The 268-hp coupe won’t be ready until late 2025 or early 2026, and you’ll be able to order it with three seats (2+1).
The Project V is the name of the next car made by the small British company Caterham. The Project V comes with an electric powertrain, which is the current trend. Caterham is also going in a different direction by giving the Project V, which looks like a modern Jaguar C-X75, doors and a roof. As of right now, the Project V is just a concept that will be shown this weekend at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. However, Caterham has already given details about the car and said when it will be made.
CEO Bob Laishley says that even though the Project V doesn’t look like a traditional Caterham, it still has the traits that make Caterham stand out. That means it should be easy to drive and not too heavy. The goal for the curb weight is 2623 pounds, which is about 220 pounds less than a Subaru BRZ.
The power will come from a 55 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that is connected to a 268 hp motor at the back axle. Caterham says that the car can go from 0 to 62 mph in less than 4.5 seconds and can go as fast as 143 mph. Caterham is only aiming for a range of 249 miles on the European WLTP cycle because the Project V isn’t really made to be a grand tourer.
Only three drive modes are available: Normal, Sport, and Sprint. This keeps things simple. It has a control-arm suspension in the front and back, power steering that is helped by an electric motor, brake discs on all four wheels, and a set of 19- and 20-inch wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires that are spaced out.
Different from any other Caterham
It looks different from any other Caterham we’ve seen. The Seven is long and low, with open wheels and fenders that curve in different ways. The Project V, on the other hand, is a much more mainstream sports coupe.
“A Caterham Seven’s design is simple and minimalist, and it’s made to be light and fun to drive,” said Anthony Jannarelly, the head designer at Caterham. “With Project V, we’re applying this philosophy to the architecture of the sports coupé to make a shape that is both seductive and timeless. Every feature has to be worth its weight in order to keep the car light and give the driver the best experience.
When we look at the Caterham, we can’t help but think of the Jaguar C-X75, which was another British concept car with a very similar front end. The inside of the Project V looks simple, with just three digital gauges in the middle of the dashboard and two pods of gauges for the driver. The Project V can be ordered with a 2+1 layout, with a seat in the middle of the back row, or with a more traditional 2+2 layout.
The Project V is expected to go on sale at the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026, with a starting price of around $103,000. It isn’t clear yet if it will be officially approved for U.S. roads or if it will be brought in as a kit car like the Seven.
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