[Darryl]

Quote: Originally Posted by swamos

While I agree that the local copies are very good on the track, the real caterhams have a magic suppleness that makes them a joy on public roads. Their suspension tune reminds me a lot of my Elan. The real lotus sevens from the 60's are much closer in tune to the copies, very hard and harsh. It seems to me that Caterham have not wasted the 30 years of suspension development.

hmmm.... completely disagree Swamos (sorry mate). To Caterhams credit they have done lots of development with their own 6 speed gbox and numerous add ons that just look superb. This is in my mind where the local manufacturers fall behind. But in chassis development, bugger all, and with the adjustability built into these things you can have them riding as supple as you would want (but would you prefer an MX5 then?) we've a mate who's a Caterham nut and moving back to Aus. and bringing his heavily modded SV back with him. Took him to the PRB factory the other week and he reckons that you can really see how Petes cars are so much better built/finished than the current Caterhams, go figure??

Quote: Originally Posted by swamos

The standard caterham that they are selling here is the roadsport 115 SV (wide body) which is 19k pounds in the UK, which is about $46k Aus. They are selling that car here for $70 if I remember. That's an increase of about half again.

You'll find a standard kit is now $53k but its a bone standard thing, no adjustable shock platforms even, needs like $6k of options to get to reasonable and then you've still only got 115hp.

Quote: Originally Posted by swamos

I'll be very interested to see what this other importer wants to sell them for. I would think you're going to be paying a lot more than if you buy a PRB monoque $40 and a honda black bird $25 and put them together yourself. Mind you, that's presuming you can get Mr Bladwell to deliver. One of the guys up here had a firm order for the car for 2.5 years and gave up in the end. I'm not sure whether they are vapourware or not....

Sterling Motorsport is selling them as a package for $60k theres a downloadable .pdf on their web site. If he can get rego for them even I might be interested in one but I don't see the point though if its not, and unless he can get the race series up and going you'd in some ways be better off importing a Radical. I'm hoping he pulls it off though.

Petes car s vapourware , its a very small operation Swamos and its always full on at the factory. You can get a Birkin now nearly off the shelf and their really nicely finished. Daves busa is based on one of these and its very nice. Still a wait for a composite car though, think you'd be starting around mid 50k for one. Still resale of PRB's is gorgeous, Dave with the Busa car sold his for the same amount he bought it for 2 years previous and sold it through word of mouth no advertising..... you've gotta be happy with that.