Project V is Caterham’s vision for a future EV sportscar

It’s one of a number of small electric enthusiast cars appearing at Goodwood this year, making a case for what enthusiasts still see as a difficult marriage – electric power and sportscars. So being electric, being a ‘car’, what chance has Project V of feeling like a Caterham as we know them? Now we’re flush with all the details, we’re quite optimistic.

Let’s get into the numbers and perhaps, the most important number of all, is weight. Right from the off, it’s good news. Caterham Project V has a targeted kerb weight of 1,190kg, or just a little bit more than the current Alpine A110 thanks to, among other things, the use of a carbon-fibre and aluminum composite chassis. Granted, that’s a fair wedge more than a traditional Caterham but, conversely, Project V is a fair wedge more car.

More good news: Project V is not overpowered, with a single motor at the rear axle producing 272PS (200kW). That motor is fed by a 55kWh USOC li-ion battery that can be charged at 150kW from 20 to 80 per cent in 15 minutes. 

Range is targeted at a WLTP-certified 249 miles, with real world figures in normal driving likely to be more like 200 miles, or much less with a bit of a spanking. Again, in a sportscar, you’re not looking for continent-crossing range figures. These were always cars for short squirts interspersed with coffee stops and photo ops. Project V should fit right into that remit. 

Performance (when not hypermiling) should be pretty epic, with 62mph coming up in under 4.5 seconds, on the way to an estimated 143mph top speed. That makes it about as quick as the current Caterham Seven 360, albeit the initial snap from the torque in the EV is likely to be more alarming. There are three driver modes to control its personality – Normal, Sport and Spring.

So it’s fairly light, is fast enough and has usable range for the kind of car it is. In short, we can be confident in the claim that it sticks to Caterham’s core values – light weight, simplicity and driver focus.

Okay, what about those looks? It’s a difficult one, because Caterham doesn’t really have a styling language, with the prescribed ‘7’ aesthetics mostly going unchanged save for the odd performance-oriented nip and tuck, or splash of modernisation over the years. 

In Project V, what is recognisable is the nose and that ‘mouth’. Flanking it are two fairly aggressive vents, with a splitter underneath. Those lights are very reminiscent of the designer’s last project, with which he shared his name, the Jannarelly Design 1. 

Rearward, a relatively classically curvy look, not dissimilar to the Alpine A110 – no coincidence, given Caterham were a collaborator early on in that project – while the windscreen, roofline and window line are vaguely reminiscent of the Mercedes-AMG One. So the stance and silhouette are mid-engined in nature, tapering into a nice simple rear end. The ankle line is all dark and more aggressive, with more sculptural bodywork in silver. It is sculptural too. Just look at those haunches. A looker, we think, especially for a proper first crack.

On the inside, there’s a similar split-difference between Caterham of old and what we’d think of as a more premium sportscar. It’s still simple, with analogue dials and no-nonsense circular vents, but it’s trimmed nicely in suede, with a new quality-looking steering wheel and toggle switches. There’s even infotainment, with what appears to be Apple CarPlay. Unlike the A110 and Cayman sportscar benchmarks, there’s seating for more than two, with one or two in the back optional.

In short, from every angle, this could be Caterham beating Alpine to the punch on an A110-esque all-electric sportscar. So sweet is revenge…

So will it go into production and how much will it cost? Well, feasibility was always at the core of Project V, so what we see before us is a car that can be made, a car that Caterham very much wants to make. If it makes production, Caterham expect a 2025-2026 release, priced around £80,000 and also reckons it’ll appeal as much to current Caterham customers, while bringing new customers to the brand.

“Project V is not just a concept or design study, we’ve conducted engineering and production feasibility throughout the development process,” said Bob Laishley, Caterham CEO.

“An electric Caterham of any shape and size has to stay true to what sets us apart from everyone else: being lightweight, simple and offering an unparalleled driving experience; that’s our DNA. 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.”

We can’t wait to see Project V in the metal at the Festival of Speed and we look forward to seeing how its story unfolds.

The 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed takes place from 13^th-16^th July. Be sure to check back here at Goodwood Road & Racing to keep up to date with all of the latest news and announcements.