Caterham plans to expand lineup under new owner, report says

Caterham Cars is growing its sports-car lineup, fueled by new owner Tony Fernandes, according to the Web site of U.K. car magazine Autocar.

Fernandes's Team Lotus Enterprise, which owns the Team Lotus Formula One team, also plans to introduce the existing Caterham Seven and SP.300/R models to new markets.

In expanding Caterham's range of cars beyond the core Seven, the company plans to filter F1 technology into Caterham road cars. Fernandes confirmed that there are new models in the works.

Caterham's existing management, led by Ansar Ali, will stay on under Fernandes's ownership.

"Anything we offer will be an affordable supercar with wide appeal that complements what we've already got," Ali told Autocar.

The SP.300/R sports prototype will launch this summer as the first non-Seven Caterham since the Lotus Elise-style 21 roadster of the 1990s.

Fernandes said he expects Caterham will get prominent exposure on the Team Lotus T128 F1 car, though not before the British Grand Prix in July. Fernandes said he is working on a "full branding and platform for Caterham in F1."

By Michelle Koueiter