Introduction
Caparo T1 Press Launch on the 7th June 2007
The Caparo looks impressive on paper and even better in the metal (or should I say carbon fibre) 1,045 bhp per tonne. So much downforce you should be able to drive it upside down.
Angad Paul has moulded a team of ex McLaren boys to design what can only be descibed as an F1 car for the road, ok mainly for the track as I feel only the brave could live with this as a road going car.
The T1 show cases Caparo Group abilities in offering component design, engineering, manufacturing capabilities along with advanced automotive solutions under one roof.
Running on a 3.5 litre normally aspirated dry sump V8 the T1 breaks the 1,000 bhp per tonne barrier and produces 575bhp (425kw) @ 10,500 rpm and with a potential of 700 bhp running on methanol. Come on Shell ditch V-Max lets see meths on pump.
The secret to this car is the aerodynamics and weight, or lack of it at 550kg. Just to put it into context the KTM X-Bow weights in at a porky 700kg whilst the Lotus 2-Eleven tips in at 745kg
As Angad described ' there's nothing like a simple crisp white shirt..' and this is so with the T1. No fancy engine, no in vogue carbon fibre brakes, no trendy dsg or F1 style gearbox just purity of parts that work in harmony.
Will it sell and does it need to be a success at £190,000 + taxes. Caparo say they've taken the 1st years orders so I would guess maybe 20-25 cars have been sold. Unless a single make race series come into play I think they may struggle to manufacture more than 100 units. But the car is a success as it's taken only 12 months from design to manufacture and it show cases Caparo's bigger picture.
Hat's off to Angad Paul, Ben Scott-Geddes and Graham Halstead when the Bugatti Veyron came out the question was where do we go from here, the supercar is dead.
Long live the supercar
