Caterham Project V Concept: Lightweight electric coupe

At the beginning of this year, Caterham introduced eleven variations on the old Saba theme, but the craft builder is also looking to the future. This is already evident from the Project V Concept that the automaker has unveiled and which will make its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

There is no roofless cigar on wheels that still derives from the Lotus Seven launched in 1957 at this time, but a real coupe with a roof and doors, which seems quite successful at first glance. He reminds me a bit of late Lotus Elise of Alfa Romeo 4C and it would be a good electric rival to, say, the Alpine A110 – note the flaws, by the way. a joint venture between Caterham and Alpine.

Either way, the Caterham Project V Concept is designed for 2+1 occupants, with one middle seat in the back, but a 2+2 configuration will be offered as an option on the production concept model. It is fully electric and is driven by a single 272 hp electric motor between the rear wheels. Energy is stored in a 55 kWh lithium-ion battery that should be able to charge from 20 to 80% in just 15 minutes using DC power.

Light

Lightness was at a premium during the development of the Project V. To achieve this, the chassis is made of aluminum alloy and the rest makes extensive use of carbon fiber. For the 2+1 version, Caterham is aiming for a very low curb weight of 1,190kg for the EV.

This should enable the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 4.5 seconds and reach a speed of 230 km/h. In terms of driving range, despite the limited battery capacity, the target is a WLTP value of 400 km.

Minimalistic

The Project V concept was created by lead designer Anthony Jannarelly and built with the help of Italdesign. The chassis uses double wishbones with fully adjustable geometry and the car has electric power steering. It stands on 19 and 20 inch wheels at the front and rear respectively.

The interior has been kept as simple as possible to keep the weight down, but it is still equipped with an infotainment system and digital instruments. While driving, the driver can choose different driving modes – Normal, Sport and Sprint.

Price and delivery

The Project V concept could go into production in late 2025 or early 2026. Caterham is targeting a retail price of “under £80,000”. Wait and see… Caterham CEO Bob Laishley insists the Project V is not intended to replace the existing Seven. In addition to the electric coupe, Caterham is also bringing another model to the Festival of Speed: too the electric version of the Seven that was launched at the end of May.