Jason Plato, SEAT Sport UK's Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship driver, was testing the Caparo T1 for the Channel 5 Fifth Gear programme. The car burst into flames at an estimated 150mph. Plato managed to come out suffering only minor burns to both hands, his face and the back of the neck.

Jason Plato said:

"We were testing the Caparo T1 for Fifth Gear, and we took it to Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, a private testing facility, which is common practice. There was a slight loss of power, I looked in the mirror and saw some smoke, there was a slight smell of oil and then suddenly there was this intense heat."

"The car spontaneously erupted into a ball of flame and I was sat in the middle of a fireball. I hit the brakes, brought the car to a stop as quickly as I could and jumped out."


Jason Plato was taken by private car to the nearest accident and emergency facility at the Market Harborough and District Hospital whee he received the initial treatment. From there  he was transfered to Kettering General Hospital and then to the Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where he received treatment in the specialist burns unit.