Caterham unveils Project V, an electric sports car with a roof
The 1,190kg concept could make it to production by 2025
Caterham Cars, the British manufacturer of lightweight sports cars, has unveiled the Project V, a new electric sports car with a roof.
Marking the company's first foray into the electric GT vehicle market, the Project V is a departure from Caterham's traditional open-top Seven models, but aims to retain the company's focus on lightweight design and performance - like the firm's recently unvailed EV Seven concept.
The Project V is powered by a single rear-mounted electric motor that produces 264 bhp and 340 Nm of torque.
This is enough to launch the car from 0 to 62 mph in less than 4.5 seconds, before reaching its top speed of 143 mph.
The motor meanwhile is powered by a 55kWh lithium-ion battery pack that provides a claimed range of up to 249 miles, and can be replenished via 150kW of rapid charging.
The Project V is built on a carbon fibre and aluminium composite chassis, which helps to keep the weight down to 1,190 kilograms (2,623 pounds), while the car’s body is made of composite materials with a focus on aerodynamics.
Inside looks fairly simple. It features a two-seat configuration, with a single rear seat passenger in the middle of the cockpit. The dashboard consists of a digital instrument cluster, and there is a central infotainment touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay.
There’s also three driving modes: Normal, Sport and Sprint.
The Project V is still a concept car, but Caterham has conducted an engineering and manufacturing feasibility study. The company says that the Project V could go into production in late 2025 or early 2026, with a starting price of less than £80,000.
On the Project V, Caterham CEO Bob Laishley said: "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."