The insanely powerful Caterham Seven RST-V8

Caterham RST-V8

The Caterham Seven RST-V8 is the ultimate Caterham, with a power to weight ratio of over 1,000 bhp per tonne, more than double that of a Bugatti Veyron.

In the engine bay of each RST-V8 is a 2.4 litre 40 valve V8 by RS Performance, which puts out 380 horsepower at a sky high 10,000rpm and 258Nm of torque at 8,500rpm in normally aspirated form. This sounds like it’s half way on the way to being an F1 engine, which typically puts out over 700 horses and topping out at 19,000rpm. The V8 is mated to a 6-speed sequential paddle shift gearbox with an LSD.

A version of the engine supercharged at 0.8 psi (0.05 bar) produces 500 horsepower, with 406Nm of torque at 8,500rpm. The supercharged variant of the Caterham RST-V8 is called the “Levante”, and only 8 units will be available. Each vehicle comes with a two day driver training course, as this machine is not your run of the mill fast car.

0 to 100km/h with the 500 horsepower engine takes less than 3 seconds, and has traction control and launch control to help harness all that torque pushing a car that weighs just over 500kg.

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • abtm (Member) on Feb 29, 2008 at 6:02 am

    yeah but the caparo is not a car, it’s a F1 wannabe deathtrap…this caterham looks like a new AC Cobra

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  • prereload (Member) on Feb 29, 2008 at 11:26 am

    Bugatti Veyron = most expensive car (RM5.3M)

    SSC Ultimate Aero = world's fastest production car (TS 417KM/H)

    Highest power to weight ratio car ever goes to Caparo T1 not this car.

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  • prereload (Member) on Feb 29, 2008 at 11:27 am

    Bugatti Veyron = most expensive car (RM5.3M)

    SSC Ultimate Aero = world's fastest production car (TS 417KM/H)

    Highest power to weight ratio car ever goes to Caparo T1 not to this car.

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  • 4G63T DSM (Member) on Feb 29, 2008 at 5:25 pm

    Lol, looks like an AC Cobra? Nothign looks like an AC Cobra but an AC Cobra. If there is any spiritual successor to the Cobra (more accurately, Shelby Cobra), it would have been the Dodge Viper.

    This just looks like a mutated Lotus 7.

    MADNESS. I LOVE IT.

    The Caparo is another beast alltogether. If you want to generalize, anything that has 1000hp/tonne is a deathtrap if you do not have the proper roads or skill to handle it.

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  • razor_clawzz (Member) on Feb 29, 2008 at 5:32 pm

    Imagine all those piercings you have on your face while putting this 1000tonne/hp deathtrap to the test…….madness~ And yes, we all find that enjoyable xD

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  • wildthingz (Member) on Feb 29, 2008 at 6:29 pm

    how much its cost love to ride something like this

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  • maibatsu_thunder (Member) on Mar 01, 2008 at 2:40 pm

    For about RM150-400k you can buy a Caterham in Malaysia. Check out www.sevenbuilder.com and see if you really like this icon of driving. It originally came out in 1957 and was developed by Colin Chapman and his Lotus team.

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  • raybrig85 (Member) on Mar 01, 2008 at 9:53 pm

    caparo???hahahaha…if u want to die…drive dat junk…im not a fan of caterham…bt this car is insane…

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  • szw (Member) on Mar 02, 2008 at 7:38 am

    another mad car…

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  • L (Member) on Mar 02, 2008 at 8:41 pm

    just another big overgrown toy for some people with overgrown ego to match

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  • KL-ATR (Member) on Mar 05, 2008 at 7:18 pm

    Just perfect for the track! I don't think this can be compared to a car… it's more like a 4 wheeled super bike really. I wanna see a duel with the Ariel Atom!

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