Might be a Westfield. Slight revision of the Caterham with more modern options and a slightly wider body for those of us with extra middle aged padding.
Not with the 7 on the front.
And Caterham has more modern options too, including a wider body.
There seems to be a bit of a misconception on here that Caterham are stuck producing just the exact original 1970s car, and Westfield are the only ones who have modernised it. Modern Caterhams can do 0-60 in 2.8 seconds, and come with sequential gearboxes, limited slip differentials, carbon fibre, quad piston brakes, etc.
(This one here looks to be a more traditional one, though.)
[It’s generally felt that Caterhams are better cars than Westfields.](https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/2019-westfield-sport-250--uk-review/37065) Westfield’s main selling point is not they are more modern, it’s that they are *cheaper*.
I bought a suit coat for a business meeting a couple months ago. Turns out there's something called "executive fit" which just means it's bigger around the waist for us that are built like boomer and before era executives.
So the Westfield is an executive car. Not to be confused with an estate car. ;)
Yup, we have a 1963 series 2 [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/lotus/s/tvUNzPYgXg)
They were kit cars back then.. fun fact: back then the UK started a VAT (tax) on kit cars..
To circumvent that companies would not send assembly instructions… instead they would disassembly instructions so all you had to do was start at the back and read forward.
I have a "locust 7" it's a clone of the lotus 7 but mine is a little longer and wider. Built from scratch except for the fiberglass which was purchased and modified.
You can buy them as a fully built car or a kit from Caterham. Lotus no longer makes them since the early 70’s.
There are a couple other companies that sell similar cars, but they do look different and some are designed to have different engines.
Strange take. Caterham is a real manufacturer, they just base their cars on the classic Lotus 7 design, which they legally own. They’re fast too. It’s cool regardless, but to each their own.
I guess that does make it a bit different than your average kit car. But as far as rarity goes, it’s not like it’s one of the original Lotus’s or anything. I don’t think it’s all that cool just hoping it was rare. Lol
You're the reason car communities can look dumb...
Why do you care about cars?
Have you ever drove a Caterham? The 130hp version I tried is the most fun I've ever had, it was a rocket, and they go to over 300hp.
They are still surprisingly good on tyres as long as you aren't just doing burnouts and doughnuts, or autocross, the lightness and grip is what makes them so capable
If you light up the tyres while actually driving hard it's quite likely you'll spin out
I think you’re the reason car communities can look dumb…
No one should gatekeep. I can like or dislike any car for any reason I want. That’s what opinions are. The point is I like cars.
Maybe. If you're a collector. But IIRC, the Caterham 7 was at or near the top of Top Gear's list of track times around the airfield circuit at one time. Also, word is, these cars are incredibly fun and engaging to drive.
Nah Caterham is very well respected in the car community.
For one, the faster ones are REALLY fast. Like “fastest car on the road, spank Ferraris at the track” fast. Not bad for something that looks like it’d be driven by porky the pig.
For two, they’re generally high quality and will actually sell non-kit, fully built cars in some markets. They’ve also stuck with and developed the same car design year after year, which is I think a fantasy a lot of enthusiasts have. Just a fully developed version of a classic.
They also sell a huge range of them. While the fast ones are absurdly fast, they also have a 100-ish hp 3-cylinder version for relatively cheap. Because the cars are so light, it’s still not that slow.
So... what? You're just hoping it's rare for internet points? These cars are super cool and can be made to be incredibly competent track cars. The 620R is a monster with its supercharged 2.0L
Depends where you live but these are relatively rare. It’s not a kit car (albeit you can buy it in kit form). They are quicker around a track than almost any other road car.
Here in England, they're not really regarded as kit cars. There manufacturer made and Caterham is very well esteemed as a brand. Almost all new Caterhams (to my knowledge) are factory built. They even have their own race series.
Even the Lotus ones were mostly sold in the UK as kit-cars (until 1973).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Seven
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterham_7
Caterhams are awesome. You can buy a factory built car or self-build your own. Either way, they’re built from brand new components supplied by Caterham and are one of the best handling cars on the planet. It’s not a body kit you glue to a 30 year old Fiero.
They're definitely nothing to be sniffed at, in the UK there is an entire race series for them and they are held in very high regard as the best, most raw and connected driving experience you can have in a road car.
The reason they were and are still available as a kit if you desire was originally a tax evasion when they were first developed. In the UK at the time Lotus founder Colin Chapman realised if he sold the car as a kit of parts then he could avoid a hefty tax on it and sell it cheaper. The cars were so small and simple this was a feasible option. They then became a cult car and people relish the opportunity to build it themselves, you also get some money off if you buy the kit rather than a pre built one.
Lotus did it first yes, in the 1950's, but Caterham (That used to be a Lotus Dealer) purchased the rights to keep producing as it was planned to be discontinued around 1973, and they have been producing them up until this day, with some pretty fast cars such as the Superlight R500 and 620R
I never thought about it but the Venn diagram of the kind of guy interested in owning a Caterham and the kind of guy interested in owning a gyrocopter has to be nearly a perfect circle.
IRL a Caterham drives just nice, much better than in sims. The standard dampers by bilstein are a lot of fun on the road and the car is NOT hard or a pain for the spine.
Modern Caterhams are actually surprisingly comfortable to drive. And don't cause me any back pain that I can get in other cars.
This one looks like an older one with a bench seat. I am not sure what these are like.
Actually it’s incredibly comfortable even on longer drives. I’ve done 5+ hours of country road driving and got out feeling absolutely fine compared to other every day cars!
Not a 620, this car is far older. Has the exhaust on the wrong side. And they have never done a 620 with the "clamshell" front wheel arches that are known to produce lift at high speed.
Iconic opening credits. Nothing is said, nothing is written, you know he’s connected with some underground organization and he can’t be let go easily.
Pretty cerebral TV even for the time.
It took that guy five minutes to get out of that car. I’m not poking fun it would take me six or seven with the help of a friend. You know there is no graceful or cool way to get out of that car.
[Caterham 7.](https://caterhamcars.com/us/models/the-range) Not sure of the trim, but Clarkson, May and Hammond have done several bits with them over the years.
There was a famous book by Ron Champion -“Build Your Own Sports Car” that gave complete plans for cutting and welding your own tubular space frame and using donor parts from an early (UK) Ford Escort like drivetrain, suspension and brakes, getting them legally inspected and approved etc. Also on the Web are full plans from McSorley to do a Sevenesque but bigger - the 442. All derived from the legendary Lotus 7 from the 1950’s, a tribute to the benefits of light weight simple but well designed cars.
Let's see if I can help....
It's a 96 caterham s3 with a ford crossflow on webers. 4sp straight axle car.
It's plenty quick, but a few speed parts are waiting for the next engine removal.
I'm not quite a boomer, but old enough...
Don't have go cart dreams but have wanted a7 for decades before I got this one.
In and out is easy.
Good on the spine if the damping is set a little soft, which it needs to be for $hit s'consin roads
Yes, I need to polish the body.
Oldest person that's gotten in...and OUT, is 84, and she absolutely loved sliding through roundabouts!!
Drove it back from Charleston,SC to wisconsin, in november a few years ago.
It's a riot!
It’s a car. With a 7 on the grille. If you’re capable of making a post on reddit you’re probably capable of typing “car brand with 7 on grille” into google.
Caterham is literally the first result.
Since you’re being obtuse. If you were to google “car with 7 on grille” it also brings you right to Caterham.
Or do you believe OP is incapable of the most basic critical thinking skills rather than just being lazy and/or looking for karma?
The lowcost kits are usually based on the Miata drivetrain and suspension. Engine, trans, drive shaft and rear axle, brakes, springs and shocks, usually all that is preserved and a different body that weighs several hundred pounds or less.
Lotus/Caterham Seven
Might be a Westfield. Slight revision of the Caterham with more modern options and a slightly wider body for those of us with extra middle aged padding.
Not with the 7 on the front. And Caterham has more modern options too, including a wider body. There seems to be a bit of a misconception on here that Caterham are stuck producing just the exact original 1970s car, and Westfield are the only ones who have modernised it. Modern Caterhams can do 0-60 in 2.8 seconds, and come with sequential gearboxes, limited slip differentials, carbon fibre, quad piston brakes, etc. (This one here looks to be a more traditional one, though.) [It’s generally felt that Caterhams are better cars than Westfields.](https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-driven/2019-westfield-sport-250--uk-review/37065) Westfield’s main selling point is not they are more modern, it’s that they are *cheaper*.
Fair point, I didn’t spot the 7 (phone screen).
Westfields always seem shitty compared to rear caterhams when they come in the garage
I bought a suit coat for a business meeting a couple months ago. Turns out there's something called "executive fit" which just means it's bigger around the waist for us that are built like boomer and before era executives. So the Westfield is an executive car. Not to be confused with an estate car. ;)
That thing would terrify most Americans because it’s rapid and actually dies corners like they’d never have known.
I would assume it's a Lotus. I don't think Caterham made these with the exposed metal.
So it is a Lotus?
Lotus first made the car and Caterham bought the design and continued making them. It's probably a Caterham.
Does great in Madagascar.
Cheese.
Or one of the other clones.
i'm wondering if it's a kit car. i'm guessing that's the US
There are kit copies. There are also caterhams and lotus 7's. Most the lotus are older than 25 years. Unsure about the caterhams.
Caterham cars got the rights to build 7's in 1973.
Yup, we have a 1963 series 2 [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/lotus/s/tvUNzPYgXg) They were kit cars back then.. fun fact: back then the UK started a VAT (tax) on kit cars.. To circumvent that companies would not send assembly instructions… instead they would disassembly instructions so all you had to do was start at the back and read forward.
The original lotus was offered as a kit too. The first car Lotus made which wasn’t a kit was the Lotus Elan
I suppose the design hasn't changed in 147 years so year it could be a Caterham
I have a "locust 7" it's a clone of the lotus 7 but mine is a little longer and wider. Built from scratch except for the fiberglass which was purchased and modified.
I thought about building one, I just never finish projects,.
You can buy them as a fully built car or a kit from Caterham. Lotus no longer makes them since the early 70’s. There are a couple other companies that sell similar cars, but they do look different and some are designed to have different engines.
They sell them as a kit for you to build it, or they sell it fully assembled as any other car
Yes and no. Lotus did the design and production of it but later caterham bought the rights to it. Still available as a kit car
How's this guy getting down voted for asking a question.. When top comment even said Louts/
That’s Reddit for you.
People use the up/downvote to answer yes/no to questions. It’s a problem.
Because the question was already answered. In the top level comment you're talking about.
Why did u guys downvote him to hell😭
It only matters if you give a shit. Which I don’t.
The Caterham 7 is a kit car based off of the original 1950s Lotus Seven
The Caterham 7 can be a kit car, yes, but you can order it built from the factory as well.
Even the lotus 7 was available as a kit car. To get around some export tariffs they assembly manual was printed as a disassembly manual
Just a kit car huh? Shouldn’t have even wasted time taking a picture
Strange take. Caterham is a real manufacturer, they just base their cars on the classic Lotus 7 design, which they legally own. They’re fast too. It’s cool regardless, but to each their own.
My uncle used to own one of these. Mid size engine, weighs nothing. Yeah they're super quick.
I guess that does make it a bit different than your average kit car. But as far as rarity goes, it’s not like it’s one of the original Lotus’s or anything. I don’t think it’s all that cool just hoping it was rare. Lol
You're the reason car communities can look dumb... Why do you care about cars? Have you ever drove a Caterham? The 130hp version I tried is the most fun I've ever had, it was a rocket, and they go to over 300hp.
Dudes gotta be 12 he posted asking if the radios on the beach in Saving Private Ryan were “1940s cellphones”
Agreed, most fun you can have with your clothes on.
So... what if you drive it naked then?
The second most fun you can have with your clothes off .
You'd have to watch out for skid marks.
300hp in a 1,200lb car?! Holy smokes.
Eh TVR put a 800hp V12 in a 975kg car Yes its a complete deathtrap
Yeah that worked out great for them lol
As it should be. 🤣🤣🤣
God the amount of tires I would go thru….
They are still surprisingly good on tyres as long as you aren't just doing burnouts and doughnuts, or autocross, the lightness and grip is what makes them so capable If you light up the tyres while actually driving hard it's quite likely you'll spin out
I think you’re the reason car communities can look dumb… No one should gatekeep. I can like or dislike any car for any reason I want. That’s what opinions are. The point is I like cars.
> No one should gatekeep *Calls a kit car a waste of time* Little confused here, bud
Again. Calling something a waste of time is my opinion. Everyone’s allowed to share their opinions. How are confused? Are you a retard?
Maybe. If you're a collector. But IIRC, the Caterham 7 was at or near the top of Top Gear's list of track times around the airfield circuit at one time. Also, word is, these cars are incredibly fun and engaging to drive.
They’re fantastic on the road and on the track. Well worth a go if you can get one. Not a daily though.
Nah Caterham is very well respected in the car community. For one, the faster ones are REALLY fast. Like “fastest car on the road, spank Ferraris at the track” fast. Not bad for something that looks like it’d be driven by porky the pig. For two, they’re generally high quality and will actually sell non-kit, fully built cars in some markets. They’ve also stuck with and developed the same car design year after year, which is I think a fantasy a lot of enthusiasts have. Just a fully developed version of a classic. They also sell a huge range of them. While the fast ones are absurdly fast, they also have a 100-ish hp 3-cylinder version for relatively cheap. Because the cars are so light, it’s still not that slow.
A car doesn't have to be rare to be interesting.
So... what? You're just hoping it's rare for internet points? These cars are super cool and can be made to be incredibly competent track cars. The 620R is a monster with its supercharged 2.0L
Depends where you live but these are relatively rare. It’s not a kit car (albeit you can buy it in kit form). They are quicker around a track than almost any other road car.
Caterham isn’t certified to sell cars in the US so building from a kit is a workaround. In the UK you can buy them from a dealer I believe.
>In the UK you can buy them from a dealer I believe. Both in the UK. You can buy it fully built, or buy the kit.
[удалено]
Be respectful god damn
Here in England, they're not really regarded as kit cars. There manufacturer made and Caterham is very well esteemed as a brand. Almost all new Caterhams (to my knowledge) are factory built. They even have their own race series.
Even the Lotus ones were mostly sold in the UK as kit-cars (until 1973). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Seven https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterham_7
Yeah, I'm sure you drive something cooler than a Caterham...
they’re all kits. that’s the point
Caterhams are awesome. You can buy a factory built car or self-build your own. Either way, they’re built from brand new components supplied by Caterham and are one of the best handling cars on the planet. It’s not a body kit you glue to a 30 year old Fiero.
They're definitely nothing to be sniffed at, in the UK there is an entire race series for them and they are held in very high regard as the best, most raw and connected driving experience you can have in a road car. The reason they were and are still available as a kit if you desire was originally a tax evasion when they were first developed. In the UK at the time Lotus founder Colin Chapman realised if he sold the car as a kit of parts then he could avoid a hefty tax on it and sell it cheaper. The cars were so small and simple this was a feasible option. They then became a cult car and people relish the opportunity to build it themselves, you also get some money off if you buy the kit rather than a pre built one.
Lotus did it first yes, in the 1950's, but Caterham (That used to be a Lotus Dealer) purchased the rights to keep producing as it was planned to be discontinued around 1973, and they have been producing them up until this day, with some pretty fast cars such as the Superlight R500 and 620R
One of my favorite cars to drive on Gran Turismo
A great car to drive IRL too.
You can touch the ground while you are sitting in it
I’m used to work for a guy who had a Caterham. Unrelated: he lost part of a hand in a gyrocopter accident
That’s Caterhams prime demographic there. Not a real shock that he was the one lol.
I never thought about it but the Venn diagram of the kind of guy interested in owning a Caterham and the kind of guy interested in owning a gyrocopter has to be nearly a perfect circle.
Very Popular Mechanics
😂
It's absolutely related lmao
💯
That car does no favors to one's spinal column...
lol the dude does look a little stiff getting out of that thing
That car makes me stiff, too.
Ha yeah he looks like he’s off to see his physio!
IRL it's going to fuck up your spine. In video games it's so much fun to drive it.
IRL a Caterham drives just nice, much better than in sims. The standard dampers by bilstein are a lot of fun on the road and the car is NOT hard or a pain for the spine.
Modern Caterhams are actually surprisingly comfortable to drive. And don't cause me any back pain that I can get in other cars. This one looks like an older one with a bench seat. I am not sure what these are like.
It can still be a bucket if you’re fat enough
Actually it’s incredibly comfortable even on longer drives. I’ve done 5+ hours of country road driving and got out feeling absolutely fine compared to other every day cars!
How does an old geezer get out of one?
Same way he gets in. Slowly and awkwardly.
With a lot of grunting noises
Sounds like me getting off the lounge
Are they ever *not* driven by an old geezer?
You make a noise like *pschttt pschttt pschttt pschttt* as you bend.
Caterham for sure. 620 maybe?
Not a 620, this car is far older. Has the exhaust on the wrong side. And they have never done a 620 with the "clamshell" front wheel arches that are known to produce lift at high speed.
I know nothing about Caterhan aside from the shape and logo so you are probably right thanks!
Don't underestimate your knowledge. You know the 620 which is their flagship model.
A lotus or caterham 7. That thing will beat almost anything around a road course track.
Lotus Super 7 or the Caterham 7
Russell Crowe or Alec Baldwin?
That’s Castro. Name is on his shirt.
[quick search, is this the one?](https://bringatrailer.com/listing/caterham-super-seven-5-3/)
Nope. Different genders and such
https://youtu.be/M3LT98uOwck?si=i93ztTXfE5EmtN0N The car Caterham Seven is based on, S2 Lotus Seven from The Prisoner opening credits.
Iconic opening credits. Nothing is said, nothing is written, you know he’s connected with some underground organization and he can’t be let go easily. Pretty cerebral TV even for the time.
I like how he nearly just drove under the parking barrier...
I am not a number. I am a free man
Lotus Super 7
Coffin on wheels
It’s insanely fast. Power to weight is mind blowing!
Fell in love with Caterhams after seeing James May drive one on The Grand Tour. Beautiful.
Souper seven, most likely a kit
We have Zac Brown at home
A tool from Bob the builder! Notice the eyes?!
Lotus or Caterham 7
Caterham 7
Caterham
Car version of a basket case
Such a fun track or AutoX car
Caterham Super 7 - I made a model of one of these.
Zach Brown vibes
It took that guy five minutes to get out of that car. I’m not poking fun it would take me six or seven with the help of a friend. You know there is no graceful or cool way to get out of that car.
I like that Damn shirt
I drove my friend’s Caterham 7 for a few days and it was an absolute blast. Never driven anything like it.
[Caterham 7.](https://caterhamcars.com/us/models/the-range) Not sure of the trim, but Clarkson, May and Hammond have done several bits with them over the years.
Thought that was Zac Brown... McLaren CEO...
Probably not in Kenosha, Wisconsin
Never know, he might have decided to sneak out with his lotus 7 and get some cheese (thats the cheese state right? Im not american)
I am more interested what he does
Lotus 7 or replica
That's the Little Rascals Special.
That looks like a Robin Hood S7 kit
These are kits maybe. You can make them with a NB Miata for parts.
That looks like Kevin Spacey driving a Caterham 7 that is on Panasport Prorally wheels.
There was a famous book by Ron Champion -“Build Your Own Sports Car” that gave complete plans for cutting and welding your own tubular space frame and using donor parts from an early (UK) Ford Escort like drivetrain, suspension and brakes, getting them legally inspected and approved etc. Also on the Web are full plans from McSorley to do a Sevenesque but bigger - the 442. All derived from the legendary Lotus 7 from the 1950’s, a tribute to the benefits of light weight simple but well designed cars.
That is Jay Leno in discuse
Let's see if I can help.... It's a 96 caterham s3 with a ford crossflow on webers. 4sp straight axle car. It's plenty quick, but a few speed parts are waiting for the next engine removal. I'm not quite a boomer, but old enough... Don't have go cart dreams but have wanted a7 for decades before I got this one. In and out is easy. Good on the spine if the damping is set a little soft, which it needs to be for $hit s'consin roads Yes, I need to polish the body. Oldest person that's gotten in...and OUT, is 84, and she absolutely loved sliding through roundabouts!! Drove it back from Charleston,SC to wisconsin, in november a few years ago. It's a riot!
r/whatisthiscar next time
Are you being sarcastic?
r/Whatisthiscar
The giant "7" on the grille didn't make you think to Google?
Right because that is such a Google-able single character
“Car brand with 7 on grille” first hit is Caterham. 🤷🏼♂️
Why would the sort of person asking a car ID sub know which is the brand and which is the model?
It’s a car. With a 7 on the grille. If you’re capable of making a post on reddit you’re probably capable of typing “car brand with 7 on grille” into google. Caterham is literally the first result.
Thanks drax
[https://www.google.com/search?q=car+brand+with+7+on+grille&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari](https://www.google.com/search?q=car+brand+with+7+on+grille&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-us&client=safari)
You are too fast You would catch it
Since you’re being obtuse. If you were to google “car with 7 on grille” it also brings you right to Caterham. Or do you believe OP is incapable of the most basic critical thinking skills rather than just being lazy and/or looking for karma?
law of parsimony in action!
I don’t use a razor very often but when I do, I prefer the Ockham brand. Ockham’s razors, simple, smooth.
Seems like that was your premise….
Miata
Not a Fiero?
The lowcost kits are usually based on the Miata drivetrain and suspension. Engine, trans, drive shaft and rear axle, brakes, springs and shocks, usually all that is preserved and a different body that weighs several hundred pounds or less.
I’m guessing he’s never pushed that thing over a hundred and felt the front wheels lose grip. He’d pull those fenders off real quick.
That looks like a boyscout box car. Or like one of those cars that Frankie muniz raced in that old Disney movie where he had some kind of handicap
Boomer with a go cart fetish.