► New Caterham Seven 310 Encore revealed
► Last Seven to use the Ford Sigma engine
► Just 25 are being made
Caterham Cars is saying goodbye to the Ford Sigma engine with a new edition: the 310 Encore. The new model will be limited to just 25 units, and will set those very few new owners back £39,995.
Encore cars use the most powerful version of the Sigma engine, which develops 152bhp, revs to 7000rpm and is linked to a five speed manual. The 310 Encore can sprint to 60mph in 4.9sec and onto a top speed of 127mph, and Caterham says that amount of shove is good for a 281bhp per tonne power-to-weight figure.
As well as bold colours and retro graphics, the 310 Encore also comes with the same nose as the 620 version, carbonfibre front wheelarches and a black accent pack. Harnesses, a gearshift light and a removable Momo steering wheel feature inside – as does a numbered plaque for each of the 25 cars made.
Caterham Cars CEO, Bob Laishley, says: ‘the Seven 310 Encore really is a proper tribute to this long-lasting and unique association. Perfectly designed for road and track, it distils all the successes of the last half century into a unique vehicle that truly acts as a fitting celebration of the Ford Sigma’s indelible mark on Caterham history.’
The news comes not long after Caterham confirmed its Academy racers would switch to a 1.3-litre engine powered by Horse Technologies – a joint-venture between Geely, Renault and Aramco that aims to ‘develop the next generation of hybrid and combustion engines.’
Ford Sigma engines had also powered the Academy cars since 2008, and would make the switch to Horse engines for the 2026 Academy year. Beyond that, it would make sense for Caterham Cars to investigate using Horse engines for its future production cars.
Jake has been an automotive journalist since 2015, joining CAR as Staff Writer in 2017. With a decade of car news and reviews writing under his belt, he became CAR's Deputy News Editor in 2020 and then News Editor in 2025. Jake's day-to-day role includes co-ordinating CAR's news content across its print, digital and social media channels. When he's not out interviewing an executive, driving a new car for review or on a photoshoot for a CAR feature, he's usually found geeking out on the latest video game, buying yet another pair of wildly-coloured trainers or figuring out where he can put another car-shaped Lego set in his already-full house.
By Jake Groves
CAR's news editor; gamer, trainer freak and serial Lego-ist
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