Disclaimer: the following road test may only appeal to motoring purists. A-to-B drivers may suffer from boredom, confusion and drowsiness.
Colin Chapman's Lotus Seven, born in the 1950s, lives on in the form of the Caterham, which is absolutely faithful to his mantras of lightness and speed. Such philosophies mean creature comforts are not a strong suit of the Seven - air-conditioning, carpets and radio are all absentees. The styling is basic to match, but at least it's distinctive. But taking to a twisty road in this car is one of the most rewarding experiences you can have on four wheels.
That sparseness also means it's a very affordable car, yet offers real-world performance levels you'll struggle to achieve without shelling out for a supercar, and economy and emissions are also excellent thanks to the lightweight construction. However, a good supercar can handle inclement road and weather conditions in comfort, whereas the Seven most definitely cannot. A slightly more useable 'SV' version offers a bit more space thanks to its extra width, and is almost practical for extended overland adventures, but in essence it's still just a folly. Albeit a seriously rapid one.
On B-road sprints, the Seven connects the driver to the road better than pretty much anything else, and offers super-direct, feelsome steering. The car's low centre of gravity means flat, secure cornering that fills the driver with confidence.
Ranging from the entry-level Roadsport, which produces 125bhp from its 1.6 litres, though to the madcap 263bhp 2.0-litre R500, all Sevens provide enough performance to make for a wonderfully engaging drive. The latter makes astoundingly light work of the 0-60mph dash in just 2.9sec. That's not just quick for a car, it's quick for a motorbike, too.
Available in kit form or fully built, you can specify a Caterham fairly well customised to your requirements. The car is ideal for track work, and the Seven Academy offers a great value package for £17,995 including a car plus 12 months of racing with technical support. Build quality is good, ongoing service is personal and friendly as you'd expect from fellow petrolheads, and specialist limited-mileage insurance is available to keep running costs down. Low depreciation is another welcome perk.
While few would call it practical, the Caterham Seven provides racecar thrills for the road at a price that's well-nigh impossible to beat.