The Caterham Project V Is An EV Sports Car That Doesn't Weigh More Than A Moon

It’s reasonably easy to extract huge power from electric powertrains, which is why we’ve seen so many EV hypercars emerging with increasingly absurd, four-figure outputs. That makes up for their portly weight figures, enabling super-quick 0-62mph times that sound great on paper, but in reality, will prove quite unpleasant. But not so the Italdesign-built Caterham Project V - it produces 268bhp from its rear-mounted electric motor.

It’s a wholly different approach to an early EV effort than the Lotus Evija, with Project V aiming for a more attainable end of the market with an intended price of under £80,000. And it doesn’t need to be ridiculously powerful, as the target kerb weight is a mere 1,190kg in its 2 + 1 seating configuration. Considering a Volkswagen ID.3 weighs nearly two tonnes in some configurations, that’s incredibly light.

Caterham says this will be made possible by using a carbon fibre and aluminium composite structure for Project V, to which composite body panels are applied. It also helps that the battery isn’t huge at 55kWh, although it’s still big enough to provide 249 miles of range, so long as you don’t try to replicate the 4.5-second 0-62mph time or the 143mph top speed too often.

The chassis features the theoretically ideal double wishbone front and rear setup, and the geometry is adjustable. It uses a staggered wheel arrangement with 19-inch wheels at the front and 20-inch rims at the rear, all wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tyres. You also get electric power steering.

That last bit is a hint that this is a very different animal to a Seven, and not just because of the EV powertrain. On the whole, it’s far more civilised, which is why - while light - it’s considerably heavier than the average version of Caterham’s core sports car. You get - gasps - an actual cabin, and a comfy-looking one at that.

There’s a “simple, driver-focussed” infotainment setup with which you can mirror your smartphone, and a digital instrument cluster. The standard 2+1 seating setup involves a centrally placed second-row seat to make it easier to get in and out, but a more conventional 2+2 layout will be available optionally.

The production version, Caterham says, will be arriving in either 2025 or 2026. What it won’t do, says CEO Bob Laishley, is replace the Seven. “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,” he said.

Meanwhile, Project V chief designer Anthony Jannarelly said:

“A Caterham Seven’s design is simple and minimalist, it’s designed for its intended function, to be lightweight and fun to drive. 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.”

Project V will make its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed from 13 July.

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