New Caterham Seven 310 Encore is an ode to one very special engine

This is the new, special edition Caterham Seven 310 Encore and it’s been created to celebrate the life and times of the Ford Sigma engine, which powered the lightweight track toy for more than a decade.

Caterham has actually been using 1.6-litre four-cylinder Ford engines since 1973, with the Ford Sigma motor being added to mid-range versions of the Seven in 2007, as a replacement for the old Rover K-series that had been discontinued.

The British marque stopped using the Ford Sigma engine for its road cars a few years ago, and has recently replaced it with a new 1.3-litre engine from Horse Technologies – Renault and Geely’s joint venture – for the Caterham Academy Championship race cars. 

But Caterham has made sure to give it's long-serving engine a proper sendoff, with the 310 Encore featuring the most powerful form of the 1.6-litre motor. The naturally aspirated four-pot delivers 152bhp at 7,000rpm, which isn’t a ludicrous amount, but it can fling a car weighing only 540kg from 0 to 62mph in 4.9 seconds. Meanwhile the power-to-weight ratio stands at 281bhp per tonne. 

Of course, the 310 Encore features a five-speed manual gearbox, but also some modifications borrowed from the Sigma-powered 310R Championship racer. Specifically, a lightened flywheel, 254mm vented front brake discs with quad piston calipers and a race brake master cylinder, plus a ‘sports suspension pack’ that includes a widened front track, adjustable spring platforms and an adjustable rear anti-roll bar.

Track-focused TOYO R888R tyres are wrapped around a set of 13-inch alloy wheels which have received a bespoke gun metal finish, as does the chassis. Other exterior tweaks include an aero nose cone from the power-mad Caterham Seven 620, a ‘Cup’ mesh grille, carbon fibre front wings, and black finish for the headlights, exhaust heat shield cover and windscreen surround.

Inside, the 310 Encore features black leather seats with dark grey stitching and a unique Encore logo, a carbon fibre dashboard with bespoke Encore edition dials, a shift light, a four-point harness and a removable MOMO steering wheel. 

The finishing touch is a numbered plaque, because only 25 examples of the Caterham Seven 310 Encore are going to be made, each costing from £39,995. Customers have a choice of six colour schemes for the body paint and stripes, each named after famous pop songs. There’s Blue Monday, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Green Light, Orange Crush, Back in Black and White Noise.

Caterham’s CEO Bob Laishley said when announcing the 310 Encore: “For over 50 years the Caterham Seven has been powered to success by various versions of Ford’s four-cylinder naturally aspirated engine. From the simplicity of the original 1.6-litre Crossflow through to the sophisticated Sigma, these units have offered an unrivalled blend of exhilarating performance and affordable running costs. The Sigma also has incredible motorsport pedigree, having been at the heart of numerous Caterham race series for nearly two decades.”

Adding, “Perfectly designed for road and track, it distils all the successes of the last half century into a unique vehicle that truly acts as a fitting celebration of the Ford Sigma’s indelible mark on Caterham history.”

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