The latest, and most radical, evolution of Britain’s supercar bashing two-seater has arrived.

After waiting patiently since last October, Caterham will begin delivery of the much-heralded Seven CSR 260 road car to customers next month.

The Cosworth powered range-topper will hit 96.5 km/h (60mph) in just 3.1 seconds, race on to a top speed of 244 km/h (155mph).

With mouth-watering performance, race-circuit honed handling and F1 style suspension, more than 60 examples of the 260 bhp Caterham Seven have already been ordered.

This is unprecedented demand given that customers are yet to drive a road going version of the CSR 260. The bespoke Cosworth tuned 2.3-litre engine produces 200lbs ft of torque, giving unprecedented power delivery and awesome acceleration in any gear.

“When you look at the performance, there is nothing quite like the Caterham CSR 260 for its value. You can guarantee, it’ll embarrass many a supercar,” says Ansar Ali, managing director of Caterham Cars.

He adds: “It is a peerless performer on both the road and the race track, and proof that we intend to remain at the pinnacle of lightweight, high performance sportscar design and manufacturing.”

The race version of the CSR 260 will also take centre stage in the new Cosworth Caterham Masters for 2005 – an endurance series across six of the finest driver’s circuits in Europe including Spa, Valencia and Nurburgring.