Caterham debuts on iRacing with Seven Academy and 420R race cars
Caterham Cars has joined iRacing, putting digital versions of its Seven Academy and 420R race cars on the sim-racing platform as part of its Season 4 upgrade.
- more than 350,000 sim racers and gamers
- 130bhp (132PS)
- 180bhp
- from £44,995 (UK) / €59,995 (Europe)
What Happened
Caterham Cars has revealed that two digital versions of its iconic sports car, the Caterham Seven Academy race car and the Seven 420R race car, are now available on iRacing, which it calls the world's largest online sim-racing platform. Both cars were included in iRacing's recently announced Season 4 upgrade, giving fans of the platform the chance to experience the brand's lightweight sports car in the virtual world for the first time. Players can race them by buying them from the official iRacing store and entering the dedicated Caterham series. The two cars are available together as part of a single in-game bundle purchase.
- Developed using actual race data to replicate the raw driving dynamics and feel experienced by Caterham racers in real life
- Each car 3D scanned to capture its physical form in precise detail
- Real-world audio recordings captured during pre-season testing recreate the Seven's distinctive engine and exhaust notes
- Tested and approved by racing drivers currently competing in Caterham Motorsport
- Horse Technologies 1.3-litre four-cylinder HR13 turbocharged engine, 130bhp (132PS) and 176Nm peak torque; fully road legal with bespoke suspension tuning, an MSA approved roll cage, composite race seats, six-point harness and lap timing transponder
- Naturally aspirated 2.0-litre Ford Duratec motorsport-tuned engine producing 180bhp, six-speed SADEV sequential gearbox and Nova Motorsport slick tyres; track only
- Academy Package from £44,995 in the UK and €59,995 in Europe; Seven 420R race car from £53,990 in the UK or €59,995 in Europe
“We're very excited to be partnering with iRacing. This collaboration brings the highly competitive nature of Caterham Motorsport to thousands of sim racers globally. From our entry-level Academy race car through to the powerful Seven 420R, sim racers can now experience the Caterham Motorsport journey for themselves – developing their skills and progressing from novice to competitive racer in an authentic racing environment. It's a great opportunity for people to discover what makes a Caterham so unique: lightweight performance, pure driver engagement and racing that rewards skill. For us, the real opportunity is to turn that virtual experience into a desire to get behind the wheel of a real Caterham Seven and experience it for themselves.”
“We're very excited to welcome Caterham to iRacing with both the Academy and 420R race car launching together. We know that iRacers will have a great time getting familiar with these unique, lightweight, driver-focused cars while enjoying the challenge of progressing up the virtual ladder, just as they would in real-world Caterham Motorsport. This has been an exciting partnership for us that adds a totally new angle to our road racing series on sim, and we're excited to see what our players think of both cars!”
For gamers who want to take their sim experience into real-world competition, Caterham Motorsport runs the official Academy Championship, currently available in the UK and France, described as a pathway for novice or rookie drivers to enter motorsport. The Academy Package, on top of the car, includes obtaining a race licence, entry to a full season of race weekends and technical support, with prices starting from £44,995 and €59,995 respectively. The Seven 420R race car is priced from £53,990 in the UK or €59,995 in Europe.
350,000
Established in 2003, iRacing features over 180 officially licensed cars and more than 150 race circuits.
Why this matters
The debut puts Caterham's lightweight Seven in front of iRacing's large sim-racing community, giving players their first chance to drive the brand virtually. Caterham says it hopes that virtual experience creates a desire to drive a real Seven, so the move targets both sim racers and potential buyers. It also spotlights the real-world Academy Championship ladder that runs in the UK and France.
Terms in This Story
- iRacing
- An online sim-racing platform where players race licensed virtual cars against each other over the internet.
- sim racing
- Competitive racing done in a video-game simulation rather than on a real track.
- sequential gearbox
- A racing-style transmission where the driver shifts up or down one gear at a time in order.
- slick tyres
- Race tyres with no tread pattern, used in dry conditions for maximum grip.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.