Caterham 21 review
Caterham 21 1.6 Road Test
Test date 19 March 1997
Price as tested £22,995
For Touring potential, cabin finish, fabulous gearbox, brakes
Against Mechanical refinement is a bit too slow for a Caterham
By grafting a svelte new body on to the Super 7 chassis and running gear, Caterham originally set out simply to improve the aerodynamic performance and broaden the showroom appeal of its legendary roadster without sacrificing any of its dynamic qualities.
But since the first aluminium-bodied 21 prototype appeared at the 1994 Birmingham Motor Show, a multitude of challengers have hit the market and Caterham has responded with a raft of improvements. Styled by Autocar technical editor Iain Robertson, the 21’s curvaceous skin is virtually unchanged from the show car. But, following extensive wind tunnel testing, the nose, windows, boot lid and rear undertray have all been subtly reprofiled to minimise drag, cockpit turbulence and high-speed lift. Although no match for Porsche’s Boxster, the 21's 0.37 hood-up drag co-efficient is impressive for this class of car, and exceptional among low-volume rivals.
If being British is an essential part of the recipe then the choice for this kind of car is somewhat limited at this price level. The MGF VVC offers a good deal more comfort and convenience but at the loss of performance and agility, while such cars as the Ginetta G27 have yet to match the credibility or build quality of Caterham. Look further up the price charts and cars such as the TVR Chimera and Marcos Mantara Spyder creep into view. If you scrap your patriotic stance then the BMW Z3 is an option but it’s hardly a real driver’s car and hasn’t the performance of the 21. Then there’s the Boxster if you want to pay a bit more, the MX-5 if you want to pay less, the Fiat Barchetta if you can’t resist Italian flair, but make sure you have driven the Lotus Elise before you sign on the dotted line for a 21.
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