The Caterham Seven 420 is a rear-wheel drive car with 157 kW and a kerb weight of 560 kg. That’s 280 kW per tonne, in the supercar tier. Traction is the limit. Tyres are usually developed with the car and marked for it.
280kW/t
Over the P-plate limit. Above 130 kW/t, so P1 and P2 drivers in NSW and Victoria, and under-25 P-platers in Queensland, can't drive it without an exemption. P-plate rules
For a mild, wet climate. Cold and snowy climates are further down.
Daily driving
At 280 kW/t, your car leans hard on its tyres under power and braking. Max-performance tyres are what cars like this are engineered around.
Also consider: if you want longer life, UHP summer.
Spirited road driving
At 280 kW/t, your car leans hard on its tyres under power and braking. Max-performance tyres are what cars like this are engineered around.
Road + occasional track days
At 280 kW/t, your car leans hard on its tyres under power and braking. Max-performance tyres are what cars like this are engineered around.
Also consider: optional track set, track.
Estimates from power and weight. The tyre placard on the driver’s door jamb is the legal minimum.
Max performance summer: character
Cold winters, little snow
Summer set: Max performance summer
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S · Continental SportContact 7 · Bridgestone Potenza Sport
Cold-season set: Winter
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 · Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 · Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
If you want one set: All-season / all-weather
Michelin CrossClimate 2 · Michelin Pilot Sport All Season 4 · Continental AllSeasonContact 2
Snow and ice
Summer set: Max performance summer
Michelin Pilot Sport 4S · Continental SportContact 7 · Bridgestone Potenza Sport
Winter set: Winter
Michelin Pilot Alpin 5 · Nokian Hakkapeliitta R5 · Bridgestone Blizzak LM005
Buy the marked fitment
Tyres for cars like this are often tuned with the manufacturer and carry a mark on the sidewall: N0–N2 (Porsche), MO (Mercedes), ★ (BMW), AO or RO1 (Audi), T0 (Tesla), MC (McLaren), L (Lamborghini). The marked version can differ in compound and construction; stick to it where one exists.
Rear-wheel drive
Rear traction decides how much throttle you can use, especially in the wet. Many cars at this level run wider rear tyres (a staggered set), which can't be rotated, so budget for rears roughly twice as often as fronts. Never run worn rears.
Buying only two?
Put the new pair on the rear axle, even on a front-driver. Grippy rears keep the car stable when braking or cornering in the wet; worn rears are what cause spins.
280 kW per tonne (376 hp per tonne), from 157 kW and a 560 kg kerb weight. That puts it in ratio's Supercar tier.
For everyday driving, max performance summer tyres. Good options include the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S, Continental SportContact 7, Bridgestone Potenza Sport. Always match or exceed the load index and speed rating on the car's tyre placard.
No, not without an exemption. At 280 kW per tonne it is over the 130 kW/t limit for P1 and P2 drivers in NSW and Victoria, and for under-25 P-platers in Queensland.
Cars in the Supercar tier typically run Y or (Y)-rated tyres. The legal minimum is whatever your placard, on the driver's door jamb, specifies.