Caterham, possibly one of the most hardcore sports car brands, is embracing electrification.
But don’t worry, the company will keep making gas-powered vehicles in the near future.
Bona fide gearheads go absolutely mad whenever they hear the name Caterham.
Caterham is a small-volume manufacturer based out of the UK that specializes in no-nonsense kit cars based on the iconic Lotus Seven.
The Caterham Seven is built with only one thing in mind: fun. For starters, it has no doors, no roof and no wheel arches.
As a result, it weighs next to nothing: 970 lbs or 440 kg.
The base model delivers 84 hp while the range-topping 620 R variant puts out 310 hp. However, every available is fast and agile, precisely because the car is so light. Which brings us on to key issue with EVs: they’re heavy.
Caterham CEO Bob Laishley was very clear on that. He said the company is “still in the early days of EV development”.
And he added that the company is “never going to launch a 1,000-kg (2,200 lbs) Seven.”
There’s more. The upcoming electric Caterham will probably be a bit more ‘civilized’ than the Seven. It’ll definitely have doors and a roof, and it’ll be built in greater volumes.
It is going to be interesting to see how Caterham pulls that off.
Obviously, as car people, we always want these brands to live on. The problem is car makers have to shifts units to thrive and survive.
And you need a car that’s vaguely ‘normal’ for that.
Most people love the idea of a fast, fun car with no doors… but then they don’t actually buy it. Let’s wait and see.
_Flabbergasted LF 