Back in early December, we reported that the tiny British car firm, Caterham, which is famous for its track-day cars, had plans to expand its model lineup. To our delight, Autocar is reporting this morning that Caterham has divulged details of its first new model. Although it remains unnamed, the new sport coupe will directly compete with the Porsche Cayman.
Scheduled for a 2015 launch, the new Caterham sports car, which has been co-developed with Alpine, is expected to achieve a 0-60 run in less than 5.0 seconds. A supercharged Renault four-cylinder will power the new Caterham, producing around 270 horsepower. If you’re wondering; yes, Caterham will modify the engine in order to achieve the desired horsepower and torque specs. Renault doesn’t offer quite such a spirited motor at the moment.
Caterham will offer two transmission options: A six-speed manual and a paddle-shift automatic.
One big benefit Caterham sees to its upcoming offering – over, say, the Lotus Evora – is its Renault-sourced parts. Not having to produce components from scratch will keep costs down, making the Caterham that much more accessible. In the U.K. the Caterham is expected to carry a £40,000 price tag. Should it come to the U.S., however, it’ll have to be a bit lower to truly compete.
Autocar has a rendering that it put together of what it imagines the Caterham could look like. It’s unclear if the composite was completely their own creation of if Caterham gave them some design hints. Regardless, a Caterham that aims to take on the Porsche Cayman and embarrass the Lotus Evora will have to be downright striking.
