British sports car maker Caterham has unveiled a lightweight fully-electric coupé named ‘Project V’. While it is currently at the concept stage, the automaker intends to continue the development and launch the car by early 2026 with a starting price of under £80,000, making it Cateram’s first brand-new design in decades, as everything else has previously been a variant of the classic Lotus 7.
The design of Project V was penned by newly-appointed Caterham Chief Designer Anthony Jannarelly and built by Italdesign. The electric car stays true to Caterham’s core values of lightweight and simple design with excellent driving characteristics. Featuring double-wishbone front and rear suspension with fully adjustable geometry, and electrically assisted power steering, it’s powered by a 200 kW single electric motor at the rear axle and a 55 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, allowing for 0-100 km/h acceleration in less than 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 230 km/h, while a range of 400 km can be expected.
The electric concept comes with a 2+1 seating configuration built on a carbon fibre and aluminium composite chassis, allowing for a kerb weight of just 1,190 kg. The bodywork is also crafted from composite materials and is paired with 19-inch front and 20-inch rear Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres plus brake discs. A 2+2 seating layout is also available as an option, and the overall interior is simple and driver-focused. It’s great to see Caterham going in a new direction and we look forward to seeing the final product on the roads in 2026.
