Caterham Seven Superlight Twenty marks 20 years of track thrills

Caterham released the original Seven Superlight way back in 1996, and it ushered in a new era of more track-based Caterhams - culminating in the crazy 620R. With the 20th anniversary of the first Superlight coming up next year, Caterham will unveil a new model called the Caterham Superlight Twenty at the 2015 Goodwood Revival.

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The new Superlight Twenty will receive a very similar spec to the 1996 car, with a 1.6-litre Ford engine producing 135bhp. A modest figure, but the car's featherweight nature means that this engine will catapult it from 0-62mph in just 4.9 seconds on the way to 122mph. A 'sport' suspension setup and 6-speed close-ratio gearbox add to the track-focused approach, while a limited-slip differential and lightweight flywheel complete the package.

Weight has been saved in every conceivable way, with numerous carbon-fibre elements built-in including the wings and the nose. As always with Caterhams, there's very little equipment to weigh it down, and even the options list is sparse with just optional paint, weather protection and a heater available. The bodywork itself is finished as standard in bare aluminium just like the original Superlight. The lack of paint alone saves six kilograms, and contributes to an incredibly low weight of just 498kg - not even half a Ford Fiesta.

There will only be 20 of these special edition Caterham Sevens produced, and each one will receive a numbered dash plate, unique gauges and the special carbon sports seats previously only found on the flagship 620R.

The limited-edition Caterham Superlight Twenty will be unveiled at the 2015 Goodwood revival ahead of a 2016 launch. It will be priced from £29,995, although if you want to put in the elbow grease and build the car yourself it comes in at £26,995.

Will this Caterham Superlight tempt you onto the track? Let us know what you think of it in the comments below...