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Caterham

In the late 1980's Avon Tyres and Caterham began a collaboration that has spanned over 25 years and is still going strong. The infectious enthusiasm of the Caterham design team and the synergies and similar ethos of two highly specialised, small outfits, gelled almost immediately. Avon had highly sophisticated plant and personnel and were prepared to use technology straight from the race programmes and apply it to bespoke products for Caterham.

The first products developed were full race slicks for the Vauxhall 2ltr race cars. These were based directly on the Formula 3 control tyres still used in the late 1980's. It was only a matter of time before Caterham wanted to try something really extreme for the first prototype of the “Superlight” road car. Avon had just finished an extensive test programme with the Formula Ford Zetec tyres which secured the UK, European and Australian contracts with the ACB10. Soon after, Avon put the ACB10 through all the relevant testing procedures and registered the tyre as a road legal tyre. Although there had been road tyres with softer compounds available at this point, this was the first time any manufacturer has successfully registered a proper race tyre for road use. 

In 2001, at Caterham's request, Avon developed a road legal race tyre that would reflect the ability to 'arrive and drive'  their road cars in race championships with minimum setup changes needed. This therefore created the CR500 that became the OE tyre for the shatteringly fast R500.

The Avon CR500 range is now used as the control tyre for the Roadsport, Supersport, Tracksport and R300 race championships. It is also used as OE and by those discerning Caterham customers who follow the “less is more” philosophy. They remain the lightest and most perfectly matched product for the Caterhams they were designed for.

Avon Tyres Motorsport will be at each and every Caterham Roadsport, Supersport and Superlight R300 race event in 2011 where we will be providing a free fitting and balancing service to any customers who purchase tyres at the circuit.

Common Caterham tyre sizes:

Caterham Academy
185/70R13 - CR322

Caterham Roadsport / Supersport / Tracksport (Road legal options)
175/55R13 - CR500 (Offical championship race tyre)
195/45R15 - CR500 15" (Road spec)
185/55R13 - ZZR (List 1B, alternative tyre)

Caterham Superlight R300 / R400 / R500 (Trackspec)
175/55R13 - CR500
205/55R13 - CR500
185/55R13 - ZZR
215/55R13 - ZZR

Caterham Superlight
7.0/21.0-13 - Crossply slick
8.2/22.0-13 - Crossply slick
165/530R13 - Radial Wet
180/565R13 - Radial wet
7.0/21.0-13 - ACB10-sport road legal crossply option
8.0/22.0-13 - ACB10-sport road legal crossply option

Caterham CSR (Race spec)
195/530R13 - Radial slick
250/570R13 - Radial slick
195/530R13 - Radial wet
250/570R13 - Radial wet

Caterham CSR (Road spec)
195/45R15 - CR500
245/40R15 - CR500

For more information on tyres specific to your Caterham please contact your local dealer
For more information on Caterham cars, please visit www.caterham.co.uk