R500 Duratec Value

[WinstonS]

Hi everyone,

I was looking for opinions on the value of a 2012 low mileage S3 R500 Duratec with the 6 speed transmission. Like new condition. I have found one for sale, and would like to make an offer, but am having difficulty putting a value on it........seems like very few sold here in the US, and this is the only one I have seen on the used market.

This was an $80,000 car when new, but it seems like new Caterham prices have dropped significantly in the last year or so due to the favorable exchange rate.

Any input is greatly appreciated!

[Kitcat]

Maybe Croc will chime in, he's the pricing expert. The wild card is build quality. Who assembled it, and are they trustworthy? Related is the mileage. Low mileage cars are suspect in my opinion as this suggests the car was non-operational a lot of the time, hence the eventual sale. More miles often means it has been fully fettled and can actually be driven home. That is a very high spec Caterham and in in my semi-informed opinion is a $45-$55K car, assuming it is healthy and doesn't need another $20-30K of work.

[Croc]

Mike - you are right. So much depends on condition/maintenance. Is it ready to drive 2-3000 miles without problem or does it need fettling to get to reliability? The level of included options can add a premium. I would liken an R500 to a current model designation of 485R. $45-50k is not a bad estimate given the huge amount of variables. It could easily edge up to $55k as a higher estimate depending on spec/condition. It is unlikely to get above that as I can think of slightly more recent cars with similar spec out there that are currently asking less around the $50k mark after haggling.

[S1Steve]

I’m guessing it’s the car advertised in Grassroots magazine.It certainly is a new 7 , 600+ miles in 5 years. I would think it’s in the middle 50 range. My only concern would be the lack of mileage. Is it sort out properly. Sitting does them no good. But I highly doubt you’ll find a nicer one . Good luck with your decision.

[Croc]

OK I found that ad. Looks nice but very little detail to sort out a fair value. No idea what is meant by the high hp head option? Who cares how much was paid at day 1 - if a regular daily driver car depreciation curve was followed then it would have lost 50%+ of its value by now after 7 years. However, Caterhams and Birkins hold up better than that in their residual values given their specialist nature.

[WinstonS]

Thank you everyone for your informed replies. It has been a huge help. You are correct, this is the car advertised on the Grassroots Motorsports website. I have contacted the seller and the car was assembled by Caterham USA in Denver, so I assume it was properly put together.

Love the look and performance potential of the R500. For me, it really seems like the perfect spec. I doubt I would ever feel the need more power and should be an absolute joy on the track. Keeping my fingers crossed I can find a way to make this work.

 

Thanks Again

[yellowss7]

I doubt I would ever feel the need more power and should be an absolute joy on the track.

 

Thanks Again

 

Joy or sheer Terror. Definitely one of the two. :rofl:

 

Best of Luck. Tom