NEW Mini Moke and Caterham 660cc Kei Turbo Twin Test Review
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2024
- Brand New Classic Mini Moke EV and Caterham Kei Turbo Super Seven 600 review - driven to Portmeirion. In this special twin test episode Jonny Smith exclusively drives the newly launched Moke with EV drivetrain and the cheapest Caterham on sale - the Super Seven Sport 600 with a tiny 660cc turbo Suzuki Kei car engine. This twin test was inspired by the two cars featured in cult psychedelic 60s TV series The Prisoner, which was set in a strange little village on the coast........Portmeirion.
Huge thanks to Portmeirion in Wales for permitting us to film in their spectacular village: portmeirion.wales/
Thanks for stopping by The Late Brake Show.
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Filmed and edited by: Phil Vaughan Pritchard www.philvfilms.com/
Thumbnail by: Matt Tarrant www.matttarantdesign.com
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Jonny Smith
Creative content maker, car presenter & car pervert for hire since '98
Website: www.carpervert.com
Instagram: / jonnycarpervert
Twitter: / carpervert
CHAPTERS
0:00 Intro
1:10 Brand new icons
1:58 Lotus 7 history
2:18 Super Seven 600
2:53 660cc Turbo
4:03 DRIVING Caterham
7:48 Boot space and removable doors
9:08 OPTIONAL EXTRAS
10:04 Suspension
14:39 MOKE
15:13 Battery pack
16:48 DRIVING Moke
18:34 Moke full throttle
20:08 Moke ride and handling
20:31 DIMENSIONS
24:43 Moke in town
26:15 VERDICT
#thelatebrakeshow #4k - Авто та транспорт
This ranks at the top of my favourite Late Brake Show videos. I was a child when the TV series ran, but watched it as an adult.
The combination of two iconic cars and a fantasy location made for a solid 28 minutes of entertainment!
Thank you so much. We realise this episode is a glorified review of two cars, but one that Jonny has been wanting to arrange for over a year. Neither car are particularly practical, but it's about quirkiness and reborn classic machines with new drivetrains.
On the looks of the Caterham: me and Mrs took mine to Sheer, in Surrey, last Sunday. We parked up in the middle of the village and went in the White Horse pub opposite for a roast dinner. I could see the car from our dinning table. In the space of an hour about 40ish people took photos of it or selfies with it. A group of Japanese tourists even queued politely and took photos. This happens everywhere we go. People love Caterhams for that look. I was driving west on the A31 Hogsback one evening, with the sun low and dusk falling when I saw a couple of Lamborghinis in the rear mirror approaching at high speed. One passed, then lifted with pops and bangs from the exhaust, and pulled in a safe distance in front while the other tucked in behind me. The three of us stayed like that for a mile or so before they both sped off. Their way of showing the Caterham respect?
Once again, Jonny has hit the nail right on the head when assessing the 660 Caterham - it's the handling and not the speed, grip or acceleration that makes this such a great car. So many moaners about 'needing' more power when they haven't driven one, as I have. If you want power get a powerful version or something else, but it won't handle as delightfully and delicately as this.
What's the point of having power if you can never use it? I used to have a FIAT 126, and I used to love thrashing it around - and still below the speed limit.
@@joejoejoejoejoejoe4391 the little mx5 showed that too
Precisely! Fun at legal speeds. Cars like that put a smile on your face every time you drive them. As those above have mentioned: MX-5, Fiat 126, I'd add classic Minis, Lotus Elan and a bunch of others with light weight and precise steering. Smiles for miles.
84bhp is what the old 1600 Kent engine had in things like the Escort Mexico, so it's kind of an appropriate level of power for the classic style Caterham.
Of course! When you put it like that it's amazing really. We have become so used to enormous bhp numbers.
Love the Chodey Shifter reference 😂😂
I thought he meant a ‘choad-ie’ style shifter, as in from The Profanisaurus! Short, stubby and wide!😂
We all love a chodie shifter😂
I bet you do! 😂
"Welcome to Choady Shifting, I'm Jonny Smith!" 😆
Choady shifter? Didnt he win the '79 F1 title?
That caterham is a brilliant road car, flat out everywhere without much worry of really breaking the speed limit, many smiles per mile
Smiles per mile, pretty much the only thing that matters :)
This is a BRILLIANT pairing of vehicles with an iconic place! I was a young adult back in the day when these cars were new to the motoring press.
My late father loved The Prisoner and watched every episode, unfortunately he missed the last episode due to an engineering exam and only saw it when it was repeated in the 80s, great episode Jonny
My 1966 MGB still has a windscreen sticker of I shall not be pushed with a penny farthing from the prisoner ! .
I bought a new Moke in 1983 and ran it for 3 years in Porto. It was such fun! In those days it came fitted with side panels, so for longer journeys you could clip yourself in, but without heating it was still freezing in winter... A joy to take around town and especially to the beach!
I knew this was going to be good, but this vid. exceeded expectations. Much like Jonny's reaction to the Super Seven I suspect. Top work.
Many thanks - loved driving that thing.
I work for a company with a somewhat sprawling campus of buildings, some are production facilities, some are just offices, lots of people going back and forth between them. Some on foot, some on (company) bikes and some in cars or small vans because lugging a 100lb bit of pipework on a bike kinda sucks, even if it's only for half a mile. We could absolutely use a small fleet of electric Mokes, some with 4 seats, some as small pickups.
Personally, I think we could use at least one Caterham Kei as well, because the nearest bakery is like 3 miles away and sometimes we need someone to pick up some cake *right now*. (We're Danish)
Really great show - Location, music, retro, balance, story, time spent on each car - Perfect
Thank you. Really chuffed you enjoyed Phil's videography and edit.
@@TheLateBrakeShow I have a YT channel called The Thamesmen, and some videos are gold for some reason. It's such a balance I have no idea what is gold or not - This is. Bravo!
I was recently in Solvang, California & those new Mokes were everywhere around the town. I quite like them.
The reason the Caterham is so lively is that it has a power to weight ratio of 170 hp/ton! I am surprised it has so narrow tyres as 165's would give better grip! On the Moke if they did do retro on the wheels the Weller whites with blue and red pinstripes would really set it off! Two great reviews again there Jonny!
Love love love this.
Also, a Seven just doesn't look like a Seven without the large wings. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.
I was told that the clamshell front wings were adopted for the American market. The original 7 and the 6 before it had cycle guards.
@@ianmccaul721 Recently, I saw a very old one out on the road. Unpainted bodywork and cycle mud guards
@@ianmccaul721 that may be so but the cycle guards just lack charisma. Wish the clamshells could be optioned across the entire range, but thankful Caterham has at least seen fit to offer them on some models once again. Thanks for coming to my second TED talk.
My elan back in the 70s only had skinny tyres,yet handled really well. Sometimes it just works. Loved the show thanks
The Caterham has been on my wish list for 40 years, and this one seems to make the most sense. It's a dream car, that's actually affordable.
If only you could blast Tricky's "Brand New Youre Retro" on the outro. What a wonderful film. Thank you Jonny for sharing your passion with us!
Great episode Jonny - Lovely setting with some interesting cars! I have fond memories of holidaying as a kid in North Wales in the 70's to Portmerion and seeing the Moke there!
the electric modern example doesn't do it for me though - I'd prefer to have the Cat - but probably look at what other tuning options I could sort to get a little more BHP (I have eaten a few more pies than you though!)
Your channel has really developed.... credit to you and those that help with the filming and production!
This channel should be put on Tv every Sunday so we have something to watch I'm a massive fan Jonny love ya to bits
Thank you so much. V kind of you to say.
Well done whoever edited it, the music is on point! 👌
Credit Phil
Two great cars that refuse to be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered*
*(except for the Caterham 660).
Their life is their own.
Be seeing you!
Been waiting for this Caterham test since you mentioned it on the podcast. Well worth it!
Phew, glad it was worth the wait. Amazing little car.
This channel is so far ahead of other UA-camrs. What a fun little feature.
I drove one of those EVs, a lot of fun to drive, truely brings a smile to your face.
Beautiful Welsh roads for enjoying these cars, would be awful to leave the roof behind or run out of petrol in the Caterham though...
😳
Loving this! Been a Prisoner fan since I was in my teens and popped my Caterham cherry this summer courtesy of Highland Caterham Hire 👍👍👍 my wife was considering wearing a bicycle helmet when she got it - thankfully she didn’t and loved it - one day… As an ex 2cv (Dyane) owner I think these older character cars make sense as EV fun cars
Genius Johnny, one of your best shows ( incorporating one of TVs best shows ever ). Well done
Just when you thought the Moke couldn't get more like a golf cart, they electrified it.
"What do you compare it to?" says Jonny. Err....... a milk float!
But a golf cart has a larger range & charges faster....😂
Mine is nothing like a golf cart, its a 1988 genuine Mini Moke and we throw it around the mountain roads in our part of Spain at 70kph.
On tiny Lord Howe Island in the South Pacific , the Parks and wildlife ranger drives an early 70s Moke that belongs to the New South Wales govt. Perfect for purpose ... including taking bewildered tourists back to their accomodation
Omg how cool! Ive stayed in Portmeirion a few times (Belvedere & Government house), i adore it there! Watched the whole prisoner series, My friend and I ended up on a deserted beach shouting no6 is unmutual 😂its a great series, give it a watch if you haven't already!
The Moke looks oddly proportioned - particularly around the front - not sure why it’s so large - the battery looks compact?
Caterham is absolutely awesome - loving the retro purple too ❤
LOL, watched The Prisoner when it aired in the Sixties, fell in love with the Super Seven then. What lovely cars.
Fabulous review Jonny! 😀
Love this review. If I ever won the lottery a Caterham would be on the list. Always has been. For a while they have been going for bigger and more power engines and tbh that kind of makes them a little frightening 😂
This one looks like really usable power and dynamics. Again, great review Jonnie. Thank you
Fabulous episode - thanks! I drove both a Moke at art college in the late ‘60’s and a friend’s Lotus Seven a few years later so its great to see the new ‘eco’ versions! That ‘K-terham’ is a thing of classic beauty. It needs to live in my lounge next to my Ducati 916!
Gotta love the 7 , and you're right, if you buy one, you've gotta build it yourself, it's on my bucket list
Just showed my wife and kid this..they're ultra excited 🙌🏾 can't wait to get one in the mail lol😊
My 1969 Volkswagen (beetle) with a 2.2 L Twin 40 Weber has 155 / 15 inch tyres. Needless to say that they where not on par with the engine power (160 HP). Thank you so much for this lovely video. The scenery of the North Wales is tremendous. Cheers from Canada.
Absolutly loved this video, what an adventure, superb cinematography and the the drama was madness. Massive respect bro
My Dad worked in Kennet Road opposite Caterham Cars and always had a soft spot for a Caterham. He used to occasionally pop across the road with his Hyster 7 tonne forklift if they needed a hand loading or unloading heavier stuff.
Great combo, great episode!
Damn Jonny! You’re just so good at what you do! 👍🏻
Great pairing, great scenery, great entertainment 😃
I'm an MX-5 guy, I'm currently in Australia for three months and looked for one to buy while I'm here instead of renting, couldn't find one for a reasonable price, I wanted something cheap to run, and ended up with a 2010 Suzuki Alto, my first three-cylinder car. I absolutely fell in love with the sound of the pokey little engine. As soon as Jonny drove off in the Caterham there was that sound (with the added bonus of turbo choo-choo). The Alto is nothing to look at, lacking in power (like my beloved MX-5s) but I absolutely love listening to the wonderful engine sound from that tiny engine, it's a joy!
My most revered tv show from my childhood! Thank you for reminding this teary eyed oldster. The Caterham is cool & the Moke is marvelous & I'll take both....
What a cracking episode. I loved The Prisoner after disovering in my teens, late one night on Channel 4. Two quirky cars reviewed in the quirkiest of locations. Great job Jonny. Be seeing you!
Be seeing you 👌🏽
Love the Caterham! My dream car as a kid in the 70s! Thanks for sharing.👍
Great video Jonny, as a 7 (Sigma) owner it was great to see you applauding the simplest 7, very informative review of both cars, top job 👍
Unique content again from TLBS👍👍 absolutely top drawer👌👌
Brilliant test of unusual cars. Well done to getting The Village into test.
Great episode Mr. Smith. I really believe in, less-is-more, and this is Exhibit A. My neighbor on Vashon Island Washington had one of these. He picked me up one day as I walked along the Sound, it was awkward walking into the middle of the road to get into the passenger seat. It was only a mile and a half to my house, but man, what an incredibly fast and fun ride from a driver’s seat with no wheel. Cheers 🍻
Another enjoyable episode Johnny.
Thank you Jonny brilliant show. Cheers
I saw one of the Mokes in Cornwall this summer, really cool, perfect for bombing around The Lizard
Another great episode. Both cars are ace but the Moke is probably limited in the uk without a petrol or hybrid engine. The Caterham looks great fun and love the classic looks. The colour really suits its classic lines. Definitely meant for those welsh roads. Fabulous to see that Port Meirion allowed you to film on location. Brilliant. But what’s the news on the Porsche? Come on Johnny!
If you want petrol then buy an original Mini Moke, a good late 80's version will cost you around half a new EV version would be and it will be classed as a Classic in the UK as its over 30 years old... I have a 1988 with a galvanised chassis, 4 speed and even though its a 1l I can hit 80mph and get 30mpg... The engine is an A series Mini and every single part is available...
Got the whole series on dvd…..Port Merion is well worth a visit
What a fabulous car. I had never heard of them before but they are certainly on my radar now
Well well, great minds and all that!! - I recently made a bike tour video taking in Portmeirion and last month filmed a review of the Caterham Seven 170 (basically the same car as you drove here)...mines not out until October 21st but we come to very similar conclusions! Needless to say your videos are always waaaay better than mine but I thought that was a good coincidence being a fan of your work.....
I would need the bigger version of the Caterham 😂 I love Portmeirion, if you get a chance to stay there do so, a magical place in the evening when all the punters have gone home. I can see the Moke being towed by Motorhomes 😂
The Daihatsu Charade GTti from the late '80s also had a 3 cylinder turbocharged engine - albeit at 1.0 litre (993cc to be precise, if memory serves). I bought one new and it was worthy of its "pocket rocket" label with 100bhp :)
Was the fastest 1.0 production car on the road wasn't it? Always looked like a giggle
The GTti was my first performance car, a couple of mods; downpipe, exhaust with extra boost and with its standard LSD it did a 6 seconds 0 to 60 😉.
@@Dunstirei think the Micra super turbo. A 1.0 supercharged turbocharged JDM car was 🤔
I've never heard of that one,but the prospect of a turbo Micra is somewhat scarey@@chargeheadsuk
Plenty of money on front tyres too! Must have been a laugh@@chargeheadsuk
Great episode!
“I am not a number; I am a free Man” is the full quote, which I say to myself every time I go for a proper drive!
Or Argos...
Damn, Jonny. Now I started watching the original The Prisoner series! Quite cool. Thanks 👍😎
So with that and fixing all the minor issues on my 356 and my Figaro, I'm ready for another lockdown...
Nice video as always 🏆 You could have kept the #6 jacket on a bit longer and made hand gestures when turning in the Seven 😉
I’ve been visiting an island off the east coast of Australia for over 40 years called Magnetic Island and mini mokes were the rental cars used on the island, still a couple left. There was a rumour that there were more mokes there than anywhere else in the world, whether true not sure but mokes were a big part of the island. If ever visiting Australia, go for a visit the place is very special.
Certainly well into the oughts there were still plenty, was sad when I was last there I think we only saw maybe two.
Yes we hired one on Magnetic Is in 1983. Also owned the 10" wheel Aust built 1970 model for a while. My Dad had the 13" wheel version which drove to Darwin from NSW and back around 2500km each way in the late 70's. Aust was the home of the Moke and sold for around $A2000 brand new at the time. Many built here over the years.
I'm too young to remember The Prisoner first time round, but growing up as an 80s/90s forces child I do remember it fondly as one of the limited shows on SSVC! (Along with endless repeats of Black Adder, Minder, The Professionals, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), Columbo, and The Sweeney! Happy days!) ETA: Pun totally intended.
What an opening backdrop my dude. Great cars and views, what could be better?
Caterham it's a really big British dream car.
Unfortunately, I have no experience driving such cars due to the lack of interest in them on the market in my country, but the dream of a long trip in this car always haunts me when I see it on video or in a British car magazine
I absolutely love that Caterham, which has a fantastic spec . . . be seeing you.
I've always lusted after Caterhams, and I've always lusted after all the kei cars that we don't get in this part of the world.
This is the one to get, for sure. I understand why the higher spec Caterhams exist, I do, but this is by far the one I'd actually spend money on.
Small wonder it goes well too, it's about the same power to weight as an EG Civic VTi with some nice headers on it.
Thanks so much for showing it off to the world, and bringing the gospel of Caterham to everyone!
I loved the twin review in Wales, the perfect setting for this review. That Catarham is probably the answer to having fun in the UK on the road and the occasional track day. The Moke isn't my thing as an ownership prospect, but if I were somewhere like the Baleric Islands and one was offered as a rental car I think I'd quite enjoy it.
Now you are in The Village, good luck escaping!
Loved the nostalgia in the perfect setting of a beautiful town
Brilliant little fun cars if you have everything and want something different
Just back from Cyprus and saw the Moke for hire in Protaras. 🏴
In Portugal we have the electric Moke (built in France) it’s called the Nos (our) Moke which reads as No Smoke!
Between the two I would have the K terham for sunny day's out. I have driven both the original Moke and a Lotus 7, the MOKE ! well i couldnt wait to give it back. Thanks for the review Johnny. Be seeing you .👌
Great vid Jonny! Portmerion is an amazing place and highly recommended, especially if you stay in the village itself. The Hotel restaurant is absolutely fantastic, one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten in. Be seeing you!
Funnily enough I watched the first episode of The Prisoner not long ago, having heard about it but not seen it before. The setting of Port Merion was very striking - like they found the setting and reverse engineered the show around it! But I didn't go to the trouble of looking up what it was, so thanks for clearing up the mystery! Great to see it looks basically unchanged in 60 years
Two of my favourite cars in one video! Big bucket list for me is to own a Lotus 7 car at some point. I have always loved them since seeing an original Lotus 7 in Winchester as a child. We also rented a Moke on Majorca in the eighties which was a hoot.
I love it. The Cappuccino had a similar engine, very likely an earlier version of his one. That was a great fun car. This looks even better, certainly lighter. The Mokes would work well here in Mauritius. Very cool.
AWESOME little cars
That was great fun! Love both these cars, for different reasons of course. Brilliant bit of nastalgia. Only ever watched a few episodes of the prisoner as a child because dad didn't like it. Another well contructed episode well done The Late Brake Show team.
nice to see Portmeirion and Portmahdog , my favourite bit of Wales ! id like to see a modern UVA fugitive as a halfway between those two
The kei-terham - I sat in that very car at goodwood this year roughly a month after driving an r500 (narrow body). Unfortunately I never got into the top half of the rev counter but on the whole it did drive very nice. I fit great in the wide body cars, and I've always been a 3 pot fan, so a super seven 600 is very high on my car bucket list
LBS and The Prisoner crossover... What's not to love?
Excellent review, thank you. Let's see more like that. Great to see some innovative ideas produced in the UK for a change. The MOKE may seem a little quirky, but that's where the EV market should be, and stay. At least if it spontaneously combusts, it won't be a big blaze.
That Kei Turbo is awesome. I'd drive it!
Who is Number 1? Great ep... love them both!
The Prisoner TV series was a great experience as a child. The Moke became my favourite car. Thanks for this time-travel episode.
I agree that this new version is not quite there. Indeed it needs more retro parts, like the steering wheel. And I find the front too tall, too lumpy. There is a lot of air above the battery, they should have made it more flat.
Anyone ever seen the Union Jack Mini Moke rolling around St Paul’s Bay - Malta!!
That guy has kept that car going for years!!
Love it, love it, love it!
The 7 was born from the specials of the fifty’s.
My 1958 Ford special with a Falcon shell only has 30bhp 1172cc Sidevalve of raw power put down by 145 x 15 Ballamy wheels and still as much fun to drive today after 60 years together.
So this grandchild should give the same smile per mile result but doubt it’s longevity and historic impact on the real deal.
Great stuff. More quirky small cars please.
i just love that the uk car market includes the caterham. wonderful thing. 440kg!! and the moke is just fabulous
It's definitely one of our best effort. Can't have reliability issues when there's nothing to break😂
I saw original Moke in caribian islands recently. Very cool car in its right place.
Love love love both. ❤
Two interesting little cars. Both look great fun to drive. To me, the Caterham is a fun weekend toy and the Moke is a 'Nip to the shop' car. I'd own them!
My first car, a 1964 101 series Alfa Romeo Sprint Normale bought in 1967, had 155-15 tires, it handled quite well. Of course back in the day we put 165s on them right away, big performance back then. This little 7 doesn't need more tire than 155s.
7:47 Love the random tyre on the "sharp bend" sign in the background 😂 😂
Bit weird, right?
I'd love a Keiterham. If I had a garage to build it in, that is. I've no use for the Moke but I'm glad it exists.
Driven a similar caterham the 165 version in germany at the ring. So much fun
Don’t forget the original Lotus seven actually had the Ford side valve motor in so they never actually had a lot of power when they were brand-new. Enjoy your thing Michael
Another great episode Jonny, I’d love to trade my old MX5 for that 7, what a fun looking machine. Cheers
Cool stuff