It was all the way back in September 2021 that Caterham confirmed the 1.6-litre, Ford Sigma-engined models - the Super 1600, 270, and 310 - would no longer be produced. The core Sevens, basically, making acquisition of a replacement engine a real priority. Now we know (or can make a very good guess, at least) at what that motor will be, because from next season the Caterham Academy cars - also Sigma-powered since 2008 - will use a new 1.3-litre four-cylinder turbo instead.
Specifically, it’ll be the HR13 engine, a unit made by Horse Technologies (the recently announced collab of Renault, Geely, and Aramco). The powertrain was introduced earlier this year, though surely can’t be dissimilar to the old HR13DDT seen in Meganes, A-Classes, and Qashqais, to be built in Brazil primarily for the South American market and with up to 163hp possible. For the Academy Caterhams, we’re told to expect around 130hp and 130lb ft, so not drastically different outputs to the old Sigma racers, though almost certainly with a different character thanks to the forced induction. A gearbox hasn’t been confirmed yet.
Caterham CEO Bob Laishley said: “The Caterham Academy has successfully introduced more than 1,400 rookie racing drivers to motorsport in the UK over the last 30 years. We’re very pleased to confirm our new partnership with Horse Technologies and look forward to working with their team on the introduction of this new turbo engine to our competitive rookie series from next season.” Aside from the engine swap, the Academy will remain the same (very appealing) proposition that it always has, guiding you through the first steps of motorsport with one of the world’s best driver’s cars thrown into the deal. A price hasn’t been confirmed for 2026 that we can see, though expect it to be in the range of this year’s £45k.
As for the future of Horse Technologies engines in Caterham road cars, it would seem like only a matter of time before a new line-up with the HR13 is announced. Not least because the Academy cars were always road legal anyway (and an absolute blast to take to and from races), so you’d have to assume that will continue with the new turbo and it complies with all the required regs over here. The fact it can produce more than 160hp potentially covers a more powerful model, while a related HR10 1.0-litre could take the place of the Suzuki triples should the time come. Let’s see. For now, what an exciting season of Academy 2026 looks set to be.
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