Μετά τη διαρροή ήρθε και η επίσημη παρουσίαση του, αφού η Caterham παρουσίασε το AeroSeven Concept, μια συνεργασία της Caterham Technology & Innovation (CTI), Caterham F1 Team, Caterham Composites και Caterham Cars που έχει ως σκοπό την εξέλιξη της Βρετανικής εταιρίας.

Σχεδιαστικά μας δείχνει τη μελλοντική φιλοσοφία των μοντέλων της Caterham και μας δείχνει το πως μοιάζει και το σπορ μοντέλο που ετοιμάζει σε συνεργασία με την Renault και θα βγει στην αγορά στις αρχές του 2016.

Στο AeroSeven Concept στηρίζεται σε μεγάλο βαθμό στις μεθόδους που χρησιμοποιούνται από την ομάδα της F1. Είναι το πρώτο μοντέλο της Caterham που εφοδιάζεται με σύστημα ελέγχου πρόσφυσης το οποίο είναι πλήρως ρυθμιζόμενο.

Κατασκευασμένο πάνω στην ανανεωμένη Seven CSR πλατφόρμα, το πρωτότυπο διαθέτει σώμα από carbon και τα 0-100 χλμ/ώρα τα κάνει σε λιγότερο από 4 δευτερόλεπτα. Εξοπλίζεται με τον Ford Duratec ατμοσφαιρικό Euro 6 2,0-λιτρο κινητήρα ο οποίος έχει εξελιχθεί περαιτέρω και αποδίδει 240 άλογα στις 8.500 σ.α.λ με 206 Nm ροπής στις 6.300 σ.α.λ. Συνδυάζεται με ένα 6-τάχυτο μηχανικό κιβώτιο που στέλνει τη κίνηση στους πίσω τροχούς.

Η μπροστά ανάρτηση είναι pushrod με διπλά ψαλίδια και η πίσω αποτελείται από ανεξάρτητα διπλά ψαλίδα. Φορά ζάντες 15″ με ελαστικά 195/45 μπροστά και 245/40 πίσω.

Στο εσωτερικό ξεχωρίζουν τα carbon διακοσμητικά, η Graphical Display Unit (GDU), το F1-style τιμόνι και όλη η οδηγοκεντρική σχεδίαση. Η Caterham αναφέρει πως θα το περάσει στη παραγωγή από το φθινόπωρο του 2014.

Ο Tony Fernandes δήλωσε για ακόμη μια φορά πως η Caterham μέσα στο εγγύς μέλλον θα βγάλει στην αγορά ένα crossover, ένα αυτοκίνητο πόλης και μια σειρά σπορ αυτοκινήτων για τον καθένα. Περισσότερες λεπτομέρειες μπορείς να βρεις στο δελτίο τύπου που ακολουθεί.

[Πηγή: Caterham]

[learn_more caption=”Δελτίο Τύπου”]

CATERHAM UNVEILS NEW AEROSEVEN CONCEPT AT SINGAPORE GP  

• First glimpse of new road model to arrive in 2014
• Co-designed and developed by the complementary divisions of the Caterham Group
• Styling and engineering concepts reflect direction for future Caterham models

The first in line of the next generation of Caterham Cars is here. Enter the AeroSeven Concept.

The company that has manufactured the award-winning Seven for over 40 years is bringing you a new generation of cars, starting with the AeroSeven Concept. Caterham Cars is excited to unveil a new performance concept road car that for the first time combines the skills, expertise and superior technology of the entire Caterham Group. Caterham Technology & Innovation (CTI) has worked closely with Caterham F1 Team, Caterham Composites and Caterham Cars to bring a new evolution of the British sportscar to the market.

The AeroSeven Concept demonstrates how yet again Caterham is breaking the boundaries and raising the benchmark in the performance car market. It is stunningly unique and advanced, featuring the introduction of new technology while remaining true to Caterham’s philosophy of delivering accessible fun. The AeroSeven Concept hints a styling direction for future models, including the all-new sportscar being developed in conjunction with Renault that is due for release in early 2016.

The concept, which draws heavily on methods used by the F1 team, will be the first ever Caterham model to be fitted with traction control. Thanks to a newly developed Caterham Engine Management System, drivers will be able to enjoy fully-adjustable traction and launch control functionality.

Based on an updated interpretation of the highly acclaimed Seven CSR platform, the carbon-fibre bodied concept will launch to 100kph (62.5mph) in under four seconds. The engine is a naturally-aspirated, EU6-approved, 240ps (237bhp) engine developed by Caterham Technology & Innovation for the recently launched Caterham Seven 485. It’s one of the world’s highest revving EU6-compliant engines, transferring the power to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual gearbox. Over the coming months, project engineers will be assessing a number of powerplant options for the final production version.

The AeroSeven Concept is stacked with race car-inspired features, including aerodynamic styling, an exclusive F1-style steering wheel with driver-focused functionality, and an intuitive fully active Graphical Display Unit (GDU).

Production will remain at the Caterham Cars factory in Dartford, UK. Delivery of the production version of the concept model will begin in Autumn 2014.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Striking aerodynamic design to increase downforce
• Full carbon-fibre body developed with Caterham F1 Team
• Exclusive F1-style steering wheel
• Traction and launch control functionality
• High-resolution fully active Graphical Display Unit (GDU)
• EU6-compliant for Europe

SPECIFICATIONS

CATERHAM PLANS ITS PLACE IN GLOBAL CAR MARKET

• Ambitions explained by Caterham Group Chairman, Tony Fernandes
• Asia will be a key commercial focus for the brand
• Crossover and small cars in the pipeline
• A range of sportscars to meet a diverse global market

“We may be a small voice now, but we’re on our way to engineering a decent set of lungs,” said Tony Fernandes, Caterham Group Co-Chairman, as he outlined his ambitions for Caterham Cars ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix (Friday 20^th September).

Speaking at the launch of Caterham’s first new ultra-performance model, the AeroSeven Concept, Fernandes was sharing his vision for the brand.

“Caterham will show itself to be a progressive, open and entrepreneurially powered car brand that will deliver and surprise in equal measure.

“It has been a British institution for the last 40 years, and automotive secret in many ways, but in the very near future, the Caterham name will sit proudly on crossovers, city cars as well as a range of sportscars for everyone,” he added.

In the two years since Fernandes and Caterham Group Co-Chairman and business partner, Dato’ Kamarudin Meranun, bought Caterham Cars, the brand has expanded to include a growing engineering arm in Caterham Technology & Innovation, a specialist composites materials consultancy, Caterham Composites and the Oxfordshire, England based, Caterham F1 Team and Caterham Racing GP2 team.

Tony Fernandes confirmed that whilst the brand will include mainstream crossovers and small cars, the intention is to also extend its ‘sporting heartbeat’ with a range of accessible sportscars for the lifestyle buyer to the thrill-seeker; a journey it has begun with the new AeroSeven Concept.

Asia will be a key focus for Caterham as it develops a product range to meet the demands of a market both Fernandes and Kamarudin know extremely well.

“Twelve years ago, we were told our plans for AirAsia could not work,” said Fernandes. “Today, AirAsia is the world’s most profitable airline with a growing fleet of over 120 planes servicing 160 routes across 80 cities in 18 countries, carrying over 25m people annually. As proud winner of the title “World’s Best Low Cost Airline” for the past five years, we’re fulfilling our dream that ‘everyone can fly’.”

Fernandes says that the same passion to succeed, and learn from within, is being applied to building the Caterham Cars brand.

“The Joint Venture with Renault to produce an all-new sportscar for both the Alpine and Caterham brands demonstrates our clear intent on doing this right, doing it sensibly, but above all, doing it the Caterham way,” he added.

“And because we’re a flat company, we’re a quicker company. When we say we’re going to do things internally, we do them. We don’t procrastinate and lose momentum through legions of middle-management decision makers, we just do it.

“Add the culture of our F1 team in terms of nimbleness and the discipline to deliver in detail against a ticking clock and we have something very special within Caterham.”

At this stage, Fernandes is unwilling to be drawn on the number of cars Caterham is aiming to sell, explaining: “We’re focused on developing the right products; with the right retail experience, in the right markets, at the right time. The sales will then come.”

The arrival of the AeroSeven Concept brings the number of new models brought to market by Caterham since the turn of the year to four.

After years of underinvestment to its heritage product, the Seven, Caterham launched the 485 to satisfy pent up demand for a higher performance variant across Europe, a new flagship 620R to once again remind every supercar brand that there is nothing to equal the sensation of driving a Seven, and finally, for the Global market, the entry-level, Suzuki powered165.

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