You know electrification is inevitable when even a carmaker tailored to purists is working on an EV of its own. The Caterham Project V is back in a fresh teaser ahead of its debut on July 12. It's a big deal not just because it does away with the combustion engine, but also because it has a proper roof. Fans of the niche brand will remember the 2016 C120 was also a coupe but the project was canceled, although the concept did spawn the Alpine A110.
Caterham doesn't go into any of the technical specifications pertaining to the electric sports car, but it does mention Project V ushers in a new design language for the British marque. Consequently, it distances itself from the traditional Seven lineup. The showcar was manufactured in Italy by Italdesign and we'll see it in the flesh at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed set to take place July 13-16.
Likely a two-seater, the curvaceous coupe with prominent wheel arches and a fixed metal roof is expected to have short overhangs thanks to a dedicated electric car platform. The original teaser released at the beginning of the month hinted at a smooth and clean side profile without unnecessary creases. It kind of gave us the impression of a 1990s Caterham 21 roadster redesigned into a coupe by 2023 standards.
As much as we are interested in finding out how the car looks, we're equally eager to discover how much it weighs. Caterham is known for making some of the lightest sports cars in the world, and that should carry over in the EV era. The EV Seven Concept unveiled back in May was only 70 kilograms (154 pounds) heavier than the Seven 485, so here's hoping the weight penalty has been minimized for the Project V as well.
Several other small electric sports coupes are on the way, including a zero-emission Porsche Cayman, an Alpine A110 EV replacement, and a Lotus EV to sit alongside the Emira, Norfolk's final ICE car.
