Caterham’s new affordable line-up

[FKM]

Bron : www.autocar.co.uk

Caterham has revealed that it will start a new affordable, standalone engineering business dubbed Caterham Technology and Innovation Limited (CTI).
CTI’s new venture will produce “accessible and affordable sports cars inspired by the lightweight, minimalist philosophy of the Seven,” according to the firm, drawing on its technologies and materials from the group’s Team Lotus Formula One and Caterham Team AirAsia GP2 motorsport operations.

The new sub-brand will also work with other businesses in automotive and aerospace sectors.
CTI chief executive Mark Edwards said: "The new shareholders are committed to investing in an exciting range of global products over the next 10 years".
“By establishing unique operating principles for CTI, we have managed to attract a world-class team of niche vehicle engineers, eager to build on the ethos of Caterham and the DNA of the Seven,” Edwards added.
Tony Shute – responsible for bringing the Series 1 Lotus Elise to market – joins CTI as head of road cars.
“When the opportunity to be involved with creating the next iconic Caterham arose, I couldn't turn it down,” said Shute.
"The core principles and ambitions of CTI have enabled us to attract some of the brightest and most respected talents in their fields.”
Chief executive of Caterham Cars Ansar Ali added, “Creating a new product range that has the same reputation and appeal as the Seven, which delivers on the promise of accessibility and affordability, is the Holy Grail in this business. To meet the challenge, we knew we needed to invest in a new operation that would have the scope, experience and vision to deliver.”

[electroshock]

Tony Fernades is toch wel het een en ander van plan.
Op pistonheads komt Tony Shute, Head of Road Cars, ook heel kort aan het woord:

"When the opportunity to be involved with creating the next iconic Caterham arose, I couldn't turn it down," says Shute.

http://pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=24406

Caterham haalde daarmee gisteren zelfs de webstek van de Knack.

http://www.knack.be/nieuws/auto/caterha ... 473812.htm

[FastEleven]

Caterham deed in het verleden al een poging om een meer practische versie van de Seven te bouwen. De CATERHAM 21 leek een beetje op de Ginetta G20/27, dus helemaal vreemd is het niet. De Caterham 21 was echter geen succes (<50 exemplaren), en ik herinner me voroal een racewagen in de garage bij GPS in Schoten.

[electroshock]

De 21 is nog altijd een pracht van een wagen wat betreft de vormgeving.
Onderstel was quasi identiek aan de super 7.
Minpunt lag vooral in de prijs en de minimalistische aanpak met bv. vaste zijruiten,
die er manueel moesten uitgeklikt worden.
In vergelijking daarmee was de Elise een luxeproduct.

[mindp0wer]

Het is nogal vaag om te zeggen dat er de komende 10 jaar een nieuw gamma aan wagens zal worden gebouwd, maar ik ben alvast erg benieuwd naar het komende nieuws, prototypes, etc.

[electroshock]

Ansar Ali zelf over het CTI in zijn maandelijkse column:

(...) Some of you may have recently read about Caterham Technology Innovation (CTI). Tony Fernandes acquired Caterham because he shared a similar vision to us here at Caterham; that is to evolve the brand as a major player in the niche sports car sector. Indeed Tony’s foray into F1 was with this sole objective and the fact that it didn’t play out to his plan is the content of many a blog. As far as I am concerned his plan has gone spectacularly well, i.e. Caterham now has a sound future backed by an entrepreneur who has the vision and energy to deliver. Back to CTI, its purpose is to provide the engineering expertise to develop a new range of Caterham Cars in our quest to grow and appeal to a wider audience. Now I can sense some of you squirming as you read these words and in particular ‘……wider audience’. Therefore let me repeat, the Seven is core to everything that we do going forward and in no way will it be ignored or be second best. We continue to invest in its emissions compliance and endeavour to ensure it meets the latest homologation standards (IVA and Small Series) though having just returned from a long weekend in Belgium I cannot legislate for what the EC bureaucrats may do once they have had one Leffe Blonde too many. Of course we are a key player in the SMMT’s Low Volume Manufacturers’ lobby group and volunteer a loud voice in committee meetings. But if Caterham is going to celebrate the Seven’s centenary in 2057 it must plan for a more secure future and one where it is more in control of its own commercial destiny. Therefore we have recruited some of the industry’s leading brains in lightweight vehicle design and architecture with the remit to develop a range of affordable, accessible driver cars. We will endeavour to remain true to the Caterham ethos of form through function; indeed some ideas doing the CTI rounds take form through function to its literalist sense and provide challenging food for thought. And it is this opportunity that I think is so exciting and unique. We have the opportunity to look radically differently at how to grow an iconic and established brand through people who live and breathe it. Of course the challenge is to find the balance between nurturing the attributes that make the Caterham ownership experience so unique whilst at the same time offering this engagement to a wider audience who hitherto have never heard of Caterham. It’s not going to be easy and I suspect we will make some mistakes along the way but I know the people here at Caterham and at CTI will not want for trying. We will rely on your support in this quest more than ever, whether you are a Seven owner or simply an advocate of driving that is fun, engaging and accessible. If so then please join us on this journey.(...)

Bron: http://life.caterham.co.uk/md-column/wh ... cian-today

Terwijl enerzijds gesuggereerd wordt dat het CTI Caterham moet back-uppen met nieuwe ontwikkelingen en men die, in de stijl van Lotus Engineering of hun duitse evenknie (?) in Weissach, ook wil laten redenderen door technologie door te verkopen aan anderen, speelt anderzijds ook een andere factor een rol: ik heb zo een vermoeden dat men sterker of onafhankelijker wil staan ten opzichte van leveranciers. Voor de rest wordt ik uit de woorden van de MD niet wijzer. Wachten en thee drinken dus.

Het is leuk om lezen dat het ook voor Caterham vechten is tegen de bierkaai (van de administratie). Of die zoveel voorspelbaarder wordt na een Leffe meer of minder laat ik in het midden.

[electroshock]

Ik gun de Indianen gerust meer Caterhams op de weg dan Tatanano's of klassieke Hindustan Ambassadors,
maar ik had vooral gehoopt meer concrete info te krijgen uit de mond van Ansar Ali over de toekomstige plannen, vanaf 1:35.
Helaas, niks nieuws onder de zon


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKVsJ03Maw4

[Jeroenbox]

volgens mij zijn die racebeelden van Brands Hatch van begin dit jaar en zie ik mezelf ertussen rijden. De NL Academy deed een weekendje mee met de UK Academy. Erg beniewd wat er zou kunnen komen.