Physics lesson

As the man with a funny moustache whose image adorns the bedroom walls of students across the land apparently proved, everything is relative. With no background in physics I have little to no idea what he was talking about, but I'm reasonably confident that it was not a Caterham, if only because the Lotus 7 on which it is based wasn't created until two years after his death. Regardless, the theory of relativity can be spuriously applied to the iconic roadster range.

Caterham has positioned its Superlight R300 as a softer model within its high performance range. Yes, the R300 is relatively amenable, but only when compared to the utterly insane R400 and R500 models.

Clearly, no Caterham is likely to afford the kind of everyday usability the majority of drivers are used to. The focus is on the driving experience, which means pared down roadsters built to an identical plan as the original Lotus 7 in 1957.

For the R300 model, a 2.0-litre Ford-sourced Duratec unit is employed. Output itself is not outrageous at 175bhp, but combined with the vehicle's weight of just 515kgs it means 0-100kph acceleration of 4.5 seconds.

This is where Caterham's idea that the R300 should be an agreeable entry point to the Superlight range begins to make sense. With peak power and torque to be found at the top of the rev range, it is possible to drive the R300 sedately, but there's still enough performance to make your hair stand on end.

The basic design may be more than five decades old, but it's one that has stood the test of time.

Even strapped into the race-car proportioned cabin behind the almost comically-elongated bonnet and tiny racing wheel, the directness of the steering still comes as a surprise, as does the bite of the unassisted brakes.

Performance is as good on the road as it looks on paper. Equipped with dry-bias tyres, the R300 delivers impresses levels of grip and its lightweight body and lack of unsprung weight means it can change direction like a fly avoiding a rolled-up newspaper with little driver input.

Sitting over the rear axle is odd at first, but the advantages are quickly apparent. From this vantage point, subtle shifts in the car's direction and balance are immediately noticeable, making the R300 an intuitive car to control. The knowledge that you'll know about any loss of traction before it lands you in trouble inspires exploitation of the model's potential.Despite its tractability, the R300 remains a car that requires some compromises to drive. The cramped conditions are the most obvious setback. Even those with a small frame will find it compact in terms of elbow room. Small shoes are required to avoid accidental heel-and-toe practice sessions on the pedals, the turning circle is poor, it's very noisy and the transmission tunnel can become hot. Yet all of these inconveniences pale into insignificance when behind the wheel.

With the R300, Caterham has done a sterling job of improving the ambience.

It makes use of a carbon fibre dashboard with stylish, back-lit aluminium buttons and controls across the centre. Shell seats are lined with just enough padding to keep them surprisingly comfortable.

Naturally, the R300 has to be approached with a particular mind-set, but when it all snaps into place, you realise this isn't a relatively good car… it's a relatively great one.

specs & rating

Model Caterham R300

Engine 2.0-litre Transmission Six-speed manual

Max power 175bhp

Max torque 188Nm

Top speed 225kph

0-100kph 4.5sec

Price Dh204,000 (incl. shipping)

Interior

Exterior

Trim

Transmission

Engine

Performance

Appeal

UAE friendly

Plus Performance, pure bred driver's car

Minus Tiny cabin, lousy turning circle