While manoeuvring, the CSR’s 2.2 turn lock-to-lock steering is too heavy, but as speed rises, it becomes perfectly weighted, fluid and intuitive. Roundabouts and B-roads are dealt with by the wrists and forearms; half a turn of lock is adequate for most road situations. This is why we love Sevens – for the agility and responsiveness – but the CSR is stable, too. The new aerodynamics make a notable difference to the feel of the front-end’s connectedness at higher speeds.
Fast? Pick your preferred adverb: the CSR is quick enough in a straight line to 100mph to see off most supercars and plenty of motorcycles. It’s so much quicker than other traffic that using full acceleration is an all-too brief experience, punctuated by cars, speed limits or corners. There are few road cars in existence that can keep up with a CSR along a twisty road. The brakes are excellent for the road: unassisted, progressive, extremely conducive to heel-and-toe shifts.
Even at the test track it feels too fast. Through second, third and fourth gears the split times are astounding – no second-gear 20mph increment taking more than 1.7sec. The six-speed gearbox is heavy but short of throw and very accurate, although it does not respond well to being rushed.
Breaching its grip limits in corners, the CSR falls initially into understeer that can be neutralised with power. Once provoked into a slide, it responds quickly to steering corrections, rapidly regains rear grip and spins excess power away through the inside tyre. A limited-slip differential is an option and would make a CSR more rewarding in these conditions.
Our efforts to verify Caterham’s claims that the 260 will hit 60mph from rest in 3.1sec and go on to 155mph were hampered by intermittent rain. On a briefly dry but cold track, we hit 4.1sec, though the time would have been bettered if our CSR hadn’t been on worn rear tyres, with such decreased rolling diameter that it hit max revs at a tantalising 59mph.