That’s the exact reason I bought one… my Lotus was fantastic… a real weapon on track, but the Caterham is just more ‘fun’… that doesn’t always mean sideways and hooning… it just means I get more driver involvement from every single trackday I do (wet or dry).
Having said that, I’m not sure I’d feel safe driving one on the road… for me it’s a pure track car only.
I got my Caterham because of the zero effort of arrive and drive and they are good fun. Unlike you nutters I went for the lowest power and fuel saver tyres to avoid major self induced incidents on track. The result is great fun. Likewise, there is no way I would drive it on the road, that has zero appeal.
After three track days in the Cat I took my S2 Exige to Bedford and the experience was so different to the Cat that it was a very enjoyable day (until I got a noise flag). My conclusion is that a change is a good thing, both are great. Letting BaT store my Caterham and my refusal to drive it on the road means I can keep my Exige. I expect in a couple of years the Cat will go and the Exige will play more often (maybe stored and looked after by BaT, so I can get an Aston in garage …dream).
One more big upside of the Caterham is spares. This year I needed a gearbox fix and new gearcables for my Exige, that was a slow and painful process (Dave at SL was a saviour). So far the only parts I have needed for the Cat are some blocks that hold the windscreen frame, Arch Motors sent me a set, by return FOC and a windscreen £90.
Lastly, there is something precious about a nice Lotus, the Caterham is just a track toy to be used and is not precious, that makes it more fun (for me at least).
Summary - do it, but an Exige is still a very special thing,
My conundrum is that the 2-Eleven gets very little use. Virtually zero road use these days and a few track days a year when work & family commitments allow. It’s a lot of money sat there not being used. It’s such a cool thing to own and i love it. However…I can’t help but think an R300 track car would be more fun and far better suited to pounding round a track without worrying about 3rd gear exploding or the dreaded heatsoak kicking in or the sloppy gear change messing up a downshift.
I adore my 2-11 but I’m at the stage where I’m open to having a look at something else.
Adam, Keith… This is it. The Caterham is a mega hoon. Not just as a car but the fact a few us now (7 in fact including Keith) can enjoy being together, we’re Exiges guys 
Great write up Keith, Adam you will absolutely love it, it’s such an enjoyable learning process and so rewarding especially with a bit of peer pressure added into the mix.
Keep the 211 if possible , it’s mint. I’m keeping the Exige, it’s special or will be once it’s done and I’ll enjoy the maintaince, the polishing and the odd drive while the Caterham gets stored, maintained and cleaned at BaT.
I’m in the process of trying to get a new road car. The financial controller has set her face against it. But it occurs to me that if I sacrifice a stunning road machine I could sell a Caterham to her as " second best". Question is how much?
Less, I hope, than my planned road car.
I need to speak to Monsieur le Roux as I see they are renewing their fleet.
Always fancied a 7 since I tried a neighbour’s 1340 Cosworth version at age 17. Insurance companies wouldn’t entertain me when I tried to buy it!
It’s kinda fascinating that there’s such a marked move of long-term Lotus owners into Caterhams.
I took a huge amount of enjoyment from evolving my Exige from a boggo 177bhp car to a super capable, drop-dead gorgeous, fire-breathing monster. I love that car,…maybe a bit too much! Also the car’s capabilities evolved quicker than my driving did that’s for sure!
I feel totally different about the Caterham. I love it but it’s a tool for having fun in and finally learning to drive (because there’s nowhere to hide in a Caterham). Chuck it in the kitty-litter and put a loada gravel rash all over it…pah whatever. Jumping the kerbs and smash the shit out of the wing-stay,…rip it off and let me get back out on circuit. The same would not be true of my precious Exige.
Factor in the frictionless arrive 'n drive thing and doing it all with a load of hardcore exigers and well,…it’s a winning formula on every front.
Adam/Steve if you can find a way to swing it to keep the Lotus too then do it. My manmaths.xls spreadsheet suggests that both Lotus and Caterham residuals are strong and when compared to buying a luxurious roadcar that depreciates heavily then getting a Caterham will actually save you money*
*may not fully consider the costs of doing 16 trackdays in a year including Spa, Zolder, Brno, Slovakiaring, Hungaroring 
Good to hear from you on this subject, Ben. I had hoped for that carefully reasoned response.
I might be able to sell it as a lower cost option. Man maths come into play here.
Thanks for your observations.
I’ve spent (and lost) a lot of money fuelling my motoring passion. Most of the money goes on depreciation and modification. I’ve tried to turn that around and make the true cost anchored in usage/enjoyment.
I think right now mild-appreciation of my configuration (almost) offsets the background running cost of insurance/tax/storage. I’m done with mods (he says ) so no money goes there. All my costs are geared around usage, mainly in having fun in the 7. In real terms I’ve therefore not put in much more or anymore than I have in previous years but it’s yielded a lot more fun,…a LOT more. By the way I’ve not actually worked it out,…we never actually work it out right, it just need to ‘sound’ reasonable!
I think you have to stand back and take a holistic view on these things…see I’ve even convinced myself
This is where I’m up to Ben. Modding / buying bits is mostly dead money. I just want maximum fun and to improve my driving (and drifting) in a suitable car. The 2-11 is brilliant but I’d like to keep it reasonably neat and gravel rash free. In driving completely within myself in the lotus on track I’m not pushing my driving skill or improving as well as I could be.
Factoring in some reasonable math maths a Caterham seems ideal 
Adam, you sound to be in the same sort of position I was 18 months or so ago…
I had my S1, heavily modified and a very well honed track car… no road use at all… and it sat in the garage for most of the year not being used. When driving it on track, I didn’t hold back at all, the car was a tool for me and I drove it as hard as I could - however, the characteristics and dynamics of driving it were not hugely fun… it had lots of grip and didn’t move around much…
I’d hired BaT Caterhams a few times (when my Exige was undergoing it’s work) and always had fun, but one particular February day at a damp, greasy Oulton part really drove it home… I was having little slides and moments everywhere, and having to make corrections on every single lap… the lotus never really gave me that in the same way because it was so composed and planted… it was dare I say it, quite boring from an involvement perspective even though it was very quick.
In terms of outright pace, there is probably very little between an 2-11 and an R300 when both driven well… the R300 has surprised me in that respect as I didn’t expect it to be as quick as it is… even at places like Spa which really aren’t places you’d expect the Caterham to be suited to.
My original intention was to keep the Exige and run the R300 for a season to see if I got bored with it… if I did, I’d just sell it and go back to the Exige… in reality it turned out that I didn’t drive the Exige again after I bought the Caterham.
I’m not saying it’s the perfect formula for everyone, but personally I’ve had the most fun 2 seasons on track since I started doing trackdays over 10 years ago.
If you are seriously considering it, hire a BaT R300 for a day - I know it’s a good chunk of money to do it, but it’ll help with the decision process one way or another.
I’ll definitely be trying a BAT R300 in 2017. Thanks for the advice gents
La La La - Not listening…
oh and
Let us know how you get on with your test drive later this month Adam. Make sure you tell Jonny/BaT that the Bat Ferrets made you do it
If I hadn’t needed to get some capital from the Exige, I might well have gone R300 as well, the Clio certainly is a cheap car I won’t be scared of getting some gravel rash on. The Exige I drove way to carefully it was way too nice to crash…
I certainly will
And nor should you, your car is fab! Even breaks cheaply.
Which is good news for availability on Exige mechanics.
You must have seen a different bill from the one I did. 
although it’s all relative, considering the grin factor on the day.
So all us ex-Exige drivers agree. Cats are great fun, not precious to worry about on the track, cheap to fix, easy if looked after by BaT, wriggle around a lot (try fuel saver tyres at 5C n the wet) and maybe even more fun at lower speed than an Exige. Even better, you can keep your garage at home free for a Sunday car. It’s probably cheaper as well if you do not start modding and you do not need tax or insurance.
I do see one major downside. My biggest worry is that Bat do not visit many other uk tracks these days. I really like Snet and OP so I have missed them this year. I want to see what the 2017 calendar looks like. I keep suggesting that Jonny L provides Book a Trailor so we can tow our own cars away. My work, lifestyle and driving confidence keep me away from grand tours of Europe but they look great if you can make them work.
As Ben says, try, enjoy, sell if it does not work. It will cost a few k but much less than a new v6 and certainly as much fun.
I can only echo Ben and Dave. Ben especially as I’m really looking forward to completing the S1 and having something special in the garage for that early morning blast. A 211 would be my second choice. With regards the reasons for owning the R300, they all seem to have been covered, almost. The one thing not mentioned is the absolute laugh out load adrenaline fuelled banter we have had over the course of the year. I have literally spilt my sides on every single occasion we have met and it doesn’t get boring nor is it just reserved for a clicky few. We welcome everyone and anyone on any given track day, in any car, admire everything, offer credit where due, take the piss, console and push each other to a new level. The Exiges.com way. The stories, I could tell you some properly funny stories 