Skip advert
Advertisement

Caterham Seven could get even lighter with new bike tech chassis

Caterham has developed a new lightweight chassis for its Seven roadster using bicycle tubing technology

Caterham lightweight chassis

The Caterham Seven could about to become even lighter thanks to a new lightweight chassis which uses bicycle butted tubing technology.

Caterham claims around 10% of the car's weight could be cut if the chassis was to be put into production. That means between 50kg and 60kg would be slashed from the Seven’s already tiny overall weight.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Best track day cars

The British sportscar maker has teamed up with bicycle tube-makers Reynolds Technology and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) consultancy Simpact to work on the project. The butted tubes are thicker at the ends than in the middle, which allows them to reduce metal usage by 50 per cent while retaining the same rigidity and strength as before. 

The tubes also use low-cost mild steel rather than ‘exotic’ alloys which is lighter than the materials currently used to produce the Caterham 7 chassis.

A prototype vehicle has been produced with a view to launching a production version ‘in due course’ and Caterham has calculated that the cost of the new lightweight chassis would add between £1,000 and £2,000 to the total price of the car when ordered by the customer. 

Do you like the idea of bicycle technology making its way into cars? Let us know in the comments section...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay
Road tax documentation
News

Road tax set to rise in April: here’s how much more you’ll pay

Drivers with newer cars will now pay £10 more per year, although the biggest gas guzzlers fare even worse
28 Mar 2024
Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power
Dacia Sandero - front
News

Posh new trim level for Dacia Sandero while the Sandero Stepway gets more power

Both the Sandero and Sandero Stepway ranges have been tweaked, gaining more safety features to meet the latest regulations
26 Mar 2024
Car Deal of the Day: classy Audi A4 Avant estate plus 8,000 miles per year for less than £300 a month
Audi A4 Avant driving on UK roads
News

Car Deal of the Day: classy Audi A4 Avant estate plus 8,000 miles per year for less than £300 a month

Our Deal of the Day for 27 March is for those who want a big trunk for all their junk
27 Mar 2024