'Project V' will be very different from the brand's iconic Caterham Seven.
Caterham is building an all-new sports car unrelated to the Caterham Seven and adding fuel to this fire, the company just released a cryptic teaser on its Facebook page with the silhouette of a new model and the words, “a new concept is coming,” with a date of 07/12/23.
The company has also made a new landing page for the model, which is dubbed 'Project V' and confirms the model will be electrified, saying, “This is a bold new design. This is driver-focused, lightweight, and fun to drive. This is the essence of a sports car with an electric powertrain. This is a statement of intent. This is Project V.”
The silhouette looks like a blend of mid-engine proportions and classic sports car styling with a sloping roofline and prominent wheel arches, plus a Kamm-tail rear end. It's classic in its appeal, which may lure buyers from the Lotus Emira.
A lot of words that don't tell us what to really expect, but it's in line with everything we've learned so far about the company's future plans. In October of last year, the company came out and said that while it will continue to build the ICE cars people know and love from the brand, it also needs to be prepared as regulations and tastes change. This led to it saying it will release two EVs, of which the first one announced was an electrified Seven Concept.
It's very early in the design stages for the model yet, with the company not wanting to rush anything until it knows it won't ruin the small, lightweight nature the vehicle has become famous for. “We're still in the early days of small EV development,” said CEO Bob Laishley in the past. “Parts are conservative and heavy. We're never going to want to launch a [2,200-pound] Seven. We'd rather not do it.”
This second car that will be announced next month will be very different from the Seven then. It will supposedly offer a much more conventional driving experience with a more enclosed cockpit and is being designed as an EV from the very start. Anthony Jannarelly, Caterham's Chief of Design and the man behind the Jannarelly Design-1 (below), previously said, “The next car we're going to make is the first car where we can really apply what could be the 'Caterham styling,' which was not a fact of the Seven, which came from the Lotus [7].”
The company plans for the vehicle to retain the same hallmarks of Caterham vehicles, meaning it will be as light, simple, and agile as possible while offering compelling performance. The rumors say the vehicle could launch as soon as 2026, but that most likely depends on the company securing the necessary supply chains and receiving the reaction they're hoping for once it's revealed. 2023 marks the brand's 50th anniversary, so there's a lot of pressure riding on those in charge to get this right.
Keyword: TEASED: Our First Look At Caterham's Sexy New Electric Sports Car