Caterham R600

[Elv15]

http://life.caterham.co.uk/motorspor...ht-r600-series

Using a supercharged 275 HP Duratec.

[Lucky Dawg]

All that for 12hp more than an R500? Seems like an under achiever.

[Doug Liedblad]

It will produce more power over a wider RPM range.

Forced induction doesn't have the limitations of normally aspirated where the best power is over a narrow RPM range dependent on the intake track length.

I suspect it will have much more low end torque.

'Horsepower sells cars, torque wins races' I believe Carrol Shelby said that.

Doug

[sdcat]

I have thought that forced induction would be a reasonable next step for more power in these cars. If done right, it can make big power for cheaper than natural aspiration, and has the potential to get even more power with a built engine. I think this is a good move for Caterham. Dick Brink is already putting superchargers on Birkins, with big power for less cost than a NA motor. If Caterham started marketing kits to add to both Zetec and Duratec cars, they might find a lot of customers.

I like the idea of a small displacement motor with a supercharger on it much more than a large displacement motor. Since the motto is to build lightness, these little motors with a supercharger will end up with a much lighter car than the bigger motors.

Justin

[Sean]

All that for 12hp more than an R500? Seems like an under achiever.

Mick Attree has posted the following about his supercharged development-mule car on BC:

my car has 3.62 diff and I've set the limit to 7500.
Power is 328 @ 7580, torque is 231lb/ft

He also posted a link to some photos, which I have brazenly copied 'n' pasted here.

[moosetestbestanden]

Caterham is leveraging the work done on the Duratec for the SP300R, which is supercharged as well. Economies of scale as far as making / sourcing parts is concerned. And it should make for an interesting racing series.

Personally I'm a normally aspirated purist myself. Bit more art in it.

That Mick Attree is Mr. Clean when it comes to building cars. That mule looks very much like the old Duranail (one of the 1st red hot Duratec powered cars) of the mid '00s, the one that the owner crashed at Spa when he found some coolant spread all over the track at the top of Eau Rouge (I think the video is still up on YouTube - a major brown trouser moment for sure). I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same car - Attree built it originally.

[Sean]

As I understand it, Mick has built a number of Duratec Seven cars now, and all in the same color. Or so I have read...

[moosetestbestanden]

By the way... props to Magnus, who was waaaaay ahead of the curve w/ the whole supercharging thing :-D