Yamaha isn’t a new name in the four-wheeled department. The Japanese company has lent engines to the likes of the Lexus LFA, Ford Taurus SHO, and Lotus Exige. At the back end of 2024, we got to know that it was now working with storied British carmaker Caterham on its new electric sports car.
Now, the car, dubbed Project V, is finally here. And not only is it coming to the US, but it is coming for Porsche, which, as we all know, has had delays with the electric 718 Boxster and Cayman models.
"We have ignored America as a market for 50 years, and that's ridiculous, because you guys are all loaded," said Justin Gardiner, Caterham’s overseas representative. "We’re going to take America very seriously as of this week. We are looking to sell a lot of these over here."
The EV is inspired by the Lotus Elan +2, which happens to be the favorite car of Caterham CEO Kazuho Takahashi. But it still pretty much carries the same ethos as the brand’s Seven model, likely sporting the same dual-battery configuration.
This setup helps balance the centre of mass, sharing the weight at the front and back. It will also help the front occupant seat lower in the cockpit, which should make for a more sporty driving position while adding sufficient headroom.
“While every other car manufacturer wants (the weight) all the way to the middle, we’ve deliberately pushed it all the way to the front and the back, because that’s the way it is in the Seven, and that’s what makes the Seven fun to drive," said Gardiner. "Polar momentum is the term, and we’re deliberately putting polar momentum into this car."
Although details on the battery pack are slim, we do know it’ll be liquid-cooled batteries from Xing Mobility, which will result in a total of 55 kWh and offer a WLTP range of 249 miles (400 km). The car will sport DC fast charging and will feature a NACS port.
Car and Driver did report that normal charging speeds will not be the fastest at 100 kW. That’s because the focus was on how slowly the battery discharges, not how fast it recharges. Interesting.
Speaking about the battery placement, Gardiner explained, “Whereas every other EV manufacturer tends to put the batteries in the skateboard, we have absolutely deliberately put the driver’s seat as close to the ground as possible.”
As for the motor, here’s where Yamaha comes in. Powering the rear wheels is an off-the-shelf 200-kW Yamaha Motor, 400-volt e-axle with inverter, reduction gear, and permanent-magnet synchronous motor all-in-one.
Weighing less than 2,700 lb (1225 kg), it’s lighter than the likes of the Toyota GR86 and even the Subaru BRZ. Producing a total of 268 horsepower, it gets a top speed of 143 mph (230 km/h), going 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds.
“We are keeping it as simple as possible. One motor, rear wheels, that's it," added Gardiner.
But here’s the thing: Regulations will force Caterham to add some complexity to Project V, despite all the efforts to keep it simple.
Even inside, things are as simple as they could be. That includes a simple, flat dashboard with traditional gauges and knobs with next to no contemporary accents. There is a rear-view camera display, with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto also offered.
But even after that, Caterham is ambitiously eyeing Porsche with the Project V.
“We're still going to have that true gearhead customer, who is going to prefer us over another Porsche on a skateboard," Gardiner said. “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.”
The EV officially made its public debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. And by the looks of it, it looks pretty ready – even though full-scale production is yet to begin, with global sales not slated until 2027.
As for pricing, while it was originally announced to start at US$107,000, it’s been revealed that the price would probably now be closer to $135,000. That puts it right in Porsche 911 alley, which starts at $135,500, while sitting between the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS 4.0 ($103,300) and GT4 RS ($170,100).
Source: Caterham
