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Caterham Cars doesn’t usually appear as a leader in new technology. In fact, this tiny British car company is known mainly for making a throwback car: the Caterham Seven. The Seven is, in many ways, the same car that Lotus Cars built in 1957, but with only a few modern upgrades.

What will an electric Caterham 7 look like?

We don’t know much yet. But according to Road & Track, the new car will have two doors, a steel spaceframe, and an aluminum or carbon fiber body. And, of course, it will be electric. Every Seven is a convertible, so this weird EV would likely be one, too. But, this isn’t the first time Caterham announced an electric version, so we’re not holding our breath.

Owners praise Lotus cars and their Caterham ancestors for their lightness. A light car can do magical things that a heavy one won’t, or can’t. These little, two-seat, cars are made for blasting through canyon roads and for fun track days. Will an electric version be able to do all that a Catherham 7 does? One of the joys of a Caterham Seven, however, is its slick manual gearbox. Most EVs have one-speed gearboxes, and Caterham didn’t say what kind of transmission the new car could have.

The company Blaze EV already makes a throwback EV sportscar. But, while the Caterham will likely be designed for fast roads and tracks, the Blaze has a 31 mph top speed from its four-horsepower motor. But it looks cool.

What is the Caterham 7?

a 1975 Caterham in a black and white picture
1975 Caterham Seven | National Motor Museumvia Getty Images

In the 1950s Lotus Cars head Colin Chapman created the ultimate, tiny, light, sportscar. He called it the Seven. It was a bare-bones car, with basically no creature comforts, not even a top. Instead, it was all engine, and suspension, and carried a lightweight body made of aluminum. What is the Caterham 7?

But, Lotus stopped making the cars in 1973 and sold the rights to the design to Caterham. Caterham has made the cars since then, selling them with a variety of engines and a variety of packages, but the cars have remained true to their mission. Even today, they still have plastic side curtains, not windows, to keep the wind and rain out. They’re low, they ride harshly, and they only seat two.

In England, you can buy one at a dealer. In America, you need to build a Caterham yourself.

A grey Caterham Seven on a road
A newer Caterham Seven driven in a rally | Matthias Rietschel via Getty Images

For America, the company sells them as kit cars or local dealers will assemble one and sell you a completed car. Most of the cars you see in the U.S. were assembled by a dealer. Though a Super Seven may not even have air conditioning, expect to pay more than $40,000 for a clean used one.

SuperFormance, which is a company known for making Cobra replicas, assembles Caterhams in the U.S. Caterham has said the new Super Seven 2000 will come to the U.S., possibly to new dealers. The car will come with more amenities, a small Suzuki four-cylinder engine or a Ford Duratec four-cylinder. But because these cars are so light, they can still keep with a Corvette to 60 mph.

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Dan Mayfield

Dan joined MotorBiscuit in 2022 with over 20 years of experience in journalism and a lifelong passion for anything related to the automotive industry. He grew up wrenching a 1949 Ford pickup truck and an MGB with his dad, learning how not to wire a fuel pump (he inadvertently set the MGB on fire).

After earning a bachelor’s degree in photojournalism from the University of New Mexico, Dan has contributed his expertise to a range of local outlets, including the City of Albuquerque, US Eagle, and the Alliance for Local Economic Prosperity.

On weekends, Dan spends Saturdays enjoying “cars and coffee” chats and, on Sundays, he’s watching the Route 66 Cruise roll through town. He also races motorcycles, and it’s not unusual to find him elbows-deep in his latest cafe racer build.

Taking advantage of the local desert terrain, Dan also enjoys exploring and driving off-road in his trusty Ram Rebel pickup truck, which provides personal insights into his contributions to our Trucks, SUVs, & Crossovers coverage. Dan strives to give our readers unique information about the dynamic automotive market, reading anything that has to do with cars, trucks, bikes, 4X4s, and, in his words, “everything with a motor.”

Dan has earned a number of accolades from the Public Relations Society of America, and is a University of Southern California, Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism Fellow.