What is the difference between Caterham Supersport and Academy

I fancy some low spec racing and I have noticed that the two less powerful Caterhams are very similar on paper. The Supersport is just 1bhp more powerful than the Academy. The Academy is also 20kg heavier.

So in theory both class are almost identical.
But on the road the Supersport is a lot more grippy than the Academy. Making it 5 seconds faster or more on any track.
I think that when Reiza implemented the "minor thread adjustments" earlier in this year (2024) the Academy was left behind. But I might be wrong. Is that the reason that the Academy slides so much? or is there a real world reason?

 

The Caterham Academy was created exclusively for novice drivers, I believe the supersport has a different tuning kit.

I don't know how different they are to drive in real life, none in game have received any update to the tires pre 1.6 update. However the Academy runs on street tires and the supersport has a named compound, so that's the reason for the difference in grip.

 

Thanks for your combined effort to clarify the Supersport/Academy differences.
The Academy seems very sensitive in unstable turns, I have never spun a 120bhp car 3 times in a row before. And I was already aware of the low grip of the car. If you are curious Try them on Curvelos last turns to the right (T16 I think). Its so easy to lose control!

I wonder what makes the open diff a good choice for beginners, maybe because it requires a more conscious driving?. Just guessing.

By the way I have checked the 1.5 changelogs and if they are not wrong It looks like the poor Academy was left behind from the minor thread adjustments, maybe because it does not uses slick tyres.

Really looking forward to try these cars after the 1.6 update If I'm not wrong they should feel very different. I expect them to give you a more tight and risky feel when driving. Happy times.

 

On the Caterham Academy website it does state that the cars feature an open diff and low grip tires to 'teach' car control.

I am a big fan of the Caterham in sims, so I too am hoping for an improvement in these cars with the 1.6 update.