Have you heard? Caterham, maker of the tiny, go-kart-like Seven sports car, is building an electric car. It’s the company’s first real, in-house design ever, as the Seven is simply a highly evolved version of the original Lotus Seven built up until 1972 (after that, Lotus sold the rights to Caterham, who’s been building it since).
Called the Project V, it was originally shown off at the Goodwood Festival of Speed back in 2023, sporting a lovely design and an incredible weight figure: 2,623 pounds. While that’s nowhere near as light as a Seven, it was pretty impressive for an electric car with a roof, a real interior, and three seats.
Yes, three seats. The weirdest part about that original Project V concept wasn’t the design or the powertrain; it was the seating layout: 2+1, with a single, centralized rear seat in the back. It was like the inverse of a McLaren F1, and it brought me immense joy.
Dreams: Crushed
I very recently got the chance to see the original Project V concept in person at CES this year, where a Caterham representative even let us open the door to get a better look at that third seat. Best of all, we got it all on video, which we posted to Instagram:
View this post on Instagram
While Caterham never confirmed the weird third seat would make it to the production model, I sort of just assumed it would, given the completeness of the concept’s interior and Caterham’s inherent weirdness. Alas, my dreams have been crushed.
Earlier this week, Caterham revealed an updated version of the Project V’s design, publishing a set of photos to Instagram of its first running prototype, which it plans to use for validating safety systems, tuning the driving experience, and honing the design.
Thankfully, the Anthony Jannarelly-designed exterior hasn’t changed much in the jump from concept to prototype. It’s still achingly pretty, and it was, by far, the best-looking vehicle I saw at CES earlier this month. The only real change I can spot is at the rear, where the thin, two-piece taillights have been replaced by a set of more normal, round light pods (a Caterham rep at the CES booth told me this was for regulatory purposes).
The interior is a different story. There’s a new instrument panel that includes a circular digital display, and, sadly, a second seat has been added to the rear bench, giving the Project V a far more traditional and less weird 2+2 layout.
To say I’m heartbroken is an understatement. It’s so rare that automakers lean into the weirdness when it comes to stuff like interior layout, and I really hoped Caterham would be different. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Catherham says the new layout “retains Caterham’s purity while also possessing the qualities to enjoy grand touring for a wider range of uses.” Fair, but I would’ve preferred weird over useful, especially for a car as niche as this.
The Rest Of The Car Sounds Pretty Promising, Except For The Price
While the looks are mostly the same, some of the specs in the prototype have changed. The biggest is weight. The concept toted an impressive 2,623-pound curb weight, but this latest prototype is a bit heftier, at around 3,200 pounds. Power from the Yamaha-supplied motor/inverter/gearbox combination unit is still projected to be 268 horsepower, and the range from the two 27-kWh batteries, sourced from Xing Mobility, is estimated to be 249 miles on the European cycle.
Importantly, the battery packs aren’t mounted skateboard-style in the floor, like most other EVs. Instead, one is placed in front of the passenger cabin, while the other is embedded in the rear section. This means Caterham is able to get the front seating position as low as possible, which is more fitting for a sports car like this.
Then there’s the Project V’s price. Caterham told Car and Driver its original targeted price of $107,000 is no longer possible, and the new target is around $135,000. That is a whole lot of money for a tiny EV. For some context, you can buy a nicely optioned Corvette Z06 for less, or a base Porsche 911 for a couple thousand dollars more. I’d compare the Project V against its natural competitor, the long-awaited electric Porsche 718, but the fate of that car is up in the air as engineers are rumored to be working on reengineering it to fit a gas engine.
For what it’s worth, Caterham doesn’t seem to be worried at all about the high price point. From C/D:
“There are many, many more convenient cars in the world. There are faster cars in the world. There’s nothing more fun than a Caterham. We’ve been selling the Seven since 1957, and we’ve been making it ourselves since 1973, when Caterham got the rights from Colin Chapman. Now, to go with a whole new car, which will hopefully last another 70 years, we’ve got to make sure that it is very simple and fun. It’s gonna be simple to own, simple to drive, and should be simple to build as well. There’s no cutting-edge technology in this car, anywhere. As EVs go, it’s pretty traditional. Suits us.”
Me, personally? I’m still excited for the Project V. But I’m a lot less excited now, because of that extra seat.
Top image: Caterham
I think it’s a handsome car, even though the front end, to my old eyes, is a mish mash of Jaguar and Porsche.
Perhaps they might see fit, over the next 70 years, to put a petrol engine in it?
If they make it for 70 years, it’ll eventually become a build-your-own kit without a drivetrain as soon as it loses crash safety compliance.
It’s a gorgeous thing and I love the third seat idea. I can see why they axed it though. Some damn fool would squeeze three children into the back and then after having an accident would sue Caterham for not having three sets of belts.
It’s still achingly beautiful and will haunt my dreams until I can afford one, which will probably be the rest of my life.
This is not true. You’re skipping the Caterham 21: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterham_21
Came here to say the exact same thing. Don’t forget the 21!
I saw one at Bicester last year and it was a mess. No wonder they hardly sold any.
It also didn’t really fit the brand – if you want a Seven, you want the most raw experience possible. If you want something less raw, you just buy an Elise like a normal person.
This may be a problem today as well, of course. The Seven has only become MORE extreme since the days of the 21.
If the rear cabin design tapered so much that only 1 seat was viable in the back, that would make sense. With all that extra width as designed, it was just goofy for no good reason that would further limit what I imagine is already a very selective audience.
A two seat, (Technically a 2+2, I guess) 3,200 lbs roadster with only 230HP for $135K?
That’s going to be a real hard sell.
When you have things like the GT86, which is a 2,900 lbs 2+2 roadster with 230 HP for only $30-33K.
And I don’t even think this looks that much better with its eel-reminiscent front and the move to more generic tail lights.
So I assumed that with the elimination of the single rear seat the car became a two-seater, which would have been unfortunate. Now that I see it’s a four-seater, that makes it more useful, so it’s a win in my book. Weirdness to solve a problem is a-ok (Hello Citroën 2CV, eg). Weirdness for the sake of weirdness is useless juvenilia, IMHO.
The PR quote at the end sounds like the right approach! I’d be excited if I could ever afford or even test drive one! Great-looking car.
It’s pretty, to be sure. Not to deny Caterham’s history or contribution to things automotive, but does the world need yet another six-figure EV?
Consider the difference between this and every other 6-figure EV. It’s all drag strip 0-60 showoffs with thousands of horsepower and tons of battery, whereas this is the only sporty EV on a dedicated platform that’s anywhere near a reasonable weight. 3200 is a bit disappointing compared to the original 2600 target, but it’s still lighter than the Emira despite having the seating capacity of a 911.
That is an incredibly British looking car. Its a gorgeous car, but you can also tell it’s British. Which is awesome and how it should be.
Caterham have been owned by a Japanese company since 2021. I don’t think there’s any British owned car companies any more*. Even Morgan have outside investment now
That’s not to say this isn’t a ‘British’ car. The UK car industry is still trucking along, but none of it is owned in Britain any more.
*(manufacturing more than, say, one car per year. I’m sure there’s still a few ‘bloke in shed’ outfits)
That’s gorgeous, and the weight, power, and drive configuration are exactly what I’ve wanted to see in an EV forever. If they make one of these where the top comes off*, I’m gonna have a real hard time saying no.
*intentionally, I mean. It’s a British sports car, one must be specific.
Username checks out. 😉
I just don’t understand why the rest of y’all keep putting metal up there. It just doesn’t make sense.
Because (somewhat ironically) I live in Britain, and the weather here is often frightful.
The rest of your countrymen figured it out! Britain’s been responsible for some of the best* convertibles of all time.
*I mean, not mechanically or electrically, but damn they’re pretty
Lol that single real seat was a joke. Nothing lost here.
3200lbs for this thing is fine, if that’s the actual production weight. Solid state battery tech will probably allow them to drop some mass and keep the range if they want in the future. Much more in spirit of the brand than the 6500lb crossover Lotus is building…
The coolest thing is definitely the battery placement. I’m not sold that the skateboard chassis is the ideal way to package batteries in every scenario.
Yes, a single flat pack is by far the most logical & elegant solution from a manufacturing perspective, but moving the entire cabin 5” upwards still has some effect on C of G. Especially with so many cars featuring glass roofs. Ergonomically, the “phonebook in the footwell” feeling of most low slung EVs would be a compromise in a true driver’s vehicle like this.
I don’t mind the 4th seat, but with my back, I really don’t want anything that low to the ground and it’s too spendy for me. I have some money, but I’d rather spend it on less frivolous things. It is pretty though. Especially in that green.
Can’t take it with you!
No. But I can spend it better.
I don’t really care about the seat situation, but a 25% weight increase is the real story. Talk about burying the lede.
“Bit heftier” is a bit of an understatement, especially for a brand whose values center on lightweight excellence.
In a world where the Lotus Emira weighs 1487kg, i’ll settle with a BEV Caterham that manages 1190kg.
They’ve pivoted to a 1430kg target, but that’s still just below the Emira.
I don’t care about the number of seats. I was really into the initial weight, esp for an EV, I guess the update still isn’t terrible. But yeah, it might be priced out of the fun factor.
From day one they said there would be a 2+1 and a 2+2 option, I agree the 2+1 was more unique, but it also just looked weird with the bare plastic sections on either side. I’d be fine with it as an option, but the 2+2 looks so much better. Shame it’s gained 500lbs though! That’s far more of an issue to me than the price increase which was, and still is well above what I can afford. But someone looking to spend over $100k, the $30k increase is not nothing, but if you can afford the payment on $107k, the $135k shouldn’t really be that big of a deal.
The round taillights look better anyway. Classic look.
Eh, don’t get hung up on the seat. I like “weird for weird’s sake” but without a transmission hump, two seats just makes the most sense.
If you want to talk about weird rear seats, all those full-sized cars with just two seats in the back are the real weirdos. Passat CC was one of them. First-gen Volt was another (although that was more of a packaging necessity.
I might give the single center seat a pass if it were there to allow the person to stretch their legs out under a front center console or something. But at the end of the day, it’s probably just a parcel shelf 99% of the time.
I wonder if it’s to do with some of the regulations, which the Buzz fell afoul of. https://www.theautopian.com/vw-forced-to-recall-id-buzz-because-the-seats-are-too-roomy/
Anyone who actually took their van in for that recall is kind of silly- I’m sorry, your back seat is too spacious and comfortable, please come into the dealer so we can make it worse
Ordinarily, I don’t support ignoring recall notices, but it was probably fine to do it in that case
This was my thought as well, a lot harder to certify the safety of a single seat rear occupant with all that free space around them. Even with only one rear occupant in the 2+2 configuration there is always at least one side being supported.