New toy in the box: Caterham Seven Superlight R500 at Brands Hatch

New toy in the box: Caterham Seven Superlight R500 at Brands Hatch

Update 1.71 dropped the Caterham Seven Superlight R500 last week. Out of the box it handles like absolute garbage - it refuses to turn and violently snaps on corner exit. Since it has been haunting the Weekly Challenges at Brands Hatch, we spent some time benchmarking the new arrival against the established 600PP track toys to see where it actually stands.

The baseline rules are strict: Sports Medium tyres, minimal ballast to preserve the power-to-weight ratio and absolutely no touching the engine internals unless forced by the PP algorithm.

600PP Brands Hatch Benchmarks

Tuning Highlights

  • Aero vs Mechanical Grip: The Radical, KTM and BAC are reliable track instruments heavily dependent on aerodynamic downforce. The Radical required maxed out 250/400 downforce and a strong anti-lag system to wake the R9DA engine up, running a 2.40/2.60 Hz natural frequency to stay planted in high-speed sections.
  • Weight Distribution Hacks: The BAC Mono presents a massive PP calculation headache. To prevent choking the engine restrictor completely, we threw 22kg of ballast at the extreme rear (-50) to force a perfect 50:50 balance, allowing 73% power output at a 75/85mm ride height.
  • Damping for Elevation: The KTM X-BOW R requires specific damper tuning to manage Brands Hatch's aggressive elevation changes. Stiffening the expansion damping to 36/40 keeps the rear axle in check over the crests.
  • Taming the Caterham: Running zero aerodynamic downforce means the chassis relies entirely on mechanical grip and a prayer. We set the ride height to 55/58mm with a 2.30/2.35 Hz natural frequency. The custom LSD is what keeps you out of the gravel - braking sensitivity must be set at 8 to stop the rear axle trying to overtake the front on corner entry.
  • Primitive Purity: The Honda 2&4 blocks fully customisable suspension upgrades, restricting tuning to ride height (55/85mm) and an LSD acceleration sensitivity of 21. The unhinged 14,000 RPM MotoGP engine holds a racing line flawlessly, feeling exactly like twisting the throttle on a real-world CB900 Hornet.