Remember the days when the Caparo T1 was in the news just about every day? And not for good reasons either. This was a machine that caught fire and burned a presenter from Fifth Gear and then gave Jeremy Clarkson all sorts of fits when he attempted to test it. Well, it was EVO magazine’s turn and everything seemed to go fairly well as they took the T1 around the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
The British car magazine was given a once in a lifetime chance to be able to take out this amazing machine. It might not seem fast when there is little traffic present, but just watch how quickly it blows by the other drivers in their brilliantly fast machines. It really makes you wonder what it’s like to drive such a wonderful piece of automotive engineering.
Also, be sure to check out the Jaguar XFR’s drift midway through the video, as it must have had the EVO’s Phil Bennett making a mess of his pants.
If you wanted just one car to drive on the road that can closely simulate the feeling of being behind the wheel of a Formula One car, you can’t get any better than the Caparo’s own T1.
And while most of us would probably not even get a sniff of this machine, the folks over at EVO are about the luckiest bastards in the world. Not only were they given a chance to run aroud the track with the T1, but they were also given free reign to take superduper road racer out on the streets.
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to think of what the EVO boys felt while blasting the road-legal Formula One race car along a country road.
The Caparo T1 is a road legal Formula 1 car, designed by the same engineers that built the legendary McLaren F1. The T1 offers the experience of an open wheel racecar with the ability to carry two occupants. The UK based company has just released an even more potent version, the Caparo T1 Race Extreme; the greatest track toy in the world.
The vehicle is powered by an all aluminum dry sump V8 (very racy) that produces 620 HP at 10,500 RPM and is shifted with a six speed sequential transmission. The vehicle’s lightweight F1 inspired monocoque weighs in at only 550 Kg, this gives the T1 outstanding acceleration and handling. The vehicle can sprint to 60 MPH (100 km/h) in only 2.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 208 MPH (334 km/h) and will pull 3.5 G’s while cornering.
Combined with the endless amount of adjustability in the ECU and the suspension, the Caparo T1 Race Extreme owners will never get bored of their newest big boy toy.
If you own a Caparo T1 or you intend to buy on in the near future, Caparo is now offering you a new climate pack priced at £21,760 (or $31630 at the current rates).
The climate pack includes: a plexiglass canopy and air conditioning. The canopy, made from a toughened acrylic used in armored windshields and helicopters, slides forward over the nose of the vehicle.
For an extra £3,750 ($5450) you can also get air conditioning.
Caparo will make its first ever appearance at the 24 hours of Le Mans this year, after signing a partnering agreement with the Barazi Epsilon team. The team will be competing in the LMP2 category and will provide Caparo with the opportunity to develop lightweight structures and components in a competitive motorsport environment.
“The 24 hours of Le Mans is one of the most challenging races in the motorsport calendar and we are delighted to be involved with the Barazi Epsilon team,” says Angad Paul, chief executive officer, Caparo. “We intend to use this year’s events to gain valuable experience of sportscar racing and understand how we can apply our various technologies across the Caparo Vehicle Products companies.”
Caparo’s automotive expertise covers many areas where it is applying innovative design and manufacturing techniques to help vehicle manufacturers reduce lead times. In addition the company is increasingly focused on weight reduction, one of the key strategies for fuel economy and emissions improvement. “The design of lightweight components for motorsport applications provides substantial benefits for teams,” continues Paul.
