Caterham to Introduce New Engine from Horse Powertrain in Academy Race Cars
Caterham has announced that they will be using a new engine from Horse Powertrain, a joint venture between Renault and Geely, in their Academy race cars starting next year. The new HR13 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, capable of producing 130bhp and 130lb ft at 5150rpm, will replace the retired 1.6-litre Ford Sigma unit that has been powering the Caterham Academy series since 2008.
The decision to switch to the Horse engine comes after Caterham dropped the Sigma-powered Seven 270 and Super Seven models in 2021 due to the engine going out of production. Currently, Caterham uses a 660cc Suzuki engine and a 2.0-litre Ford Duratec engine in their road cars. While the Academy racers are road-legal, it is unclear if Caterham plans to incorporate the Horse engine into their other customer cars.
Horse Powertrain, a manufacturer of combustion and hybrid powertrains, was established as a joint venture by Renault and Geely, with a 10% shareholding by Saudi Arabian oil giant Aramco. Caterham is only the second car maker outside of the Geely and Renault groups to secure a powertrain supply deal with Horse, following Brazilian start-up Lecar.
The HR13 engine will be implemented in the Caterham Academy series starting from 2026. The Academy series, founded in 1995, has introduced over 1400 new drivers to competitive motorsport, according to Caterham CEO Bob Laishley. Laishley expressed excitement about the partnership with Horse Technologies and the introduction of the new turbo engine in their competitive rookie series next season.
