Caterham Academy/270 Racer

The Caterham Academy is one of the very best ways to dip your toe into the world of motor sport.

Caterham Cars sell 50+ of these brand new entry level racers every year, complete with an introduction to motor sport package, spanning the full first year of ownership. This package is designed to help keen drivers into the world of competitive motor sport, holding their hands at every step of the way. From the first handling day, to their first race start and chequered flag.

From there, Caterham have a comprehensive ladder of motor sport championships, which allows these cars to be upgraded year on year, as they become more and more focused race cars.

At the start though, these cars are effectively the same specifcation as Caterham’s 270S, with the same chassis, the same 1.6L Ti-VCT Sigma engine under the bonnet, the same gearbox and differential, even the same suspension. The main differences are that where 270S’s come with comfortable leather seats, heaters and inertia reel seatbelts, these “Academy” versions, come with a full roll cage, Tillet seats, full racing harness and plumbed in fire extinguishers.

Many of the cars which take part in this “introduction to motor sport” series, continue onwards up the Caterham motor sport ladder. However many do not, and become occasional track day cars, or even get converted back to being full road cars with the comfortable interiors and gleaming paintwork found on Caterhams road car range.

This Academy car had a quite beginning to its life. Its original owner found that the realities of being on a race track with numerous other cars, wasn’t quite for him, and having taken part in only the first two events of the Academy year, this car went back to Caterham to be sold to a new home. This new home came by the way of a Yorkshire based gentleman, who coming out of covid, wanted a nice toy to play with on the local roads, and liked the idea of having the full cage for its additional protection. Three years and 2,000 miles later, he has moved on to a more road focussed version.

This then is a great opportunity to pick up a nearly new Academy car, which would perfectly suit a novice track day goer and/or someone looking to join the world of motor racing. This car is fully road legal and is also compliant with both Caterham’s motor sport series and other more club type series like the Caterham Graduates Racing Club.

Exterior

• Gloss blue body wrap with black fibreglass nose and wings
• FIA Roadsport roll cage
• Drivers side intrusion bar
• Heated windscreen windscreen
• Full weather equipment
• Windscreen mounted mirrors
• Black Aero filler cap

Engine & Transmission

• 1.6L Ford Sigma Ti-VCT engine 135bhp
• 5-Speed gearbox
• Open differential

Brakes & Suspension

• Adjustable platform Caterham Bilstein suspension
• Narrow-track front suspension
• De-Dion rear suspension
• Adjustable rear anti-roll bar
• Dual piston front calipers with solid discs
• Standard brake master cylinder

Wheels & Tyres

All around:

• 13x6" Black and Diamond cut Apollo alloys
• 185/70R13 Avon Caterham Academy tyres

Interior

• Composite Tillet seats
• Lowered floors
• 4 point harness
• MOMO quick release steering wheel
• Plumbed in fire extinguisher