Caparo T1 |
The sight of this piece of machine is enough to cause ripples. The sound; well lets just not go there. It’s the world first car to exceed the 1000bhp per tonne. This is a result of it light weight of only 500kgs. This is one of the fastest accelerating cars in the world. 0km/h to 100km/h will be thrashed in less than 2.5 seconds flat.
Shaped like a formula one car |
What makes this creature so cool? Just look at it, it looks like a racing car prototype made to look like a formula one car. Its two engineers Ben Scott-Geddes and Graham Halstead made the crew which brought to life the McLaren F1 hence the formula one influence in the making of this car. The body is made of carbon fibre while it overall body design has been shaped to help it slice smoothly through air. This is further increased thanks to the twin front wings and the huge single rear wing. All this ensure that the Caparo does not accidentally take off in higher speeds.
Made of carbon fiber and magnesium |
It has a 116kg 3.5 litre V8 aluminium engine which coughs out a whooping 570 bhp. The engine can also cough out 700bhp if powered by methanol. Married to the engine is a light six speed sequential magnesium gearbox. The engine can take it to a top speed 330km/h. Depending on the tire set up one can reach 160km/h in juts 4.9 seconds flat. The fuel for the engine is stored light fuel tank that holds 70liters of fuel.
The suspension is made of carbon fibre and aluminium. It has anti-roll bars and adjustable race dumpers. The braking system consists of huge steel brake discs which are adjustable to provide the much needed braking force. It comes with huge 19 inch wheels that one can order with slick or wet tires.
Huge spoiler to aid in ‘down force’ |
The interior lacks any special or luxurious additions. This helps to keep it overall weight down. The seating arrangement combines front and rear seating arrangement. The driver seats in the front while the passenger placed closely to the front but it has been pushed slightly back to save space between the two seats. Both seats come with six-point harness and head protection. One can order the Caparo with a clear plastic roof to keep the occupants dry in a rainy season. It also comes with formula one designed steering wheel filled with buttons that help to control this amazing beast. The dashboard has sensors that feed the driver with the latest information about the traction control speed and fuel usage.
A road legal race car |
It had a difficult birth consisting of injuries to test drivers and television show hosts. In one incident during a press launch, components of the front suspension came off forcing the test driver to veer of the road. It’s an astonishing car do drive, but the fact that it might kill you makes it even an unbelievable experience to drive it.
Price for the Caparo start at £235,000 or approximately Kshs. 32,000,000 million exc. taxes