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This is the incredible new Caterham Superlight R500, the fastest-ever itineration of the standard Seven, now capable of 0-60mph in 2.8sec.
It’s powered by Ford’s lightweight, all-alloy, 2.0-litre Duratec engine, which delivers 263bhp to the rear wheels via a track-biased, sequential-shift transmission.
The increased power is accompanied by more new technology on the latest Superlight. It now comes with keyless start, a redesigned digital dash with shift lights and optional launch control...Read the full article

2.8 seconds, bloody hell. Only problem is unless you're on track with similar cars, *everything* is going to be holding you up! :)

Is it an automated sequential manual, or is it truly manual?
 

How the hell did they get 263bhp from just 2.0 liters?

The article doesn't say if it has forced induction or not. That would be 131.5 bhp per liter, so it has got to have forced induction right?

Honda gets 120bhp/l without forced induction with the S2000 engine, which is designed for production level reliability and durability (say 150,000 miles without major overhaul). Hence if you go for more of a track-day engine (say which lasts 50,000 miles) you can push components harder and get a higher rev limit - hence 130bhp/l is not too much as a stretch... Motorbike engines seem to hit 200bhp/l (CBR600), albeit with reduced durability and low rev driveability.

Well if you remember Mitsibushi got 400 bhp from their evo 8 which was turbo charged. So the Caterham must be turbo charged, and i can't imagine would fantastic it would be to do 0-60mph in 2.8sec in that car.

 

The comparison with motorbikes is a good one. The limiting factor for bikes seems to be how strong your forearms are to hang onto the scalded cat as it tales off. With this Caterham I suggest your 0-62mph time will depend on your kneck muscles!!

Although the article isn;t explicit on this, I think we can take it that the car is normally aspirated (not turbocharged).

Caterham have never resorted to forced induction before, and have always favoured high revving normally aspirated units before. The old R500 extracted 250ish BHP from a 2 litre rover engine, so 260 from a more modern ford unit should be well within their grasp. Getting that kind of power from a 2 litre engine isn't actually that difficult provided you can get it to rev high enough.

 cosworth sell a normally aspirated 2.3 Duratec good for 200bhp, 230bhp, or 250bhp.

I humbly propose that another 10bhp wouldn't be too difficult. 

What's all the fuss over this engine producing in excess of 260bhp? This is easily achieved with modern technology, high lift cams, lightened fly wheels, imaginative ecu mapping, forged pistons etc.

This engine is definitely not turbo or supercharged.

Honda (and others) have been doing this for years!

Though i agree that 260bhp+ seems quite a lot there are tuning firms around already getting over 300bhp (& 195lbs of torque!) from 2litre Duratecs. Fortunately they're not still using the K series...

Formula 1 engines are N/A and make ~300bhp/litre! A 1.3 litre motorbike engine can make 200bhp. It's 'simply' a case of tuning the engine to give torque at high revs, and making sure everything doesn't fall apart. A wide bore, short stroke and large inlet valve area helps matters too.

The Caterham CSR 260 uses a 2.3 litre Duratec and makes 260bhp. The old K-series was in many ways a good, and advanced engine, capable of making a lot of power. It will be interesting to see if the Ford engines require similarly regular 'refreshing' to the tuned Rover units.
 

Monkey had an R500 with a blueprinted engine that produced 247bhp out of a 1.8 K series which by my maths is 137bhp per tonne.