Caterham 310 Encore is the end of the line for the Ford 1.6
It’s goodbye and goodnight for the Caterham Seven 310, with the 25-strong run of 310 Encores serving as the final farewell
A cornerstone of Caterham history is being retired, as the 1.6-litre Ford-engined Seven 310 is put out to pasture. But don’t worry, the Seven 310 Encore is here to wave off a family of engines that have featured in Caterham’s lineup since the 1973 introduction of the Crossflow.
Rated by many as all the Caterham you could ever need, the Caterham Seven 310 trades on versatility – as at home going flat out on track as it is being driven on the road. Indeed, the Ford Sigma engine powers the Caterham 310R Championship race series, with the race cars that compete therein lending a few trick touches for this final run of 25 models.
In addition to the 152bhp 1.6-litre engine and five-speed manual transmission at the centre of any 310, the Encore will get a lightened flywheel, widened track, adjustable spring platforms and an adjustable rear anti-roll bar. It’ll also get 254mm front brakes, with four-piston calipers powered by a race-spec master cylinder. Weighing just 540kg, the 310 Encore will boast a healthy 286bhp/ton, for a spritely 0-60mph sprint of just 4.9sec on the way to a 127mph top speed.
On the outside there’s a 620 nose cone, cup grille, carbon front wings and a black finish for the windscreen, lights and exhaust heat shield. Black Apollo alloy wheels come shod in Toyo R888R tyres.
From a distance those in the know will be able to pick out any one of the 25 310 Encores set to be made by their colour and livery. Six options will be available ranging from Blue Monday to Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Green Light, Orange Crush, Back in Black and White Noise. Inspiration for the quirky names comes from a number of ‘well-renowned pop and rock songs’. There are no specifics, so Green Light could be a nod to Lorde or Pitbull, while White Noise could be a reference to Disclosure or even the slightly obscure pop rock band Pvris.
Either way you won’t be listening to any of these bands inside the car as it’s Caterham’s standard fare, albeit with a few special touches. That’s to say if it had a radio, you wouldn’t be able to hear it. Each Encore will get its own numbered plaque and feature a carbon dashboard, special Encore dials, a gear shift light, four-point harness and removable Momo wheel.
> GBS Zero review – a convincing Caterham alternative?
How much for this last hurrah for the Caterham Seven 310? Each Encore will set its buyer back a cool £39,995, a hair more than the starting price of a Seven 360.
