What do you call your Seven?

[JB455]

I don't mean "have you named your Seven?" That would be a completely different discussion....

I mean, if you're at a social function and the topic turns to cars, or if you're out driving and someone asks you at a stop.... really just anytime you say anything about your Seven to anyone who doesn't know what it is. What do you say? My own car is a Birkin S3. To anyone who is familiar with Sevens, they will know exactly what I'm saying. To anyone else, that means absolutely nothing. So I can say "well, Birkin is a small manufacturer from South Africa that made fairly accurate reproductions of a late '60s sports car made by Lotus, that you've also never seen or heard of...." Or do I say it's a kit car... which brings about visions of VW powered, swoopey fiberglass bodied, yard art to people of my age?  I usually try to read my audience to determine just how much info to include... 

Obviously if you own a "real" Lotus Seven, your decision is easier.... though it was still technically a kit car. 

If you own a Caterham, it's a little bit more known, but still, most "normal" people have never heard of it. 

If you own a Birkin, Westfield, Superformance, Donkevoort, Fejer or something even more obscure, most car guys have never even heard the name. 

 

So what do you say when some one asks "what is that?" 

[demoray]

It's a rare day when I'm out in my 7 that I don't get asked what I'm driving.   I've simplified what I say to something basically like this:

 

"it's a Caterham 7.  Originally designed in the late 50s by the founder of Lotus to enable them to go racing.  They are available with a number of different engines.  Mine has a rather spicy 2.3 litre Duratec, built by Cosworth."

[wdb]

"What's a Cat-Er-Ham? Never heard of it..." Even google pronounces it that way, at least for us yanks.

 

Okay, I give up. It's a Lotus.

[Vovchandr]

To the people who already know that I own it, I refer to it as a "toy car". 

 

To those who want to know the origin of what is it. I tell them it's a continuation of an old Lotus and for sake of argument I tell them it's the 7th one designed and made. 

[pethier]

13 minutes ago, Vovchandr said:

tell them it's the 7th one designed and made. 

Close. 

 

But no cigar.

[pethier]

I call it a Seven.

 

(That's easy to remember, since I have both a Caterham and a Birkin at the moment.)

 

After that, it is a question of to whom I am talking and the circumstances in which I am asked.  My brain wiring (yeah, I've been diagnosed) allows me to jabber on and on to fill any space.

[IamScotticus]

I would call it a Lotus 7 replica,  unless it is a real Lotus 7.  Everything else is a replica, even a Caterham.

There's no point in going down the Chapman-Nearn transfer,  that is more history than your listener cares about and the conversation gets lost in the weeds. Lotus is a recognizable brand, Caterham isn't. 

Lotus 7 or replica is simple,  direct and accurate. Like the car.

Edited December 28, 2025 by IamScotticus

[toldfield]

I tell them it is a Lotus Three and a Half.  Caterham chassis and Lotus engine.

[pickles]

Ballistic Orange Caterham 360  … Always a very, very brief history as some have never heard of Lotus, let alone Caterham and then I always refer people who asked about the car back to my wife …

 

“He’s an idiot … I am 10 years younger and given that women tend to live an extra 10 years, I already have a good chance of having 20 years dancing on his grave … but then what does he do? He buys this Orange Coffin. Not only is it going to increase the duration I will have of being a dancing queen, but also I will save on funeral costs … The 18-wheeler that mows him down on the interstate will just leave an orange smear that will blend into the other road markings!”

 

 

So sadly, I had to sell it! … and buy a 620 … and to quote another notable (Bruce at Beachman Racing)

 

“Are you sure !? … there are probably not many other cars that will try and kill you every time you get in them!”

 

I have not told my wife about this prediction!

 

Pickles

[Yoram]

I tell them it's a Caterham 7, pronouncing it Kate-Rum as best as I can in my immigrant accent.  I then follow up with something like "it is an evolution of the original Lotus 7 which was launched in 1957".  And we go from there.  It then usually leads to one of those Chaos and Bifurcation moments, when things go very unpredictably in one of extreme opposite directions.  Either automotive ecstasy feeding a long friendly chat, or total glaze-over and "oh, cool, thanks".

The most irritating (and frequent) next question I get, usually in the second scenario, is "how fast will it go".  HTF do you answer that??? 

I think I will follow the OP's example and start a new thread with that question.

[KnifeySpoony]

2 hours ago, Yoram said:

 

The most irritating (and frequent) next question I get, usually in the second scenario, is "how fast will it go".  HTF do you answer that??? 

 

I just say it's not that fast, it's more about the handling. The look of disappointment is priceless. 

[Taber10]

Since my Caterham is a "50th Anniversary" model, with the appropriate nose badge, I always try to get that into the story and tell them to read the nose badge!  Lets me know if they are really interested or just bored!  I am always surprised when someone actually knows its a Caterham or a Lotus 7 inspired Sportscar (LSIS).

[Vovchandr]

10 hours ago, Yoram said:

The most irritating (and frequent) next question I get, usually in the second scenario, is "how fast will it go".  HTF do you answer that??? 

 

Got to a 7s track day, max it out and then repeat that number. 

 

I tell people I run out of gearing at 125

[wdb]

11 hours ago, Yoram said:

The most irritating (and frequent) next question I get, usually in the second scenario, is "how fast will it go".  HTF do you answer that??? 

I think I will follow the OP's example and start a new thread with that question.

"Fast enough to scare the s**t out of you, guaranteed." Maybe not in pure acceleration or straight line speed, but there are other ways...

[Vovchandr]

17 minutes ago, wdb said:

"Fast enough to scare the s**t out of you, guaranteed." Maybe not in pure acceleration or straight line speed, but there are other ways...

 

Some of us witnessed this actually happening live

 

 

[SENC]

Perpetuating the "all kit cars are dune buggies" myth?

[pethier]

21 hours ago, Yoram said:

The most irritating (and frequent) next question I get, usually in the second scenario, is "how fast will it go".  HTF do you answer that??? 

 

Possibly about 140 MPH, but not with me in it.

[Marek]

Mine is just a "Seven".  Or when I am referring to it, "the Seven".  If anyone searches on "Seven car" they will reliably find all sorts of good information.

 

If they persist, I will add, "The car was built by a US company in Maryland called 'Rotus' and has Mazda rotary engine.  It is similar to a Caterham or Lotus 7.".  At that point, most of the conversations turn to rotary engines.  (Fact: 82% of car guys under 36 are star struck by rotary engines.)

 

The Rotus name is simultaneously confusing, marginal, and too clever; so I don't dwell on it.

[Frankie]

On 12/28/2025 at 8:39 PM, Yoram said:

I tell them it's a Caterham 7, pronouncing it Kate-Rum as best as I can in my immigrant accent.  I then follow up with something like "it is an evolution of the original Lotus 7 which was launched in 1957".  And we go from there.  It then usually leads to one of those Chaos and Bifurcation moments, when things go very unpredictably in one of extreme opposite directions.  Either automotive ecstasy feeding a long friendly chat, or total glaze-over and "oh, cool, thanks".

The most irritating (and frequent) next question I get, usually in the second scenario, is "how fast will it go".  HTF do you answer that??? 

I think I will follow the OP's example and start a new thread with that question.

[Frankie]

When they ask me  that question I just say read my plate.