'WE DON'T HAVE A QUEUE OF PEOPLE wanting to buy an EV Seven.' It's a line I've heard a number of times from Bob Laishley, Caterham's CEO. However, since the company's announcement in late May that it was building an EV Seven to help development of the EV drivetrain for its soon-to-be-revealed, all-new sports car, interest in an electric Seven has spiked.
A battery-electric drivetrain and the lightweight Seven have been considered incompatible thus far, yet in its efforts to understand electrification, what is required and what is possible, Caterham has developed an EV Seven concept with long-time engine partner Swindon Powertrain. At the outset, Caterham was very conscious of staying as true to its guiding principles as possible: 'Lightweight, simple, fun to drive' is a Laishley mantra.
Arriving at Swindon Powertrain's factory, the sound of a four-cylinder engine being worked on a dyno drifts from the building that it has occupied for over 50 years. The company has a long history of internal combustion excellence: just last year its engine powered Tom Ingram's BTCC-winning Hyundai i30 N, and it supplied the 250bhp Vauxhall engine for the Caterham Seven JPE. Yet, perhaps surprisingly, Swindon Powertrain embraced electrification some years ago. The catalyst was when Swindon's MD, Raphaël Caillé, drove a Tesla Model S. He describes it as a revelation that made him realise that the company had to embrace electrification or become a mere fettler of museum pieces. It has now developed its own drivetrain components and battery technology and has been designing, manufacturing and producing electric vehicles and bicycles for getting on for five years.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2023-Ausgabe von Evo UK.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der July 2023-Ausgabe von Evo UK.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
TYRE 2024 TEST
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TOY STORY
Where best to store some of Toyota’s most prized and valuable racing superstars? Under the wind tunnel at its Cologne HO, of course...
POWER PLAY
It develops 819bhp. It has no turbochargers, no hybrid assistance. Ferrari describes it as the most complete GT it's ever made. And it’s so proud of its mighty V12 engine it’s named the whole car after it. This is the 12 Cilindri
THE FIRST SAMURAIS
Japan has been responsible for many of our favourite driver's cars of recent decades, but their ancestors are often much less well known. We take a look at where the big manufacturers began their performance car journeys
DEFINITELY. NO MAYBE
Three Japanese performance icons - Lexus LFA, Subaru Impreza 22B and Nissan GT-R. Over three days on some of our favourite roads we explore what makes each uniquely thrilling, but also the car culture that unites them
1V3.0
F1, P1... and now W1. The next chapter in McLaren's Ultimate Series is the British firm's challenger to the forthcoming new Ferrari hypercar and a £2million, 1257bhp, hybrid-powered, technical tour de force
Thornley Kelham European RS
One man’s dream to build the perfect Porsche 911 has resulted inthis aaticMously restored and enhanced classic. We delve into the details and take it for a drive
Bentley Continental GT Speed
The new Continental GT is the most powerful Bentley ever, and the beginning of anew plug-in hybrid era for Crewe. But is it still a benchmark grand tourer?
