Caterham Seven 170R

The Caterham badge carries an expectation of lightness, focus and a different interpretation of performance, but the Seven 170R asks buyers to look beyond the usual power figures. In a catalogue of 600 cars, it sits at 600 of 600 for power and top speed, with 84 bhp and a 169 km/h maximum, yet its place in the collection is defined by how deliberately it rejects the usual chase for bigger numbers.

The 170R is one of just six cars in the catalogue using an inline-3 engine, and one of only one pairing that layout with rear-wheel drive. That unusual combination is the central point of its appeal. Its turbocharged 658 cc engine produces 116 Nm of torque, sending drive to the rear wheels in a two seater roadster format that represents a very specific corner of the automotive spectrum. It is also one of five turbocharged inline-3 cars in the collection, making its technical identity stand apart from the majority of the 600-car field.

Its performance position needs context. A 0-100 km/h time of 6.9 seconds places it 580th out of 600, meaning it is faster than 20 cars in the catalogue but far from a headline figure in outright acceleration. The 170R instead presents a different calculation, where the connection between a compact engine, low power output and rear-wheel drive creates a character defined by its specification choices rather than its position on a straight-line leaderboard. The cost reflects that philosophy too, with a used price of £28,000 and a cost per bhp of £333.

Caterham’s 1973 founding and United Kingdom origins place the 170R within a catalogue group of 160 UK cars, while the model adds a distinctive entry to a marque represented by four cars in the collection. For a buyer building a garage from 600 possibilities, this is not the car chosen to dominate a spreadsheet. It is the car chosen because its numbers point in a different direction.

The 170R begins as a car that appears to challenge expectations, sitting last for power and top speed while carrying a performance-focused identity. Viewed in the context of the full collection, those rankings become the reason to consider it: this is a machine that occupies a space created by its compact turbocharged inline-3, rear-wheel drive layout and focused roadster form. Owning this Caterham adds a car whose appeal comes from being unlike the rest of the garage, a reminder that a collection is also built from distinct ideas, not just the highest figures.