Caterham Cars has partnered with race team Lola Cars to build a dedicated race car. The Caterham-Lola SP/300.R is set to debut in a bespoke race series in 2012.
The design was inspired by Lola’s Formula 3 cars, with sectioned body panels that can easily be removed in the pits, and a massive front splitter and rear diffuser to help produce downforce.
As with all other current Caterham products, the mid-mounted engine will come from Ford. Inn this case it’s a 2.0-liter Duratec engine that will be supercharged and tuned by Caterham to produce around 300 hp. It will mate to an automated transmission from Hewland. The SP/300.R is projected to weigh less than 1320 pounds, which should allow for 0-to-60-mph blasts of just 2.5 seconds. The car will reportedly be capable of 170 mph.
The Caterham’s chassis should be equally impressive, with aluminum construction, a fully adjustable race suspension, and AP Racing brakes. Cooper racing tires developed specifically for the car will be mounted on 13-inch wheels; the rears measure 9.8 inches wide, the fronts 7.1 inches. The car comes fully prepared for racing, with six-point harnesses, a fire suppression system, and a steering wheel with built-in data display.
Caterham doesn’t yet have firm plans for the proposed race series, but we do know it will take place on tracks in the U.K. The company hopes the initial SP/300.R championship will lead to expansion of the series around Europe.
The SP/300.R will cost the equivalent of $95,000 before taxes. For now it’s purely a track machine, though the company says it’s considering the possibility of a road-legal version.
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