GRR Garage: Caterham 310 S – in suspense

Why not? Simply because you can’t see what’s working in most cars. Everything is so hidden away that even when you open the bonnet and peer into the mysterious contents inside you’re unlikely to see much happening other than the odd belt flying round.

In a Caterham it’s slightly different. Since the bodywork doesn’t wrap around the entire car you can see a lot more working that would normally remain hidden. For me the fascination comes from watching the suspension absorb bumps.

From the driver's seat you can see both front wheels turning, capped as they are by just a pair of small, mostly for show, fenders. That means you can see how every movement of the wheel and rumble of the tarmac affects the car as you drive along.

I’m not about to launch into some polemic about how truly understanding the movements of the car makes you a better driver or some similar nonsense, but I am going to say it’s a joy to watch the car deal with everything thrown at it.

From time to time the ride can be a little hard, it is mostly a track day car after all, but in reality, it more than adequately copes with everything thrown at it. Plus, the odd trip to the bump stops just adds to the sense of fun every now and then.

In truth it’s just another little quirk that our Catehram 310 S has over other cars we drive. A little glimpse into the inside workings of the machine that can’t help but make you smile every time you see it in action.

MPG this week: 33.4.

Find out more about Caterham