Caterham and Yamaha to start development of Project V

Yamaha is well known for its motorcycles, having been one of the four original global Japanese motorcycle manufacturers along with Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki. But besides motorcycles, Yamaha is also an equally well known manufacturer of musical instruments.

Not so well known to many  is Yamaha’s expertise is engine and powertrain development, which it has had for many decades as well. It is no secret that the early Toyota twincam engines (like the 2T-G) were developed by the automaker in collaboration with Yamaha and even the Toyota 2000GT – Japan’s first supercar – had Yamaha’s involvement, particularly in the development of the 6-cylinder engine.

In fact, Yamaha would have also have been involved in the Datsun 240Z as it had worked with a German designer to build an early prototype (which Nissan did not follow through with).

Yamaha has continued developing its expertise in engine development as well as other specialised areas of car development, which it offers to various automakers. Some of the collaborations (usually for high-performance engines) are known and some are not.

The latest is with Caterham, the 51-year old British manufacturer of lightweight, 2-seater sportscars. The specialist carmaker has announced that Yamaha will be a development partner for its all-new electric sports coupe, Project V. Yamaha will supply its latest cutting-edge e-axle for the prototype model.

The Project V design concept was first shown at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed in England, and later shown at Tokyo Auto Salon. Positive response has encouraged the company to now move to the next phase of its plans to start commercial production and bring the car to the market.

Project V will feature a lightweight compact electric powertrain developed by Yamaha, staying true to the Caterham DNA of lightweight, simple and fun-to-drive. In addition, Yamaha will also provide its technology and expertise in vehicle motion control.

The prototype model is being developed by TOKYO R&D, a specialist engineering house with a proven track-record in developing major automaker-commissioned prototype and production vehicles.

Due to be completed by mid-2025, the sportscars is being developed under the Caterham brand, part of VT Holdings based in Nagoya, Japan. VT Holdings, which had been Caterham importer in Japan, acquired the carmaker in 2021. Up to that time, it had been owned by Malaysians Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun for 10 years.

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