LIFE CHOICES // CATERHAM SUPERLIGHT R300

I have made a few decisions lately in terms of my commitment to motorsports... Now don’t start throwing tomatoes, I am just leveling off a bit, finally. I no longer have a burning desire to ride in a one piece, carbon-kevlar race seat, Sparco harnessed in with urethane motor mounts and no carpet (really, been there done that). I am now a fan of dual climate control, heated leather seats and wood grain (yeah, wood grain). But don't get me wrong, when I see a gutted and caged 240sx blow past me on the freeway, BOV shuttering under the hood, I start to question just how important that wood grain is. So, where am I going with this? Well, the decision I made is, I need two cars, at least. One wood grain, heated leather daily driver, and one gutted and caged track beast. Ok, and maybe a truck to pull the track car. So, what would I pick? That 240sx that made me second guess the wood grain...? Maybe, but how about a Caterham Superlight R300?! A new addition to Caterham’s lineup, the R300 features a few upgrades to make the topless terror a bit more ‘drivable.’ The Caterham Superlight R300 now comes equipped with a Duratec 2.0-liter four, good for 175bhp and sprints to sixty in 4.5 seconds. At 1,135lbs, the R300 is capable of 140mph top speed runs and now comes with the luxury of a heater, a more supple suspension, and a a pair of seats that offer a bit more cushy (is that a word?). Out the door, in ‘fully built’ trim, the R300 will run you $43,462, or you can opt for the ‘kit’ at $38,805. Either way, that's one hell of a deal for a dedicated track car, especially one with a heater... Your thoughts? // 10.29.2008