Do you think the Caterham's / Lotuses are height discriminatory?

[slowdude]

In chatting with a friend, i came to the conclusion that the Caterham 7 is truly a car for shorter people. 

 

My tall friends can't drive them. All my short friends can fit in them perfectly.

 

Does this mean that if you drive an S3, you are short, and if you drive an SV, you are a normal human?

 

@Croc, I need your advice here.

[Croc]

Definitely @Vovchandr is slower than @FasterThanVov

 

That’s definitely a height thing since Paige is taller than Vlad and she was faster in my S5/CSR.  

 

 

 

[slowdude]

1 minute ago, Croc said:

Definitely @Vovchandr is slower than @FasterThanVov

 

That’s definitely a height thing since Paige is taller than Vlad and she was faster in my S5/CSR.  

 

 

 

I think i'm going to have to loop @JohnCh to help out here, you clearly have an agenda.

S3 vs SV @Vovchandr!?

[Croc]

I think we need more short people involved 

@CBuff

 

He’s inadequate, I mean short.  
 

PS - never let @slowdude and me loose when alcohol is involved.   

 

 

😁

 

 

[CBuff]

24 minutes ago, Croc said:

He’s inadequate, I mean short.  

Im not terribly short, my license says 5'10" but my wife contests this. If you portly enough, you always seem short. 

 

SV all the way for me. Very happy with the extra room. 

 

As my mother used to say to me "Easier to jump over than walk around"

Edited March 28 by CBuff

[Croc]

21 minutes ago, CBuff said:

If you portly enough, you always seem short  

Yes @slowdude we’re thinking that works for you. 

[JohnCh]

55 minutes ago, slowdude said:

I think i'm going to have to loop @JohnCh to help out here, you clearly have an agenda.

 

HR has a long and catastrophically unsuccessful history of trying to create a kinder, gentler, more sensitive Croc. According to a recent LinkedIn post, they have finally thrown in the towel. Probably the only decision they've ever made that gets his approval.

[KnifeySpoony]

I'm 6'1" and S3 fits me perfectly. SV is a grotesque abomination destroying humanity.

[CBuff]

@KnifeySpoony the sv is the evolution. I love to sit in my thick leather seats with my heater humming away.  I wonder if anyone has added adaptive cruise control. 

[KnifeySpoony]

I think that is only a subscription-based feature. 

[zootnewton]

Took a 6'4" friend with me (I'm 5'11") when I first test drove an S3 in Colorado. He was fine - with a passenger - as long as he took his shoes off. 

 

Conclusion: NOT height discriminatory. FOOT discriminatory!

[IamScotticus]

This little car, made in England,  by typically tall English blokes.  And that was the short cockpit.  I suspect the car was designed around a 6 foot person.  Anyone north of that will have foot problems, anyone south will have reach problems.  For the latter, the sliding seats help, but just put you closer to the wheel, which is another annoyance. 

[Xhilr8n]

I’m 6’1” plenty room in all the various Lotus we’ve had, and the Caterham Seven.

 

But more importantly, please don’t use that word 😊

 

 

 

 

[SENC]

On 3/30/2026 at 4:45 PM, IamScotticus said:

This little car, made in England,  by typically tall English blokes.  And that was the short cockpit.  I suspect the car was designed around a 6 foot person.  Anyone north of that will have foot problems, anyone south will have reach problems.  For the latter, the sliding seats help, but just put you closer to the wheel, which is another annoyance. 

Funny, I've always thought the S2 must have been built for a range between Jim Clark-sized (I think he was in the 5'7" range, if I recall) and 5'11"ish.  I'm between 6' and 6'1 and my legs just barely fit under the steering wheel with the seat bottom thin and on the deck and back flat against the frame.  If the car weren't so much fun to drive, it would get real uncomfortable, real quick - but the fun factor makes 2-3 hours go by quickly.

 

Ultimately I suspect its less about height and more about where you get your height - if your build is in the length of your legs you'll struggle, if your height comes more from your torso, probably good above 6'1".

[IamScotticus]

@Xhilr8n re: grammar,

Thanks for the clarification.

There is official guidance. 

Because we want information. 

[Xhilr8n]

1 hour ago, IamScotticus said:

@Xhilr8n re: grammar,

Thanks for the clarification.

There is official guidance. 

Because we want information. 

 

I’ll be seeing you 😊
 

Seriously, my last name Harris ends is ‘s’ so I am particularly aware of the slippery slope people get in with plurals and possessives.  A proper tongue can not pronounce some of these efforts so they are disfavoured.

 

“There are a lot of Harris that live down that way”

 

”Is this Harris’ car?”

Edited Sunday at 05:26 PM by Xhilr8n

[BruceBe]

Accommodating height is not the problem in a Caterham. A lowered-floor Caterham with composite seats can fit an amazingly tall driver - north of 6'4".

 

Girth is the issue. And shoe size. Even a slender, tall person will benefit from the bigger pedal box of the SV chassis.

 

Cheers,

-Bruce