Caterham Seven 165 prototype stars at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show

2013 marks 40 years of Caterham Cars since what was originally a Lotus dealership took over production of the Series 4 Lotus Seven in 1973.

Now, at Frankfurt 2013, the British manufacturer is debuting its newest model – the Seven 165 prototype – set to become the entry-level version and the lightest, most efficient Caterham ever when it goes on sale in the UK in 2014.

We like the fact that you will be able to buy a Caterham for less than £17,000 and still be able to embarrass much more expensive machinery when the going gets twisty. That it’s now even kinder to the environment is an added bonus, too.

However, to keep the price tag down, Caterham has re-engineered the chassis, “harking back to the spirit of former Sevens with major revisions to the suspension layout.” This means a live rear axle – a step backward to some maybe, but if we can have our thrills at this price, we don’t really mind.

By Sean Carson, contributor, MSN Cars