The Supersport R makes do with a new adaption of the Ford-sourced 2.0-liter four-cylinder Duratec petrol engine rated for 180bhp, which is linked to a five-speed manual and a limited-slip differential that drive the rear tires.
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The two companies made the wedding official today during a press conference in Paris where they announced the formation of a new 50-50 joint venture to develop both Alpine and Caterham-branded sports cars on common underpinnings and built at Renault's plant in Dieppe in northern France.
The Caterham Group will own a 50% stake in the Automobiles Alpine Renault company, which is currently owned 100 percent by Renault SAS. The Société des Automobiles Alpine Caterham (SAAC) venture will be created in January 2013 and will be headed by Bernard Ollivier, who became vice president of Renault in 2011.
Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of Renault commented: "This innovative partnership with Caterham embodies a longstanding ambition: the creation of a sports car with the Alpine DNA. It carries both opportunities for the Dieppe plant and the development of its historic expertise."
For nearly four decades, ever since it acquired the production rights to the legendary Lotus 7, Britain's Caterham has been fine-tuning the aforementioned recipe and now, it has prepared its most extreme plate on the menu, the new race-ready Seven Superlight R600.
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Last August, Lotus was linked with developing the production version of the A110-50. It was a rumor, which at the time, made sense since the British carmaker has a lot of experience in developing projects for third-party clients.
Now, however, British publication Autocar claims that Renault has chosen Caterham, not Lotus, as its partner in developing the new Alpine Berlinette.
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Today, it lives on in the form of the Caterham 7 (or Caterham Seven) after Caterham Cars bought the rights to the design back in 1973.
During the past four decades, the U.K.-based automaker has refined the chassis and updated the Seven's mechanical components, while at the same time, keeping true to its roots.
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Judging both from the first grand prix of the year, as well as Saturday’s qualifying practice at Sepang, the prime contenders for the top spot were the two McLarens, followed by Michal Schumacher in his Mercedes and, perhaps, Kimi Raikkonen’s Lotus.
Of course, no one in his right mind would not count Red Bull Racing's duo – or bet a dime on Ferrari winning the race. Well, if anyone had that inspiration, he must have quite a lot of cash right now, because Fernando Alonso won the 2012 Malaysian Formula 1 grand prix.
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In contrast to Albert Park, which uses public roads that are closed in order for the Grand Prix to take place and is a relatively easy track, the Sepang Circuit features an unusual layout, with a tight hairpin leading from the very long back straight to the pits.
In Australia, we got a first taste of each team’s pace during tge race. Apparently, the Malaysian GP qualifying session proved that the picture it painted was an accurate one.
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Despite FIA’s efforts to increase competition even more, F1 is far from becoming something akin to a one-make series. Some teams always make a better job than others do, but we have to wait until each year’s first race before drawing any conclusions.
At the 2012 Australian Grand Prix, the Saturday qualifying session showed us certain things like that the McLaren is currently the fastest car out there, while Red Bull Racing seems to have lost some of its pace due to the rule changes that affected the design of the RB8.
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To celebrate the all-important event, the British carmaker brought together three of its cars, the Superlight R500, the new SP/300.R sports prototype and the CT01 F1 racecar, at the Jerez circuit in Spain.
You can watch the video right after the break.
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In the case of Caterham, which has been relying solely on the Seven (the 1994 "21" was essentially a rebodied and stiffer Seven), it's a task that’s practically been undertaken for the first time.
Launching Caterham Technology and Innovation, a standalone engineering company responsible for developing new models, was proof that new owner Tony Fernandes was serious about expanding Caterham’s range.
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"We have been talking for some time now about our plans for Caterham in all its guises, from the road car company to Formula 1 and GP2, and in the technology, design and innovation fields”, said Fernandes.
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This five-year old video was said to have been shot during the Hagley and District Light Car Club's annual international autotest event in England, with some claiming that the Super Seven seen here is a Locost and not a Caterham model.
Whatever the brand, you have to admit that the man behind the wheel of the Seven, Christopher Evans, is one very talented driver. Watch the video for yourself right after the break.
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Outside the tracks there was a bitter legal battle between two teams over the right to use the Lotus name since the end of last season.
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So far this year, McLaren Automotive has done it three times at the GP's in Germany, Italy and Singapore. Now Team Lotus is following its example, as it will launch Caterham Cars in the Indian market at this weekend's inaugural Indian F1 Grand Prix.
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True to their word, Caterham's new owners announced on Monday that they are creating a new, standalone engineering business named CTI (Caterham Technology and Innovation).
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Caterham said that even though it has had a “long-standing presence” in the Far East, most notably in Japan, this will be the first time the Seven will be available in China.
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Based in England, Caterham has made a name for itself for building the Seven, a lightweight two-seater sports car that was designed by Lotus founder Colin Chapman and who sold the rights of the car to Caterham in 1973.
Team Lotus chiefs Tony Fernandes, Kamarudin Meranun and SM Nasarudin said in a statement that the company plans to expand Caterham’s profile and product family while also continuing the development of the Seven.
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