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    News articles from the Caterham and Lotus Seven Club community
    Mcalvert

    Lowflying September 2023

    By Mcalvert, in Lowflying,

    This Month: 40th Anniversary Event Special • A Rare Treat at Bicester Heritage • “Whatever You Do, Don’t Crash” • What’s Going Down at Gurston • Hillclimbing at Harewood • CSR Rear Suspension Mounts • News and Events
    Lowflying is currently with the printers and should be sent out towards members around 8th September.

    Mcalvert

    Lowflying August 2023

    By Mcalvert, in Lowflying,

    This Month: Festival of Speed Special – EV Seven and Project V. • Cornish Sevens go High Flying • Fab Four Go To Isle Of Man • Brilliant Brands • Krazy Horses • On manoeuvres at Epynt • Lashing It Down At Loton • News And Events
    Lowflying is currently with the printers and should be sent out towards members around 8th August.

    Mcalvert
    Caterham's all-electric coupé concept car will first be shown in public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed from Thursday 13th July.  The press release and photos are out now:
    Project V is a fully-electric coupé concept vehicle that draws on Caterham’s driver focussed DNA of lightness, simplicity and agility Created by Chief Designer, Anthony Jannarelly, and built by world-renowned Italdesign Engineering and manufacturing feasibility conducted during the development process – production model could arrive in late 2025 or early 2026 Powertrain uses a 200kW (272PS) rear-mounted electric motor with a 55kWh battery pack Target 0-62mph (100kph) in less than 4.5 seconds and WLTP range of 249 miles (400km) For more information, visit https://caterhamcars.com/en/models/projectv
    Dartford, Wednesday 12th July 2023 – Caterham has revealed Project V, a lightweight fully-electric coupé concept vehicle that has the potential to arrive in late 2025 or early 2026.
    Designed as an electric vehicle from the start, Project V is the creation of new Chief Designer, Anthony Jannarelly. His vision has been brought to life by world-renowned Italian engineering firm, Italdesign.
    Project V uses a battery electric powertrain, powered by a 200kW (272PS) single motor mounted in the rear axle. This is paired with a 55kWh USOC lithium-ion battery pack with advanced thermal management, and the ability to recharge from 20-80% in as little as 15 minutes using a 150kW DC rapid charger.
    With acceleration of 0-62mph (100kph) in less than 4.5 seconds, Project V will reach an estimated top speed of 143mph (230kph) and deliver a target WLTP range of 249 miles (400km).
    The minimalist design philosophy means Project V, just like the Seven, is lightweight and simple. Caterham has targeted a kerb weight of 1,190kg (2+1 configuration) which will be achieved by using an innovative carbon fibre and aluminium composite chassis.
    Bob Laishley, CEO of Caterham Cars Ltd and COO of the newly established Caterham EVo, said: “Project V is not just a concept or design study, we’ve conducted engineering and production feasibility throughout the development process.
    “An electric Caterham of any shape and size has to stay true to what sets us apart from everyone else: being lightweight, simple and offering an unparalleled driving experience; that’s our DNA.”
    He added: “Project V fulfils our ambition to sustainably grow the company and explore electrification simultaneously. Subject to the next phases of development and technical capability, Project V could be brought to market towards the end of 2025 or early 2026 with a target price starting from less than £80,000.”
    Anthony Jannarelly, Chief Designer for Project V, added: “A Caterham Seven’s design is simple and minimalist, it’s designed for its intended function, to be lightweight and fun to drive. With Project V, we’re applying this philosophy to the sports coupé architecture to create a seducing and timeless silhouette. Every single feature has to justify itself from a weight perspective to maintain lightness and optimise driver engagement.”
    The Project V show car uses a 2+1 seating layout – 2+2 as optional – which optimises ingress and egress, provides more comfort for the rear seat passenger and offers greater flexibility in how a prospective owner may use the car. At the centre of the interior is a simple, driver-focussed infotainment system featuring smartphone mirroring, and a digital instrument cluster is used to display key information. Drivers can choose between Normal, Sport and Sprint driving modes that intelligently adjust the acceleration and steering for different environments.
    The concept features double wishbone front and rear suspension with fully adjustable geometry, electrically assisted power steering, Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres (19” front and 20” rear), and brake discs all-round with high-performance calipers.
    Andrea Porta, Business Development Manager at Italdesign, said: “We’re delighted to have partnered with Caterham and Anthony Jannarelly to bring Project V to life. At every step, we have applied our experience in producing commercially viable concept and prototype vehicles, to ensure that any future production version can be brought to market at pace.”
    Laishley continued: “Project V isn’t instead of Seven, it’s complimentary to it, and we believe that by retaining the core Caterham values, it will appeal to both our existing customer base and attract new fans to the brand.
    “By using a more practical coupé body style and by exploiting the packaging benefits of an EV, this is a car that works as well for trips to the shops, or the school run, as it does for Sunday morning sprints.”
    Kazuho Takahashi, President and CEO of VT Holdings, said: “We are honoured to be able to unveil two new vehicles from Caterham at Goodwood Festival of Speed. The new models are a result of an uncompromising fusion of two seemingly contradictory requirements: retaining the Caterham values that must never change, while evolving to meet the changing demands of customers, such as the shift towards electric. We express our deepest gratitude to all those involved in this project and to everyone who has supported Caterham over the past 50 years.”
    The Project V show car will make its public debut tomorrow (Thursday) on the Caterham stand at Goodwood Festival of Speed.
    To support the aspirations of this venture, Caterham EVo has been established to handle all relevant business and investment interests related to Project V.

    Project V Concept Specification
    Powertrain: BEV, RWD with single rear-mounted permanent synchronous nominal 400V e-motor
    Battery: Li-ion, 55kWh USOC with advanced thermal management
    Dimensions : ~(L: 4,255mm, W: 1,893mm, H: 1,226mm)
    Wheelbase : ~2,581mm
    Max Power : ~200kW / 268bhp / 272PS
    0-62mph (100kph): <4.5 seconds
    Top Speed: ~143mph / 230kph
    Target Mass: <1190kg DIN mass (2+1 configuration)
    Target WLTP Range: ~249 miles / 400km
    Target Peak Charge Rate: 20-80% SOC in 15 minutes (150kW DC charger)
    Construction Type: Innovative carbon fibre and aluminium composite chassis with composite bodywork
    Suspension: Double wishbone (front and rear)
    Tyres: 235/35/R19 (front), 285/30/R20 (rear)
    Target Start Price: <£80,000 (UK market)


    Mcalvert

    Lowflying July 2023

    By Mcalvert, in Lowflying,

    This Month: The Big Picnic • Dealing With Style • The Greatest Escape • Sun, Sea & Sevens • A Day of Thrills on Two Continents • The Real Grand Tour • Performing at Prescott • Registration Aggravation • Keeping It Cool • News and Events
    Lowflying is currently with the printers and should be sent out towards members around 8th July.

    Mcalvert
    Caterham will reveal its new concept, Project V, on 12th July 2023 Project V is the creation of Chief Designer, Anthony Jannarelly Concept to be built by world-renowned Italdesign The fully-electric sports coupé will make its public debut, on the Caterham stand, at Goodwood Festival of Speed For the latest Project V announcements, visit https://caterhamcars.com/en/models/projectv  
    Dartford, Wednesday 21st June 2023 – Caterham will unveil its new coupé concept car, Project V, on Wednesday 12th July 2023.
    The fully-electric model will showcase a completely new design language for the British sports car brand as it looks to the near-future.
    Project V is the creation of Chief Designer, Anthony Jannarelly.
    While this new concept may be a visual departure from the existing Seven range, Caterham remains committed to its core values of lightness, simplicity and a driver focused experience.
    The company has partnered with renowned engineering and design firm, Italdesign, to bring that vision to life, manufacturing the show car at its Turin headquarters in Italy.
    The Project V show car will make its public debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed where it will be unveiled on the Caterham stand.
    To keep up to date on the latest Project V announcements, further details will be shared at https://caterhamcars.com/en/models/projectv and via the Caterham social media channels.
     

    Mcalvert

    Lowflying June 2023

    By Mcalvert, in Lowflying,

    This Month: EV Seven • Freestyle at Brooklands • Lowflying Goes High Flying • Debutante at Castle Combe • Speed Championship Reports • Windscreen Wipers That Work... • News and Events
    Lowflying is currently with the printers and should be sent out towards members around 10th June.

    Events
    We have again secured discounted tickets for Caterham and Lotus Seven Club members at this nostalgic racing event at the Thruxton Circuit near Andover.
    Thruxton Circuit will step back in time and reverberate to the sounds and sights of the finest Historic and Classic motor racing in the country for the annual Thruxton Historic.
    This is a two-day weekend event and tickets for either day can be purchased from the Thruxton Circuit website at a 50% discount using a specific code. Please see the Blatchat thread for ticketing details and the all-important discount code. In order to view the Blatchat thread you will need to sign-in to the website.
    Event details and more information can be found on the Thruxton website by clicking on this link.

    EV
    PRESS RELEASE
    Electric Caterham Seven is a technology development concept showcasing a future battery electric Caterham Lightweight concept uses existing Seven architecture and combines it with cutting-edge battery electric technology EV Seven to be capable of a 20-15-20 track drive cycle: the ability to drive on track for 20 minutes and recharge in 15 minutes with enough energy to drive for a further 20 minutes Weight increase of less than 70kg compared to the current production Seven* it is based upon, and uses a 51kWh immersion cooled battery pack capable of up to 152kW rapid charging EV Seven is being developed in partnership with Swindon Powertrain, the engine developers for the Seven JPE from the early 1990s  
    Dartford, Wednesday 24th May 2023 – Caterham has today revealed EV Seven – its technology development concept for a future fully electric Seven.
    The concept will test the feasibility of a lightweight electric Seven and enable Caterham to move a step closer to bringing a battery electric model to market that is as driver focused as its petrol counterpart.
    EV Seven is being engineered in collaboration with Swindon Powertrain Ltd – a leader in the development of advanced and ultra-robust powertrains for both road and motorsport applications. EV Seven is based on the larger Seven chassis and features a bespoke version of Swindon Powertrain’s E Axle, combined with an immersion cooled battery pack.
    Immersion battery cooling uses a dielectric fluid, in this case supplied by long-term Caterham technical partner Motul. The fluid is in direct contact with the cells enabling better thermal management during charge and discharge cycles. This cutting-edge technology is at the forefront for battery electric vehicles and, until now, has typically been employed to cool super computers that generate enormous amounts of heat.
    Bob Laishley, CEO of Caterham, said: “Any future EV model we produce must be true to the DNA of a Caterham: lightweight, fun-to-drive and driver focused. The main objective for this project is to develop a vehicle with a weight delta of no more than the equivalent of having a passenger on board. We’re never going to launch a one tonne Seven – we’d rather not do it.”
    Any electric Seven must be useable on both the road and track. For the latter, this means being capable of a repeatable 20-15-20 drive cycle: the ability to drive on track for 20 minutes and recharge in 15 minutes with enough energy to drive for a further 20 minutes.
    “Building a Seven that’s capable of a Sunday morning drive is achievable with current battery technology, but the challenge is for track use where the energy consumption is greatly increased. At the moment, immersion battery cooling is one of the best solutions in terms of coping with the rapid charge and discharge cycles that would be experienced on a race track,” added Laishley.
    The weight increase is less than 70kg compared to the current production Seven* it is based upon (meaning a total mass of just under 700kg). Its 51kWh immersion cooled battery is housed in the engine bay and transmission tunnel and is capable of DC rapid charging speeds of up to 152kW. It has a useable capacity of circa 40kWh, safely allowing the battery pack to withstand demanding track use followed by rapid charging without causing premature degradation.
    The concept uses a bespoke version of Swindon Powertrain’s E Axle based on the HPDE family. It produces 240bhp at 9,000rpm and instantaneous peak torque of 250Nm. This will deliver a predicted 0-60mph time of approximately 4.0 seconds. The powertrain has been engineered to closely match the performance characteristics of the current production Seven* to ensure EV Seven shares similar driveability to the ICE model.
    EV Seven will remain true to the guiding principles of Caterham’s DNA, which is fun, simple and lightweight with an absolute focus on delivering a fantastic driving experience. Chasing performance figures has not been a motivating factor during development, but remaining true to Caterham’s intrinsic values has.
    EV Seven will also benefit from a limited slip differential, adjustable Bilstein dampers from the Seven 420 Cup, regenerative braking and quad-piston brake calipers.
    “We do not have plans to put EV Seven into production at this stage - it’s a test bed to see how well an EV powertrain works for our customers’ specific use cases. We’re doing this project with our eyes wide open so that we can learn how to deliver the specific Caterham vehicle attributes necessary for a Seven: lightweight, simple and fun to drive. We’re going to bring this to market at the right time, when the future generation of battery technology allows it, and that’s why now is the time for us to trial the concept,” added Laishley.
    Raphaël Caillé, Managing Director of Swindon Powertrain Ltd, said: “Our history of working with Caterham spans more than three decades – we developed the Vauxhall engine used in the JPE [Jonathan Palmer Evolution] edition Seven in the early 1990s, and we’re thrilled to be able to continue this partnership today through our work on this exciting project.
    “The targets we’ve been set for low vehicle weight and battery charging speed are undoubtably ambitious, but the use of cutting-edge immersion cooled battery technology along with our own powertrain components means we’re able to develop an electric Seven that maintains the core values of the original.”
    The EV Seven concept will make its public debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK this July. Caterham is also developing another fully electric sports car concept that it will reveal this year. The design of this project is being led by the brand’s new Chief Designer, Anthony Jannarelly, and further details will be announced in the coming months.
     
    EV Seven Specification
    Vehicle
    Caterham EV Seven
    Motor
    Bespoke Swindon HPDE E Axle
    Transmission
    Single-speed, two-stage reduction with bespoke ratio
    Final Drive
    Limited slip differential
    Battery
    51kWh (40kWh usable) – Immersion cooled battery
    Charging
    Up to 152Kw DC fast charge
    Chassis
    Large chassis
    Dimensions
    (L: 3,350mm, W: 1,685mm, H: 1,115mm)
    Max Power (bhp / rpm)
    240bhp @ 9,000rpm
    Max Torque (nm / rpm)
    250Nm @ 0rpm
    Weight
    <700 kg
    Performance (0 – 60 mph)
    4.0 seconds (estimated)
    Power-To-Weight
    ~ 340 bhp-per-tonne
    Top Speed
    130 mph (estimated)
    Suspension
    Bilstein adjustable (from 420 Cup)
    Wheels
    13” Apollo Black Alloy (6” front and 8” rear)
    Tyres
    Avon ZZR
    Brakes
    Ventilated discs with quad-piston calipers
    Steering
    Rack and pinion, 1.93 turns lock-to-lock
     
    *Seven 485 (SV) is available in European & Japanese markets only and is the current production model used for benchmarking.

    Mcalvert

    Lowflying May 2023

    By Mcalvert, in Lowflying,

    This Month: Building Back Better • Always Take Photos • Eco-Blatting • The Real Grand Tour • Putting The EV In sEVen • This Cat Didn’t Get The Cream • A Visit To: Northampton Motorsport
    Lowflying is currently with the printers and should be sent out towards members around 9th May.

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