The first pictures of a 2012 car have emerged today thanks to Caterham
Here is the first official image of the new Caterham CT-01, issued by the team in response to ‘unofficial’ pictures appearing on the web today.
The car was due to be unveiled in F1 Racing magazine, which is supposed to be available tomorrow, but some readers received their copies today and have been busy posting the images.
All designers have had to respond to the new rule which calls for a lower nose, and the Caterham is the first to demonstrate the unusual ‘stepped’ look, with bulges where the suspension meets the chassis followed by a drop to the rest of the nose – although the effect is not entirely clear from this side angle.
Adam Cooper F1 
Exhaust exit seems lower than I expected.
They did it again! I thought it to be impossible to make the cars uglier than in 09 but the regs have managed to find a way. I really think its going to be harder to watch F1 when I dont find the machinery attractive.
Perhaps its the photo but it looks longer than last years, it would be interesting to see a scaled side by side of the two. That is an ugly bump, but if we can get used to snowplow sized front wings we can get used to that. I like the livery, but was a little surprised that Caterham is sticking with an homage to Lotus.
It looks as if @scarbsf1 had a good source in regards to a “traditional” airbox/rollhoop arrangement.
Also, for what it’s worth, I found the winglets sprouting out of the top of the nose, or the connections between the front wing cascades a la 2007/08 harder on the eyes than these humps on top of the chassis (which should be gone next year, if I remember correctly).