This Caterham sports car is limited to just 25 units
What's the story
Caterham has said goodbye to the beloved Ford Sigma engine with Seven Encore. The mill is a staple in its Seven sports cars for decades. The four-cylinder unit first appeared in the original Lotus Seven back in 1957 and became a popular choice among performance enthusiasts. From the reborn Caterham Seven of 1973 to today's models, the Ford engine has been a longstanding staple on this exhilarating journey.
Engine evolution
Caterham's journey with Ford Sigma engine
Over the years, Caterham has offered different engines for its Seven models, but the Ford-powered ones have been popular.
The current model features a rev-happy 1.6-liter Sigma engine, however, after the production of the all-aluminum four-pot ended in 2020, Caterham began to phase out its reliance on this iconic engine.
Special farewell
It is powered by last 25 Ford Sigma engines
To mark the end of an era, Caterham has launched a limited-edition Seven model called the Encore.
The Encore is powered by the last 25 Ford Sigma engines in Caterham's possession and comes with a host of performance upgrades.
It delivers an impressive 152hp at 7,000rpm and torque of 228Nm through racier cams and an ECU tweak.
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What else does the Caterham Encore offer?
The Encore also features the vented nose cone from the supercharged 620 and front grille from the 420 Cup.
It comes in a range of colors inspired by iconic music tracks, with three body stripes running from stem to stern.
The car sits on 13-inch two-piece alloys shod with track-focused Toyo rubber and offers a choice between S3 or wide-body SV chassis configurations.
Performance
Driving experience of the Seven Encore
The Encore comes with sports suspension, a limited-slip differential, and a lightened flywheel as standard.
Despite its modest power output, the sub-600kg car can go from 0-97km/h in under five seconds.
The Seven's lightweight design and responsive throttle make it a joy to drive on British B-roads.
The quick steering offers plenty of feedback while the engine provides enough torque for subtle trajectory changes.