Al Navarro and his daughter who went from Denver to LA in a vintage 7, also through the hot desert, with the car overheating. He handed the car off to journalist Jaimie Kitman of "Automobile" who drove it from LA to SF while wearing a searsucker suit LOL. I think it broke down on him 4 times.

 

 

.

Edited January 22, 2016 by MoPho

[MoPho]

Take it out on the track and I bet your article will have a whole different slant. These cars are fun on the road, but they are AMAZING on the track. 180hp will only matter on the straights and that's not where the fun is. Tom

 

R&T did a Caterham track article about a year ago, I shot it we used Seans car.

[scannon]

I went for a blat today, first in a couple of months but as the roads are finally dry and the sun was out it seemed like a good time. It was 34F when I left and 38F when I returned home, a major heat wave for January.

 

No top and no side curtains. The heater was on but without the top and side curtains it is pretty much useless other than for my right knee.

 

I have driven my Caterham on several 400+ mile days, one was a little over 500 miles. All of these were in mid summer heat, on the 500 mile trip the temps were in the 105F range. The half hood was on and a side curtain was on the passenger side only. It was not all that uncomfortable.

 

On the GBB we drove 250 - 325 miles a day for 12 days, a total of about 2,300 miles. All but one of the 11 Se7ens had a breakdown but all of them finished the trip, even the Bear Slayer Caterham.

[Alaskossie]

MoPho --

Please, the "Executive Superlight," not the "executive 7 [sic]." (Thanks to Nathan Down for the ES moniker).

 

I drove the Mojave Desert with goggles, bikini top and side curtains because the 110-degree heat and the wind were drying my eyeballs out....

 

I agree that a long-distance trip of any length in a Seven without minimal wind protection (windshield and side curtains or wind deflectors, or aero screens ad full face helmet) is self-inflicted torture -- so why do it, and then complain afterward?

 

The answer is: to get a story beyond the ordinary, one with some reader interest.

 

On my 6500-mile drive from Denver to Anchorage, the longest single day's drive was the last one: 550 miles from Beaver Creek, Yukon to Anchorage, via Delta Junction, Alaska.

 

The real macho Seven owner/driver is Ross Robbins of Colorado, who drives his original Lotus Seven on long-distance trips all over the US, without any weather equipment.