​Back in early May, I wrote my preliminary thoughts on the Caterham with the intention of following them up with a more informed take a few weeks later.  I didn't expect those few weeks to turn into a few months.  Oh well.  After rereading my earlier ramblings, I don't think any of my initial comments are off base.  Yes, I still wish it was smaller. the steering was quicker, and the turning radius was less SUV-like.  I'd also be happier if the Tillets were as comfortable for me as the MOGs, and if the back of the transmission tunnel didn't interfere with my elbow when shifting.  And yes, the boot procedure continues to annoy.  But on the positive side, the steering and handling don't disappoint, I still like all my modifications, and the engine...it's epic.  The Westfield is a very quick car, but this...this is in a different league.  An additional 30+ horsepower and gearing over 8% shorter are very, very noticeable changes. 

Here is a very short video that shows acceleration to 85mph.  To avoid wheelspin, I had to slowly feed in the throttle in first gear and to a lesser extent in second gear.  For the full effect, open the video in YouTube and manually change video quality to 4K, then watch the tach.  This thing is nuts.  BTW the wavy video is a result of screwing up a setting in the camera.  I'll try to grab a better quality version in the future.  

​A few more words on the shorter gearing.  The Westfield has a 3.62 diff coupled to a BGH E2 Type-9, whereas the Caterham has a Miata box, a 3.92 diff, and slightly shorter rear tires.  As shown in the chart below, depending on the gear, the difference ranges from 5.2% to 13.7%.  Although the Caterham (B) would greatly benefit from the Westfield's (A) taller first gear, the shorter nature of the other gears is a nice change for local back roads and encourages more shifting.

​As I've begun to explore the power, the Caterham's traction has been a pleasant surprise.  First, the plate-type LSD and deDion make breakaway under power a very, very smooth process, particularly noticeable when making a left turn from a stop.  I've always thought the Westfield did great in this situation, but the Caterham is even more subtle and progressive.  Second, aside from first gear, which is useless, traction in other gears is better than expected.  Yes, it's a little variable in second and third, but it's not to the concerning degree I feared. 

Bottom line, I am warming up to the car.  Do I think it's worth the money?  Well...going through the configurator with the latest price increases, of which there have been many since placing my order in May of 2021, and using today's currency conversion, then adding in the $8k I spent on shipping to Seattle, an identical – but stock – 420R would currently cost over $77,000.  Factor in my extensive mods, partially offset by selling parts no longer needed, and well...it would be more. 

For comparison purposes, that same $77k would buy a new Porsche Cayman with PASM and mechanical LSD.  Or going a different route, a brand new Mazda MX5 Club Sport AND a Toyota GR Corolla to ensure you have a toy for any weather conditions.  Ok, ok, I get it.  People, including me, don't cross-shop a Caterham with those options, but it does put the price in perspective.  It also explains why I get frustrated with Caterham as a company.  They charge quite a bit for the car, but they don't appear to feel a customer's experience and expectations should be commensurate that investment.  Simply put, from a customer experience perspective, they under deliver.  Where I have always felt some sense of loyalty and pride in Westfield as a company given how they have operated during my ownership, I don't with Caterham.  Yes, I like the car, but I'm not a company fanboy like I am with my other cars.  Sorry Bob Laishley, but you have not moved the ball forward in those areas.

Smart phones are amazing devices. By simplifying many tasks that were previously considered complicated or time consuming, they bring convenience to our daily lives. But when that same convenience makes you accessible to the office 24 hours a day via email, texts, Teams, Zoom, etc, it quickly loses its luster. Particularly on those occasions when you're trying to decompress from work. And nothing helps me decompress from the daily grind more than driving an engaging car down a back road for no other reason than to bludgeon corners into submission. That means looking at my iPhone for navigation while on a blat in the Caterham presents a contradiction.  

Enter the Beeline Moto II. Beeline combines a navigation app optimized for planning fun-to-drive routes, with a small device that leverages your Smart phone's GPS, but streamlines the directions into a small 37mm diameter screen that provides just the information you need to get from point A to point B. It's a simplified map display that shows both the distance to your next turn and the direction, as well as the current speed limit and how far into your journey you've travelled. Additionally, a small LED blinks once when you're 200 meters from the next turn, and twice when you're just 50 meters away. There are other screens available such as a compass mode that always points towards your destination, speedometer, journey progress, and battery levels of both the Beeline and your phone. Bottom line, it packs a lot into a small space while allowing you to keep your phone in your pocket where it's less of a distraction.  

​The Beeline is also light. Obviously, this weight is incremental to your smart phone, but at just 42 grams, the Beeline doesn't present the same type of load to its mounting system as a phone. This matters when you are bludgeoning corners into submission. Just ask anyone whose phone went left while their car went right.

For my installation, I 3D printed a small mount angled to face me and embedded a 3mm thick steel washer into the base. A fishing magnet located at the back of the carbon fiber dash grabs onto the washer and holds the mount in place. It's very secure when underway and very easy to mount and unmount, leaving no trace upon removal.