Road Test: Caterham Super Sevens 2.0 620R 2dr

The fact that this new Caterham Seven 620 R is the fastest ever Caterham road car shouldn't come as any sort of revelation. Unless you've been living under a rock, you'll know that the British manufacturer has built plenty of successively quicker cars in the past. But here's the shocker - this one's also surprisingly drivable.

Of course the pace is there - never-ending, eye-widening acceleration - but the engine isn't as brutally lumpy around town as you might expect (although it's still a Caterham, so it's hardly comfortable in an everyday commuter sort of way).

So credit to Caterham for making it possible to drive the 620 R at anything other than crazy pace. The supercharged, 2.0-litre Ford engine is the key to this new-found accessibility - the numbers run to 310bhp and 219lb ft, so 0-60mph takes just 2.8 seconds - but the way it delivers the power is the impressive part. It isn't as peaky as previous Caterhams.

The 620 R is smooth, reactive and has plenty of punch available from low revs. It's all thanks to the torque - nearly 24 per cent more than the previous Caterham top dog, the R500 (which is still on sale). It all makes for a lightweight bullet that can also pootle.

Completing the powertrain is a six-speed sequential transmission, and this is addictive. There's a metallic ‘clunk' every time you change gear - it's brilliantly visceral - and because flat upshifting is possible, the seamless torque curve is never interrupted. It's simply one fast blast to the horizon.

Then there's the noise. Because the exhaust pokes out just under your right bum cheek, the sound bashes your ears with every throttle prod. It's brutal - like a swarm of angry bees that have been spat out of a blender.

This is a good thing. Not only because it sounds excellent, but also because it reminds you you're driving something that could turn round and bite. Not even the engineering geniuses at Caterham can overcome the physics of 310bhp in a 549kg car. The result is a back end that squirms under full throttle, so don't go confusing engine drivability with chassis geniality. There's even a bit of F1 tech on this model, thanks to the GP team with the same name. You can buy carbon-fibre front wishbones for £8,995. Ouch. We'd suggest you don't bother and just savour the 620 R for what it is - the best Caterham yet.