The Caterham R500: Forza‘s Featherweight Champion

Clocking in at a mere 1,116 lbs (506 kg), the Caterham R500 is undoubtedly the lightest production car you can drive in Forza Motorsport 5. Developed by one of the most celebrated lightweight sportscar manufacturers in the world, this open-top track toy delivers a level of agility and reflexes unprecedented in the Forza franchise thus far.

Caterham: Over 60 Years of Automotive Featherweights

Hailing from the UK, Caterham has been perfecting the lightweight roadster formula for over 60 years. Originally starting out as a distributor of Lotus 7 kits in 1973, they eventually acquired the full rights to the design – iterating and evolving it into the nimble, barebones machines they are famous for today.

With a razor focus on stripping away anything unnecessary, Caterham‘s modern lineup routinely breaks the 1,000 lb barrier; putting power-to-weight ratios on par with top-tier supercars thanks to their diminutive dimensions. The R500 takes these principles to the extreme; shedding every possible pound to create the most agile Caterham yet.

R500: Raising The Lightweight Bar

The R500 takes an already proven featherweight chassis and turns things up to 11; pushing the boundaries of how little a sports car can actually weigh while still being production viable. Tipping the scales at 1,116 lbs, it‘s a staggering 664 lbs less than the iconic Lotus Elise that the Caterham is derived from.

Let‘s dig into some key stats that highlight just how extreme the R500 is:

• Power-to-Weight Ratio: 4.71 hp/lb
• 0-60 mph: 2.8 seconds
• 100-0 mph Braking: 3.0s
• Lateral G-Force: 1.7
• Nurburgring Lap Time: 7:49

With its featherlight chassis and track-tuned suspension, the R500 can pull nearly 2 Gs of cornering force on slick tires – matching the limits of renowned supercars like the Lamborghini Huracan. Considering it weighs less than most motorcycles, this level of performance is just astonishing.

The R500 also recently set a blistering sub-8 minute Nurburgring time; proving its capabilities against the clock on the most demanding circuit in the world. This time competes with genuine sports car thoroughbreds like the BMW M2 Competition – no small feat for a vehicle barely over 1,000 pounds!

The Caterham‘s Raw, Unfiltered Driving Experience

The R500‘s spartan ethos abandons all creature comforts in the pursuit of the most undiluted, connected driving experience possible. Sitting just inches off the pavement with no windshield or roof, it places you at the heart of the action with nothing insulating you from the mechanical dynamics and forces at play.

Every minute input is felt instantly; the steering reacts with such sharpness you can place the R500 between apexes with surgical precision. The ultra-stiff chassis communicates the most subtle shifts in weight and grip through the carbon fiber seat with racecar-like clarity even at high speeds.

It‘s a sensory overload demanding complete focus and engagement from the driver. There are no driver aids here; just your skills and instincts matching the capabilities of an analog vehicle pared back to its performance essence.

Could Future Lightweights Dethrone The R500?

While the current R500 sets the featherweight benchmark in Forza 5, rumors abound that Turn 10 has even more extreme lightweight offerings in the pipeline for future franchise entries. With brands like Ariel and BAC Mono making waves in the real-world with their no-compromise track toys nearing motorcycle weights, the R500 may one day find its crown as Forza‘s lightest challenger under threat.

Here‘s a taste of other cutting-edge contenders that could vie for the R500‘s lightweight throne down the road:

With ever-improving powerplants and obsessive weight reduction driving extreme performance, these featherweights may someday surpass the R500‘s power-to-weight superiority. But for now, nothing can match Caterham‘s obsessively engineered flagship when it comes to no-frills agility.

So for those seeking the most responsive, high-strung driving experience in Forza Motorsport 5, the R500 delivers – breaking new ground for just how featherlight yet capable a sports car can be. It‘s analog driving perfection dialed up to 11!

Caterham R500 stats source: UltimateCarPage.com