Project Caterham V EV Coupe Is Coming, May Cost Around $100,000

Although not appealing to traditional Caterham style, according to CEO Bob Laishley, Project V still stands for Caterham’s distinguishing characteristics. That means it’s light, easy, and fun to drive. The manufacturer is aiming for a curb weight of 2623 pounds—or about 220 pounds lighter than the Subaru BRZ.

Power is set to arrive via a 55.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack connected to a single 268-hp motor mounted on the rear axle. Caterham claims a zero to 62 mph time of under 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 143 mph. As the Project V is not designed as a grand tourer, Caterham is only targeting a range of 249 miles on the European WLTP cycle.

The three driving modes follow a simple idea: Normal, Sport, and Sprint are what the driver has to choose. It has front and rear hand controls, power steering, disc brakes on all sides, and a set of 19- and 20-inch wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires.

Unlike Any Other Caterham

The look is unlike any Caterham we’ve ever seen. The Seven is tall, and low, with varying degrees of exposed wheels and fender flares, but the Project V trades all of that for a serious, sporty take on the competition.

“The design of the Caterham Seven is simple and understated, designed for its intended performance, to be light and fun to drive,” said Caterham chief designer Anthony Jannarelly. “For Project V, we apply this philosophy to the design of the sports coupé. to create a seductive and timeless silhouette. Every element has to defend itself from a weight point of view to maintain lightness and improve driver engagement.

Three seats

Looking at the Caterham, we can’t help but be reminded of another British concept, the Jaguar C-X75, which shared a very similar front end. The interior of the Project V looks to keep things to a minimum, with two driver gauges, a central touchscreen display, and three digital gauges in the center of the dash. Buyers will have the option of ordering the Project V in a 2+1 configuration, with a center seat in the back, or as a more traditional 2+2.

Project V is targeted to go on sale in late 2025 or early 2026 and carry a starting price of around $103,000. It’s not yet clear if there are any plans to officially convert it to US roads or if it will be ordered as a pickup truck like the Seven.

Jack Fitzgerald’s passion for cars stems from his still unshaken addiction to Formula 1.
After a short stint as an analyst for a local trade group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in automotive writing. By hunting down his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel to Wisconsin in search of stories in the automotive world before landing his dream job there. Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.