PSYCHOTIC Rotrex supercharged Caterham CSR

Hop on board one of the fastest Caterhams ever built for a ride around Brands Hatch.
Shockingly fast CSR with supercharged 2.0 Ford Duratec. Total beast!
For once on KZbin, the massively over-used term "INSANE!!!" might just apply. Any questions? Fire away in the comments below.

[@gnarshread]

Absolutely fantastic! I wish Caterhams were more popular in the states.

[@ostfahrstreifen8421]

This engine bay is just art

[@sparkplug964]

OMG that Caterham look epic fast, I have been in s Caterham 500R at brand this year and that was quick, but this thing look bloody crazy fast. Very nice.

[@aukanmeister]

Looks like a whole lot of fun!

[@toby000000]

A really well put together and driven car, top marks!!

[@DrPittenstein]

Toby 601 thanks, be sure to watch the latest video on the car, it’s even faster now!

[@toby000000]

@@DrPittenstein Will do! The Caterham 7 is my dream car - and Iive near Brands Hatch, this is the most interesting 7 I have seen, proper engineering work and understanding of cars - both of which are in limited supply these days!

[@MrDavidelliottjr]

This is an amazing build.

[@golfgti290]

Serious bit ov kit that dude well done

[@petyrkowalski9887]

The ultimate track car..love it

[@peterherrington3300]

Good to see another rotrex unit . I've currently got one on my 2010 hayabusa with a similar power output (350 at the wheel plus over 200 lb ft of torque). Great fun on road or track . Good luck with yours 👍

[@DrPittenstein]

Yes great solution, very smooth power. Must be a bit mental on a bike, my stock ZX10RR has more than enough for me. In fact I ride it to the track some times just so the Caterham feels a bit more manageable! :)

[@peterherrington3300]

@@DrPittenstein It's an arm straightener. 185 mph in top at 6 thou rpm (stock gearing) is hilarious . Runs 8 sec quarters and ride it home afterwards. Certainly beats growing up 👍

[@select899]

This must be superbike quick, with four wheel grip, this right here is the dream

[@DrPittenstein]

select899 I also own a Kawasaki ZX10-R and it’s not far off!

[@felixarbable]

Most modern superbikes have around twice the bhp per tonne of something like this, before you get superbike quick you really have to be at around 1200 bhp per tonne, even a 600 would be a fair amount faster in a straight line id imagine

[@DrPittenstein]

felix crab having driven/ridden both around Brands yes the bike is quicker in a straight line but you need some skill and stones to use all of the straight line go. You can brake much later in the Caterham so vmax on the pit straight was around 140mph in the Caterham, only a little faster on a ZZR 1400 or Fireblade with me riding. BSB riders are doing over 160mph there. BSB lap record is 44s at Brands Indy, mind-blowingly quick for a bike but Caterham CSR can lap in 48s on treaded tyres, with a pro driver on slicks (what the BSB bike has) it would be really close. BSB bikes are way faster around a track than any road bike.

[@tolga1cool]

@@felixarbable That gives you straight line performance. But cars can potentially brake later and have higher cornering speeds then bikes

[@felixarbable]

DrPittenstein oh sure yeh i dont mean to be disparaging i just dont think people really understand how fast 200hp + superbikes actually are in a straight line. I mean moto gp bikes out accelarate formula 1 cars but overal laptimes are around gt3 car times

[@denis-uo6ew]

Magnifique bravo ça décoiffe Et très beau pilotage

[@DrPittenstein]

denis liard merci! 👍

[@stefaulk1980]

Epic driver .. just goes to show how how fast it is pass the other 7 on the start finish 😳

[@gweflj]

The way that car devours the straights in absurd.

[@williamr3840]

You should paint it up to look like the 7 driven in 'The Prisoner'. :0)

[@TheBrianTowell]

Holy crap. Around 43 seconds a lap. Faster than F3! I want one!

[@DrPittenstein]

Closer to 50s a lap so far but that's on treaded tyres. Should be able to go under 48s with slicks. My old K-series 260bhp S3 Caterham did a high 48s on fresh slicks so this should be able to comfortably beat that once set up properly.

[@C42ST3N]

I guess no Caterham will every be as fast as a F3 car.

[@DrPittenstein]

@@C42ST3N Maybe with some big aero parts bolted on but a CSR like this is faster than all but the SR8 (V8) Radicals in a straight line but they corner faster and brake later. Caterham V8 Levante had a front wing. I'd put one on this car if it was allowed in the rules of the series I race in.

[@C42ST3N]

@@DrPittenstein If you add wings to the CSR you will also add a lot of drag. The F3 is optimized for aero and you will never be as efficient with a Caterham. An F3 car also weights 550kg WITH the driver and produces roughly 240 bhp. Maybe with a ton of power you can be as quick on tracks where power matters more than cornering speed.

[@commantrosexetlos4700]

@@C42ST3N aerodynamics-downforce

[@boobsthechemist2067]

It’s all about the power to weight

[@jumadhaheri]

Great video. Apart from the power what do you think about the CSR chassis handling vs the standard S3 chassis?

[@DrPittenstein]

Still learning really, I've owned my S3 for over 20 years, so know it inside out. Need to work on set up a little, wasn't quite where it should have been for Brands Hatch but a strange mixture of being more stable in some regards, more twitchy in others! S3 moves around all of the time but is sweetly balanced, something I have learned to trust. CSR feels more stable overall but less progressive when it does slide. No way the S3 could handle this power though, CSR puts power down much better. S3 feels like it communicates more clearly but this could just be familiarity.

[@RowanHick]

Welcome to the mutant supercharged 7 club :) Your estimate would be about right.. mine dyno'd 327hp at the wheels with a C30-94 strapped onto a Honda K20A (2L - 11.5:1 @ 10.5 PSI) - absolutely dumping fuel at the top end as there was no point wringing it out as it's predominately a road (!) car. We did a slightly different take and managed to stuff a water to air chargecooler system in...

[@DrPittenstein]

Rowan Hick trying to race it at Spa this weekend but it’s developed an appetite for alternator belts, have you had any similar problems?

[@RowanHick]

DrPittenstein went through 3 alternators (mines underneath the headers) but no belt issues. Finding tension was a bit of guess work. My alternator is on the same belt as the rotrex.. we had to make all the mounts and had to use some steel Subaru idler pulleys - the original ones didn't last 10mins tuning on the Dyno from memory.

[@RowanHick]

DrPittenstein to add to my last comment..the original idler pulleys flexed heavily at WOT in the Dyno which damaged a belt. Something to consider...

[@DrPittenstein]

Rowan Hick much appreciated, car ran fine at Castle Combe and Brands but last belt only lasted 5 laps of Spa! Need to get on top of it or there won’t be much video from this weekend! Epic motor when it’s running well.

[@jeffwiltshire]

@@DrPittenstein I had a Rotrexed Zetec for many years (400BHP/300 ft ln) on a Quaife 60G. When I did the conversion originally we went through a lot of alternators because of the stretch belts. We went to normal belts and ran 5 years without a belt issue doing 20-25 events a year. The kit on my Zetec was a TTS one.

[@apostolosfilippos]

6:20 i wish video games feel like this someday.

[@scottb5420]

Oh My!

[@MrDavidelliottjr]

Definitely for a professional driver or close to one with experience

[@attiliobergomi5405]

Barca a vela

[@missinglink9973]

insane rocket!! looks like a little wider track and tires would put the power down a little better.

[@DrPittenstein]

missing Link not allowed wider tyres in the race series I compete in. We use Kumho Ecsta road legal tyres which are actually very fast tyres. Other series allow slicks but they don’t need to be so wide.

[@TrevorDennis100]

I thought that yellow car he passed was a bit dangerous reversing along the pit straight. ;-)

[@GaryHangsleben]

Very exciting vehicle looks like a blaat. What transmission and shift setup is being used ?

[@DrPittenstein]

Sadev 6 speed sequential with Geartronics paddleshift.

[@richard.monroee]

Aerodynamic like a brick!

[@djxjxixsmjxjskjzxn1853]

Bricks dont have 700hp/tonne of supercharged madness.

[@fifie1]

Great car !! Brandshatch is really too short in this config...

[@DrPittenstein]

Yes the full GP is magnificent and better suited to the Super CSR, Ben Clucas did 1.30 in that car on slicks at the GP which is outrageous!

[@mkII.]

insane performance from a road legal car.

[@fifie1]

Road legal only in the best country in the world : UK ! I live in France...😐

[@kwintent2756]

Question for the doctor. In Belgium the top model is the 485 model with 240ps. I want to do a lot of trackdays but I am too tall for a S3. Is there a big difference in laptimes between a SV and a CSR? Which would you recommend?

[@DrPittenstein]

Sorry for the late reply. CSR is definitely better on paper but S3 just delivers in the real world, they are ultimately more stable and forgiving on the absolute limit but CSR is more capable on the road I believe. Lowered floor would be essential in any Caterham for taller drivers but yes, lots more room in the CSR. I also own an S3 but it feels too small to me now I'm used to the CSR. I haven't driven an SV unfortunately. However the CSR is harder to set up for the track, there are so many S3s out there more people know how to get them set up. CSR is more complex but wonderful once you have the time and expertise to get it right. Not sure who is the man in Belgium for Caterhams but it would be good to talk to him.

[@justinwerb9131]

Hi, great car!! I've been meaning to comment for a while (I think you've now changed this for the bigger Duratec?). I'm currently having my 7 (not a Caterham) repowered. I have a fully forged 2.0 Duratec with a Rotrex C38-91 being fitted (cooling etc has been addressed properly.....3 weeks I've been waiting!). Aside from the nuts power (I'm having 3 different maps on a Maxx ECU - 250, a 300 & 400hp), how is the car to live with and what is the reliability like? I notice that your last engine let go....was that standard internals? Mine is heavier at around 630kg but the gain is that the monocoque is considerably stiffer.....I'm hoping that will lead to slightly less 'skitishness'.....but we'll see! Any info would be appreciated.

[@DrPittenstein]

Have a look at the most recent video on the car. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqHJpH6AnbB5qtU

[@DrPittenstein]

We started again with a 2.5 Duratec. Previous 2.0 was very high spec engine but was revving right up to 8600rpm. So far 2.5 is much more reliable and making the similar power at lower rpm. Latest dyno result was 360bhp @ 7000rpm from 1 bar of boost. Still using big intercooler plus water injection. Tried methanol but it didn't increase bhp so sticking with water for now.

[@adamkelsall3942]

Like a cartoon!

[@DrPittenstein]

Adam Kelsall yes gets very blurry when those shift lights start blinking!

[@musicsnob4226]

You use nitrogen in the tires I hope. Maintains pressure. Avon zz r are killer rubber.

[@jareknowak8712]

Holy Mother of Lord.

[@-fuk57]

What do you think you're doing with that? I'M TELLING!

[@DrPittenstein]

Christopher Leamons just not my wife please! 😁

[@digipeeper]

“I am a man not a number”!!!!

[@peterfitzpatrick7032]

Heh ... how many will get THAT reference...??? 🙄😏

[@digipeeper]

Peter Fitzpatrick Well, you did.

[@jamedgomez2654]

hermoso

[@frankgile1996]

So, this is technically a "Caterham 700R", so to speak? This looks mental to drive... Extremely fast, yet extremely progressive...

[@DrPittenstein]

Using Caterham's methodology it would be a CSR 730R. It is quite something. Dyno'd at 365bhp with the Rotrex C30-91. Power is super smooth it works really well in the wet believe it or not! I'm racing it in the CSCC Magnificent 7s series.

[@tornagawn]

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..oh yeaaaaahhhhhh!l

[@xXilisminusXx]

PsYcHoTiC

[@mad-b264]

Yeah I bet this car keeps your guts in the pits..... I bet its great fun spending the day in this Caterham....

[@chriswatson1810]

Have you got a part number for the dual crank pulley?

[@DrPittenstein]

Sorry no but David and Boss Racing should be able to tell you.

[@1silvervespa]

Still having fun with it 3 years later ?

[@DrPittenstein]

Going better than ever now. Faster and more fun on track than any supercar so not sure what I could replace it with. Need to prove it can win races consistently now and it will add value and help me recoup some of my costs. No-one wanted to touch it when it was for sale everyone thought it would be unreliable nightmare. Got really strong reliability now I'm happy to say, just need some more race wins.

[@Nihil1st1347]

I was wondering about the gold foil, when I saw it first on Brabus engines. Is there any technical issue for the use of gold foil or does it just make nice contrasts to the other engine parts?

[@DrPittenstein]

Liten Fara it’s very good at reflecting heat, hence why McLaren used it to line the engine cover of the F1.

[@Nick-dz4ml]

Question: how do you warm the car up? do you let it sit at idle and drive, or rev it til its warm?

[@DrPittenstein]

Both. I never give any car the full beans until it’s warm. A road car needs to be driven gently for about 10 mins to warm up. A race car needs tyres and brakes up to temps too and usually needs higher oil temps. 70-80C is about a minimum oil temp before flat out running. In a race car 100C is a good target temp.

[@Nick-dz4ml]

@@DrPittenstein Thanks! amazing car!

[@DrPittenstein]

Simple reason is because metal expands when it gets hot. BMW has to put cold running rpm limits on their cars because their customers were thrashing their engines cold! I’ve seen brand new Ferrari’s thrashed stone cold from dealerships. It’s amazing how much of this sort of thing goes on!

[@emanemanrus5835]

that enclosure, at the side of the driver, is the gas tank?

[@DrPittenstein]

Eman Emanrus no gas tank is in the rear ‘trunk’. That tank is for water injection to cool the air coming from the supercharger.

[@EvendimataE]

why the exhaust has double thing?....i dont know what they are called LOL

[@DrPittenstein]

extra silencer is to get past trackday noise limits

[@johnsweda2999]

How much water do you inject into the intercooler per mile

[@DrPittenstein]

Currently not using the water injection, intercooler works well, even in race conditions. If we go up in boost it might be necessary.

[@DrPittenstein]

Here's the car running without the extra silencer at Spa instagram.com/p/Bkdb0jdAU05/

[@xcite94]

what's your differential ?

[@DrPittenstein]

Xcite_Seven Caterham Titan

[@BulletSpoung]

Has anyone ever tried using a Mazda rotary in Caterhams?

[@DrPittenstein]

BulletSpoung not that I know of, great idea though. Honda Fireblade engines were a popular choice a while back and Westfield used to offer a Hyabusa powered 7 clone. Dax Rush could have a turbocharged Busa motor too, most Radicals use a modified version of the same Suzuki motor also.

[@clyde220]

@@DrPittenstein Used to be one in our sprint series in Hertfordshire, sounded wicked, an NA rotary with a sign on the back "nothing like a good wankel" no other data sorry

[@ze_german2921]

How much is a Rolling chassis?

[@DrPittenstein]

No idea sorry, the car was 3 years old when I bought it.

[@DrPittenstein]

Find out what happened next here. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eqHJpH6AnbB5qtU

[@fredericberthou]

The same of model 620 r ?

[@DrPittenstein]

No factory 620R has 310bhp, this one is also a 2.0 but with a bigger Rotrex supercharger, bigger intercooler and water injection kit. It was dyno'd since this video was made at 335bhp but that was with a larger pulley. Originally it made over 350bhp but was a bit too much for the original owner! It's also based on the larger CSR chassis (which is no longer available) which has inboard front suspension and IRS. 620R still uses a DeDion tube at the rear.

[@AlmightySarlac]

If you're going to get squashed, you may as well get squashed by a Unimog. It's definitely the way I want to go.

[@ronkerjake1]

Too fast for that layout of Brands Hatch, jesus. That thing flies.

[@DrPittenstein]

Here's what happened when we took it to Brands GP! kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3uwqYmuebp9hcU

[@martinsmith8417]

350+ hp in a car that's slighter than a mini!

[@user-jq4zk7jy3b]

7！

[@bonkeydollocks1879]

Will it fit my honda

[@DrPittenstein]

bonkey dollocks supercharger will, engine won’t (Ford Duratec).

[@bonkeydollocks1879]

@@DrPittenstein 🤔

[@andrewr3973]

What would this do 0-60 in?

[@DrPittenstein]

Sorry I could only guess but obviously will not take long. Next time I do a standing start at a race I'll look at the data.

[@DrPittenstein]

It's quite hard to get the power down in 1st gear as you might imagine. Most of my launches to date have resulted in furious wheelspin!

[@andrewr3973]

@@DrPittenstein Yeah, I can imagine. Great fun though!!!

[@herrlehmann2101]

Brands Hatch?? Yep, short Track!

[@DrPittenstein]

Yes, hope to race on the full GP track later this year.

[@sipp884]

Well mated to small cars like this IMO

[@miatafan]

Who’s puts mufflers on a trailer car. I want to hear that supercharger whine and the exhaust roaring

[@drcuffe]

Wyatt Froehlich there’s noise regulation on tracks.

[@DrPittenstein]

You can hear it run louder over on my Instagram page. instagram.com/p/BklQ_-eAXMP/

[@anthonyboyne2386]

power unknown ?? well how has it been mapped on a dyno ??

[@DrPittenstein]

Anthony Boyne it was dyno’d numerous times before I bought the car but I didn’t want to quote unreliable numbers based on rumour and hearsay. There were many different claims for this car one of which was that they had to slow it down with a larger pulley as it frightened the original owner too much. I have since had it dyno’d twice more on that in the next video.

[@anthonyboyne2386]

@@DrPittenstein it's interesting how they had issue with charge temps when the 650r runs cool.

[@DrPittenstein]

Anthony Boyne not convinced the 620r runs cool for very long when used hard on track. This car has a much bigger intercooler + water injection and was getting up past 60C inlet on track.

[@anthonyboyne2386]

@@DrPittenstein I've not noticed a drop off in power at all on track but there could well be. I've not heard of any detonating yet, lol.

[@anthonyboyne2386]

@@DrPittenstein I'm not convinced the 620r is the claimed 311bhp, especially with that extra Silencer on the back.

[@CHOPERUS23]

Strange how you were called on and then a Mercedes just passed 🙄

[@DrPittenstein]

Mercedes? Watched it again just to check, never saw a Mercedes.

[@edwilko8819]

Impressive but all that effort for 340ish bhp, evo engine is 400bhp reliable power with hapf the tech.

[@DrPittenstein]

Ed Wilko that figure is a starting point, Evo motor would be great but maybe better for drag racing? Going fast around corners needs linear power, delivery something this type of supercharger does really well. 400 bhp turbo would have much more spiky delivery which overwhelms the tyres, much more of an issue on a very light car.

[@edwilko8819]

@@DrPittenstein evo engines are built for rallies not drag racing. Drag version are 1000hp

[@DrPittenstein]

Ed Wilko well aware of that, had a TME myself, but rally cars are much heavier and have 4WD, tuned for mid range punch which is too spikey for a light car (500kg vs 1500kg) boost comes on too suddenly, would be slower around a track as a result as you couldn’t use all the torque exiting corners, it comes in one big surge which would overwhelm the tyres. Power delivery affects light cars much more. Brands Indy as seen in the video barely has a straight, the whole lap is cornering. Seriously don’t think it would get 400bhp down there. Car has moved on a lot since the last video, hope to bring an update soon.

[@edwilko8819]

@@DrPittenstein isnt that part of the fun 4th gear wheel spin when being silly. Love the 1300bhp time attack evos out there, just coner eating bonkersness 😁

[@DrPittenstein]

Ed Wilko lots of fun no doubt, but won’t win many races which involve going around corners. This car was built to race, not just showboat on trackdays.

[@fredhatfield5863]

No aero !

[@DrPittenstein]

Yes, it could do with some! However not allowed in the CSCC Magnificent Sevens which is the only Caterham racing series this car is allowed to compete in.

[@craigpennington1251]

WHY IS THIS CAR MUFFLED TO THE POINT OF EXTINCTION?

[@DrPittenstein]

Craig Pennington Because most UK tracks are being muffled to the point of extinction. Tried it without the extra silencer and got asked to leave.

[@craigpennington1251]

@@DrPittenstein Then I'd leave. If every one did that, then what would the track owners do? That muffler bit is pure Bull Shit and they know it.

[@DrPittenstein]

@@craigpennington1251 Regular trackdays are the issue, no problem for test days and race days when I run the car loud.

[@johnnytenjobs]

Sounds pretty good. Exhaust is cute. Like a tuned scooter. Known as "Snail" pipes.

[@timburton1080]

Issue is the council's and people who buy houses next to circuits and then complain. Brands have a camera, once you trip it a photo of the car is sent to the council, and they're called up if one car is allowed to trip the meter twice. Guys that police it are very friendly, asking you to not use flat shift and keep the revs down - still ends in a black flag even with a boggo R300-S

[@dronewild3234]

Am I missing something? It’s only slightly more powerful than the Caterham 620R.... Soooo why all the hype?

[@DrPittenstein]

Drone Wild what hype?

[@dronewild3234]

DrPittenstein DrPittenstein “Mutant Monster’ “bespoke build” “Unleash the beast on the track” “Special CSR frame to handle the power”......... Aka hype. It’s only slightly more powerful than Caterham’s top production road registered model which uses standard tubing steel frame lol. 550kg and 350bhp doesn’t equal 700bhp/t it equals 636.36bhp/t... Which is suggestive of more hype with rounded up figures. Lastly don’t bother telling me that it’s 700bhp/t because it has in excess 350bhp when it was openly stated that the power output is unknown.... So you all actually don’t know, racing isn’t about guessing and hype.

[@DrPittenstein]

Drone Wild It is a bespoke build. What you’re missing is that 50bhp more than a 620R is not a small amount, especially in a car weighing half a ton. You haven’t considered torque which is increased further by the water injection kit, something else a 620 doesn’t have. It’s the equivalent of over 150bhp increase in a regular sports car. Do you have any experience of a 620R? No-one has said that it needed or could handle more power. I actually rounded down the figures I was told about the car by the people that built it because I hadn’t seen the dyno numbers for myself hence why it’s 350+. There are many other more worthy causes for you to protest about I’m sure.

[@RealNotallGaming]

sorry but catheram is for street not circuit :D

[@DrPittenstein]

Xxx Xxx show me a faster track car without downforce.

[@RealNotallGaming]

@@DrPittenstein the point is that catheram isnt for track XD is for sideways is public street XP ferrari 599 without spoilers :P

[@RealNotallGaming]

@@DrPittenstein ford mark IV

[@RealNotallGaming]

@@DrPittenstein 4:10 no but without downforce you are strong XD such strong countersteering LOL you dont go anywhere with a catherham because you are light and in corner you cant accellerate :P

[@RealNotallGaming]

@@DrPittenstein chaparral XP it have ground effect not ground force from large ailerons XD