Caterham, the British sports car maker famous for lightweight track cars, has just released a new car called the Caterham AeroSeven Concept. This uniquely styled track car is apparently going to become a production sports car that will go on sale in the fall of 2014, according to a statement from Caterham.
The basis for this car is the legendary Caterham Seven, as the AeroSeven Concept uses a modified version of the Seven’s platform as well as the same 237 hp, 2.0-liter Ford four-cylinder engine that’s currently offered in the Caterham Seven 485. The body of the Caterham AeroSeven Concept is made of carbon fiber, making for an extremely light curb weight. Although 237 hp may not sound like a lot, this light weight means the Caterham AeroSeven Concept can go from 0-62 mph in under four seconds.
The styling of the Caterham AeroSeven Concept looks like a modern, futuristic version of the Seven, with the same long hood and low-slung profile but a much sleeker, aerodynamic front end design compared with the blocky Seven. Caterham says the new bodywork improves the drag coefficient significantly. On the inside, there is a new high-resolution center-mounted display that shows all instrumentation in a 3-D rendering. The steering wheel hasbuttons for different modes, including default Race mode in addition to Road mode and specific modes like a speed-limited mode for the pit lane. It even has traction control, a first for any Caterham model.
The production version of the Caterham AeroSeven Concept will be built at the Caterham factory in the U.K., and Caterham says this is the first car in a series of new models from Caterham over the next few years. In a separate release, Caterham detailed its plans for the future which includes expansion thanks to a new partnership with Renault. We’ve previously reported on this joint venture, and one of the upcoming projects is a sports car for the revived Alpine brand that is due in 2016. Caterham co-chairman Tony Fernandes even said a crossover and a city car could be in Caterham’s pipeline to accompany the broader range of sports cars. Fernandes did not make any sales projections, but we’re interested to see how Caterham’s expansion plays out.
In the meantime, check out the gallery below for more images of the Caterham AeroSeven Concept.