Caterham vs Lotus:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Lotus had more branded searches than Caterham among car brands worldwide. Lotus had about 246,000 branded searches, while Caterham had 165,000. Lotus made up 0.13% of all car brand searches we track, and Caterham accounted for 0.09%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about car brands, Lotus appeared in one of the five answers and Caterham in none.
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Top car brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Lotus was mentioned in one out of five: not in any of the three ChatGPT answers, but in one of the two Google AI Overviews. Caterham did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
Honda5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Toyota5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
Hyundai4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Mazda4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Tesla3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
BMW2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Kia2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Porsche2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Lotus1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
Caterham0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about car brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which car brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best car brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best car brand for an everyday car?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“car brands”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“reliable car brand”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Caterham or Lotus more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Caterham and Lotus by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all 85 car brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Lotus, Caterham. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Honda | Toyota | BMW | Tesla | Volkswagen | Mercedes-Benz | BYD | Hyundai | Kia | Porsche | Audi | Ford | Lamborghini | Ferrari | Mazda | Lotus | Caterham |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 5.7% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 5% | 3% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 3% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2% | 1.6% | 0.15% | 0.07% |
| Nov 2025 | 5.8% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 3.9% | 4.7% | 5.3% | 3.2% | 3.9% | 2.1% | 3.2% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.13% | 0.06% |
| Dec 2025 | 6% | 5.9% | 4.9% | 4% | 4.9% | 5.4% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 3.3% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.13% | 0.06% |
| Jan 2026 | 5.8% | 6.5% | 5.3% | 3.6% | 4.4% | 4.9% | 3.6% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 2.4% | 2% | 1.6% | 2% | 0.12% | 0.06% |
| Feb 2026 | 6.2% | 6.1% | 5% | 4.1% | 5% | 4.6% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.11% | 0.06% |
| Mar 2026 | 5.9% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 5% | 3.7% | 3.7% | 2.5% | 3% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2% | 1.6% | 1.6% | 0.12% | 0.07% |
| Apr 2026 | 6.1% | 5.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 5.2% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.5% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 0.15% | 0.07% |
| May 2026 | 6.2% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 3.8% | 4.7% | 5.2% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 2.6% | 3.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1.7% | 0.19% | 0.07% |
| Jun 2026 | 6.3% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 4.7% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 0.17% | 0.08% |
| Jul 2026 | 6.3% | 6.2% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 5.1% | 4.7% | 3.4% | 3.4% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 0.14% | 0.08% |
| Aug 2026 | 6.1% | 5.9% | 4.9% | 4% | 4.9% | 4.5% | 3.3% | 3.3% | 2.7% | 2.7% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.16% | 0.09% |
| Sep 2026 | 5.9% | 5.9% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.8% | 4.4% | 3.9% | 3.2% | 2.6% | 2.6% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 0.13% | 0.09% |
How has the Caterham and Lotus comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Lotus was ahead of Caterham in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Caterham’s share of searches among car brands worldwide moved from 0.07% to 0.09%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 135K to 165K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Lotus’ share of searches among car brands worldwide moved from 0.15% to 0.13%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 301K to 246K.
How did search popularity change for car brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes

In September 2026, Caterham fell from 79th to 81st among car brands worldwide.

In September 2026, Lotus fell from 77th to 78th among car brands worldwide.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Caterham’s and Lotus’ names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
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