► Project V concept
► Doesn’t look like a Seven
► Official reveal at Goodwood
This is the Project V, a new concept from Caterham that could signal a new chapter for the small British-brand. Featuring an enclosed roof and wheels – as well as an all-electric powertrain, the A110-sized sports car is our first look at what Caterham could (and might need to) look like in a post-electrified world.
The concept got its physical worldwide debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed – and comes after months of work – but for CEO Bob Laishley and Caterham’s new chief designer Anthony Jannarelly, the journey to showrooms has just begun. Laishley told CAR at the Festival of Speed: ‘We want this in production in 2026.’
In this article you’ll find everything you need to know about the Project V, as well as what’s next for the new electric sports car.
Goodwood debut
CAR saw the new Project V several months ago, but Goodwood marked the first time the car has been seen by the general public. According to Laishley, the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive: ‘It’s been nonstop in there with everybody wanting to come and look at the car,’ he said. ‘A few people have said it’s busier here that some of the bigger stands, which is great testimony to the car really.’
It doesn’t look like a Caterham
It doesn’t look like a Seven at all, but it does promise to keep to the values of the Caterham company – so in theory it does look like a Caterham after all: ‘A Caterham Seven’s design is simple and minimalist, it’s designed for its intended function, to be lightweight and fun to drive,’ said the brand’s new chief designer Anthony Jannarelly. ‘With Project V, we’re applying this philosophy to the sports coupé architecture to create a seducing and timeless silhouette. Every single feature has to justify itself from a weight perspective to maintain lightness and optimise driver engagement.’
For that reason, the Project V’s silhouette has been determined exclusively by what’s underneath. The result is a car with flowing lines, and minimal overhangs and a face not unlike Janarelly’s other creation, the Design 1. There are flourishes of design around the car, with Caterham’s chief designer also tapping into aspects of the old Lotus Elan. Kazuho Takahashi, president and CEO of VT Holdings and Caterham’s owner, has a soft spot for the old British sports car.
What’s underneath then?
The Project V uses a 200kW motor on the rear axle and pairs it with a 55KWh battery. The 0-62mph takes 4.5 seconds before a top speed of 143mph, and Caterham engineers have targeted a WLTP range of 249miles. Charging from 20-80% should take just 15 minutes provided you have a 150kW charger, and it’s also possible to have the Caterham in a 2+1 or 2+2 configuration.
However, the crucial figure here is the weight; Caterham has targeted a kerb weight of 1190kg, making it one of the lightest EVs on the market. That featherweight figure has been achieved with a carbonfibre and aluminium composite chassis.
So what’s next?
After reveal, the Caterham Project V will now undergo a feasibility study, as the brand weighs up and formulates a business case for the new lightweight EV. Cost-saving has been considered even in the concept, but there will now be an even greater focus on making the car as easy to to produce as possible.
‘Project V is not just a concept or design study, we’ve conducted engineering and production feasibility throughout the development process,’ Laishley said. ‘Project V fulfils our ambition to sustainably grow the company and explore electrification simultaneously. Subject to the next phases of development and technical capability, Project V could be brought to market towards the end of 2025 or early 2026 with a target price starting from less than £80,000.’
Caterham’s new chief designer will also play a key role in the road to production: ‘I’m like a custodian of the shape,’ Jannarelly told CAR at Goodwood. ‘I need to make sure this shape will go into production.’
‘You will see some slight change on the back edge, for example. I have to make everything which we [do] is close to what we show today. That’s key because otherwise people will say it’s not the car we saw two years ago [when it goes to production]. So that’s always a challenge.’
Target 2026
The Project V should be here in just two years – an extremely timeline from sketch to road – but Laishley is confident it’s achievable. And that’s partly down to Caterham’s size: ‘Based on my experience working with a big OEM, Caterham is much more agile,’ Laishley admits. ‘Decisions can be made much much quicker implemented faster.
‘So the infotainment system. We just decided it’s iPhone mirroring. We can make that bold decision, at the bigger OEM the discussion will be well, we need our own embedded system because we can’t rely on that.’
Who will buy this?
If this Caterham EV does make it to production – and there’s every chance it will – it remains to be seen who it’ll pull in exactly: ‘Project V isn’t instead of Seven, it’s complimentary to it, and we believe that by retaining the core Caterham values, it will appeal to both our existing customer base and attract new fans to the brand,’ said Laishley explained.
‘By using a more practical coupé body style and by exploiting the packaging benefits of an EV, this is a car that works as well for trips to the shops, or the school run, as it does for Sunday morning sprints.’