British track car specialist Caterham has provided a first look at an electric sports car it has in the works and which the company claims will stick to its “driver-focused, lightweight, and fun to drive” ethos.
Tipped to debut in concept form next month as part of Caterham’s 50th anniversary celebrations, the new car, which carries the code name Project V, skips the bare knuckle design of Caterham’s traditional roadsters in favor of sleek, almost sensual lines.
That last part shouldn’t come as a surprise as Caterham’s design chief is Anthony Jannarelly, the designer behind the equally sultry Jannarelly Design-1 sports car. In an interview in May, he hinted at the same combination of retro and futuristic cues found on his Design-1 sports car for the Project V.
Caterham hasn’t provided any details on the powertrain, though the company in May revealed a pair of electric Seven roadsters. The specific powertrain used for the roadsters was developed with fellow U.K. company Swindon Powertrain and consisted of a rear-mounted 240-hp motor powered by a 40-kwh battery.
Caterham EV Seven concept
It isn’t clear whether the electric Seven project has any connection with the Project V sports car.
Caterham will present the electric Sevens at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed, which runs from July 13-16. It’s possible Caterham will also use the U.K. event for the Project V’s debut.
Caterham came close to launching a mainstream sports car last decade. It was being developed alongside the Alpine A110, though Caterham pulled out of the project in 2014 while Alpine went on to launch the A110 in 2017.
