Life with the craziest Caterham: 10k miles in 220bhp, 485kg maniac

"It's about as close to motorcycling as I will ever come," says Daniel Goodison of his Caterham Seven Superlight R, a 220bhp road and track weapon that weighs just 485kg. "There are no side windows, there's no windscreen, 0-60mph takes 3.5sec and 0-100mph 8.2sec and the 1.8-litre engine is limited to 7500 or 8400rpm on track days. I love it." I've no doubt he does. It's barely above freezing when we meet and the roads are covered with salt, but he has driven to deepest Hampshire from Dorset for his car club meet and it's still only 9.30 in the morning. "That's nothing," he says. "Not long ago, in one day I drove from Blandford Forum to Doncaster for a track day, then down to Snetterton and from there back to Blandford. I got back at 2am. Unfortunately, the headlights are like candles. Daniel bought the car two years ago from Purbeck Sports Cars in Wareham, Dorset. Registered in 2002, it had 18,000 miles on the clock. He has since added 10,000. "It's number 127 of 127 cars built," he says. "This example was a kit car built at home by a chap who photographed every stage and was obsessed with saving weight. He won his area championship in it, so there's not much to live up to!" The car's 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine is a Rover K-series Very High Performance Derivative with strengthened internals. "The previous owner had raised the rev limit to 8400rpm and been running the engine at 243bhp on competition days," says Daniel. "I've dialled it back to preserve it!" His Caterham may have candles for headlights but its brakes are, he says, up to the job - sort of: "The braking is 'sufficient'. It has the big brake upgrade but they're still tiny compared with most road cars." This Seven was built not by Caterham but by its original owner. With no windows and no roof on the car, I wonder how he copes when it rains. "When I'm driving in a straight line, the passage of the car keeps the worst of the rain out," he says. "However, in corners, without the front wheels being tucked into wheel arches, the water comes straight in. Not nice." Still, this minor discomfort is clearly not enough to discourage Daniel from driving the car on the longest journeys. Is it comfortable? "The ride isn't bad. The seat isn't padded, but although I have back problems, I don't experience back ache in it. It's a bit loud on long journeys, but on that marathon round trip from Blandford that I mentioned earlier, apart from some ringing in my ears it was bearable." Daniel bought his Caterham with the intention of doing track days, sprints and hillclimbs and has notched up a few already. "I've done Goodwood and Castle Combe track days and Shelsley Walsh, Prescott and Gurston Down hillclimbs," he says. "Gurston is fantastic fun and I've got three days booked there this year, plus some races at my local circuit." Throughout, the Caterham hasn't missed a beat, although Daniel is having the de Dion rear axle replaced at the end of the month, because "there's a bit of play in it". Always eagle-eyed, I notice that the car has no steering wheel. "It's a requirement of my insurance policy that it is removed whenever the car is parked," explains Daniel. I can only imagine that refitting it simply adds to the anticipation of the exciting drive ahead, whatever the weather.

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Life with the craziest Caterham: 10k miles in 220bhp, 485kg maniac

No windows, no seat, no padding, no problem - this Caterham is as raw as it gets

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Life with the craziest Caterham: 10k miles in 220bhp, 485kg maniac

No windows, no seat, no padding, no problem - this Caterham is as raw as it gets

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