The Dream Begins

Around about the middle part of this year, I had the very bright idea to build a performance car that I could have a bit of fun with. After a lot of research and careful deliberation, a Caterham was the object of desire. This was only further confirmed when the chance to drive a Cat around Castle Coombe was presented to me by a friend from university, who had also embarked upon this noble quest. In the time spent whizzing around the track, I knew I HAD to have one; this was what driving was about and it put the biggest grin on my face!

Research continued, revealing the new Caterham line-up for 2015. For a total Caterham rookie, the 270 seemed like a sensible place to start; impressive performance, but a car I hoped I could explore the limits of, although the 360 was an attractive prospect. I envisaged a trip to Caterham's new showroom in Crawley, would be able to provide some answers and clarify the comprehensive options list. The new showroom was an impressive space, with many cars to behold. Unfortunately, their insurance would only allow those over 25 to test drive a car; that scuppered my plans somewhat. After some discussions and a cursory test ride, a 270 was decided upon as a sensible place to start. I will not spout on about the intricacies of the exhaustive options list, rather I shall summarise:

Caterham 270, S Pack, Caterham Yellow matt black stripes and yellow pinstripes, black 13" Apollo wheels and four point race harnesses are the highlights. Going for a look something like a bee! Not only does a Caterham look good in bright, bold colours, but it also helps you to be seen, something which I did encounter on the test ride. Such a small, low Caterham can easily be missed by other road users, so a bold colour should help me be seen! There was a great deal of deliberation between the specification above and the classic green with a yellow stripe and noseband, but I have made my decision!

Now the suspense ensues as I wait until JANUARY for the kit to arrive, with all sorts of questions bursting into my head on the topics of rust protection, paint protection, insurance, IVA tests etc.