When Lotus founder Colin Chapman released his Type 7 in 1957, he probably had no idea that the same basic (and we do mean basic) car would still be in production over a half-century later, and have spawned countless imitators. And it's not very hard to see why the 7 (which has been officially manufactured by Caterham since 1973) has had such enduring appeal: It's low, narrow body, cycle style front fenders, simple-but-effective suspension and off-the-shelf inline-four engines (usually a Ford unit, but 7 clones - often nicknamed "Se7ens" - have been powered by everything from Mazda rotaries to Buick aluminum V8s) provide driving enthusiasts with a nimble, flyweight vehicle that carves through corners like a plasma cutter carves through tofu (Spoiler alert: The plasma cutter wins convincingly.).
But why bother with imitators? Well, as mentioned above, not everyone wants a humble hatchback's powerplant, no matter how much less weight it has to cart around. Another factor is
Caterham has but a fraction of the production capacity of the
Toyotas and
GMs of the world, so it might take a while for them to fill your order. And in many cases, buyers just want something with more distinctive/and or modern styling and engineering while still staying true to the
Lotus-built originals' ethos and character. The truly dedicated (and, it should go without saying, talented) build their own Se7ens from scratch or a collection of junkyard elements, while others buy cars (either as kits or assembled) designed by other firms. Firms like, say,
Donkervoort.
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