The Caterham automobile firm has just shown that it is capable of taking a radical turn in its history to fully enter the field of electric sports cars. To date, the British manufacturer was synonymous with classic roadster models, with which it had forged its own personality. Although he is not going to abandon them, the truth is that his latest novelty marks a before and after in the future of the brand.

And this novelty is called Project V, a one hundred percent electric sports car that is the first of its kind for Caterham. But not only that, but it also implies the debut of the firm in terms of coupe bodywork, without the convertible “look” so characteristic of its predecessors. In short, just at a first glance, the radical evolution with respect to the rest of its emblematic companions is more than evident.

The vehicle, which was recently unveiled at the prestigious Goodwood Festival of Speed, is conceived and developed as an electric vehicle from the ground up. Power comes from a 200 kW motor mounted on the rear axle and combined with a 55 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. If we translate the power into horsepower, we are looking at a 272 hp copy, while its autonomy is around 400 km.

Regarding the speed of recharging, the brand has reported that its battery can go from 20 to 80 percent of its capacity in just 15 minutes if a 150 kW fast charger is used. Caterham also claims that the coupe will accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds and that it will be capable of reaching a top speed of 230 km/h.

Following Caterham’s minimalist design philosophy in all respects, the Project V is characterized as a simple and lightweight vehicle, weighing in at 1,190kg. To achieve this, it has been manufactured mainly from aluminum and carbon fiber. The minimalism can also be seen in its interior, which has a seating arrangement of 2 1, with an optional configuration that can be 2 2.

For the board, it has been decided to set aside great aesthetic boasts. In front of the cockpit, two round digital gauges welcome the driver. A series of rocker switches mounted low on the center console allow switching between Normal, Sport and Sprint modes. Such modes make it possible to adjust different parameters such as acceleration, suspension and steering behavior.

It should not be overlooked that the Project V has been presented as a concept, but it is fully operational and seems to be very close to what its production version would be. In fact, as reported from Caterham, after a final phase of development, this British electric sports car could be launched on the market between the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.

To see it in greater detail and even in motion, you just have to take a look at the video that accompanies this article.