Caterham reveals new SP/300R race car

British specialty-car maker Caterham unveiled its new SP/300R sports prototype race car and a plan for creating a one-make series in 2012 on Thursday at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham, England.

The SP/300R is powered by a supercharged 2.0-liter Ford Duratec four-cylinder engine. It produces 299 hp and 213 lb-ft of torque. The powertrain also includes a push-to-pass button that boosts engine output to 328 hp for an undisclosed amount of time.

Power is transferred to the rear wheels through a Hewland FTR six-speed sequential gearbox with a paddle-shift system. The total package propels the SP/300R from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds, according to Caterham.

The SP/300R includes an adjustable suspension, antiroll bars and an AP Racing braking system with adjustable pedal box.

The British automaker designed the SP/300R with the help of Lola Cars, which led the aerodynamic development. The aluminum monocoque chassis was also developed by Lola. It includes a quick-lifting onboard air-jack system and a seven-piece polyurethane body.

Lola also developed the SP/300R's aero package. It includes an adjustable carbon rear wing, composite front splitter, composite rear diffuser and aero optimized dive planes.

The exterior of the SP/300R has front low/high beam lights with permanent LED running lights, rear LED running lights with integrated brake lights and a high-intensity rain light.

Caterham plans to start a one-make race series using the SP/300R in 2012. Details on the series have yet to be finalized, but Caterham says the series initially will be run on race circuits in England.

"Today, racing is not only the heartbeat of our business, it's an intrinsic part of our fabric both here and abroad, and the SP/300R represents the next logical step in the development of our product offering," said Ansar Ali, managing director of Caterham.

Caterham will build 25 units each year at a projected price of $93,000 each. The automaker also is considering creating a road-legal version of the SP/300R in the future.

By Brad Constant