When it comes to the iconic Lotus Seven and its successor, the Caterham 7, it’s all about achieving performance and handling, and consequently, putting a smile on the driver’s face, through a lightweight construction rather than relying on a powerful engine.

Today, in its purest, base form, the Caterham 7 Roadsport features a Ford-sourced 125hp 1.6-liter four-pot that only has to move 550kg (1,213 lbs) allowing it to reach the 100km/h (62mph) yardstick in just 5.9 seconds.

This fall, Caterham will release an even lighter, albeit less powerful entry-level model, which will receive power from the smallest and most efficient engine ever installed in a Seven, a 660cc (0.66-liter) three-cylinder turbocharged unit from Suzuki, which uses it in a variety of Kei cars in Japan where it produces 63hp (64PS). Caterham did not reveal the output of the engine in the base Seven, where it will be connected to a Suzuki five-speed manual gearbox driving the rear wheels.

Set to undercut the Roadsport by more than £3,000 (€3,500 / US$4,600) when it goes on sale later this year priced under £17,000 (€19,700 / US$26,100) in the UK, the new base Caterham will also sport a re-tuned chassis.

“It is not engine size that matters, it is the grin factor that is our barometer and we believe we have got the formula for our new entry-level vehicle just right,” said Caterham Cars CEO, Graham Macdonald. “We needed a particularly light powertrain but it had to be a unit that suited the characteristics inherent to all Sevens – thankfully, after lots of hard work, we have a package that works brilliantly.”

“Our intention for this car is to offer the joy of the Seven in distilled form, so the new entry-level car is lighter, cheaper, more economical and more accessible than ever,” he added.

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