| The
Caparo T1 - possibly the world's quickest 2-seater road and track
car with a performance equal to an A1 GP racecar - will join a
showcase of exotic vehicles in a special 'SuperCar Paddock' feature
area at the British International Motor Show. "This
will be the first opportunity for half a million visitors to
see close-up the next generation of supercar developed using
Britain's world renowned expertise in the design and manufacturer
of high performance vehicles," said Caparo Group chief
executive Angad Paul. "The car's inspiration comes from
Ben Scott-Geddes and Graham Halstead - two ex-McLaren engineers
who worked previously on the McLaren F1, Mercedes SLR and Formula
One projects and who now work, I'm pleased to say, for the Caparo
group."
Commenting
on Caparo's choice of London to premiere one of Britain's most
exciting supercars since the McLaren F1, Christopher Macgowan,
chief executive of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders,
which owns the show, said: "It's logical that Britain's
largest single-owner business should chose the British International
Motor Show to premiere to a mass audience its first-ever car;
and we're absolutely delighted that this latest example of British
automotive technology will join our supercar paddock."
Commenting
on Caparo's intention to commoditise advanced composite materials
for high volume vehicle manufacture while maintaining a strong
UK component manufacturing base Macgowan added: "Not only
does this show real technical prowess and solid commitment but
it's also a rational business decision given the UK hosts more
volume car makers than any other country in Europe. In addition,
the Caparo T1 provides further evidence of the UK working hard
to deliver more sustainable motoring by using its advanced motorsport
and aerospace technology to help car makers develop new models
fit for the 21st century."
"The
Caparo T1 is a showcase of our design, development and manufacturing
capabilities and it is a demonstration of our technical ability
to design a whole car," said Caparo Vehicle Products chief
executive Richard Butler. "It may seem paradoxical given
its astonishing performance, but the Caparo T1 also has the
serious purpose of helping car makers apply racecar technology
to everyday vehicles thereby making them lighter and more fuel
efficient and hence less harmful to the environment."
Caparo
generated £725m of income last year and has put its considerable
financial muscle behind the high profile Caparo T1 project to
help spearhead its ambition to become a leading Tier 1 supplier
particularly in advanced composite materials, which will help
carmakers reduce vehicle mass and in turn fuel consumption and
CO2 emissions.
The
ultra lightweight Caparo T1 has been developed using aerospace
and high formula racing technology. The car's efficient and
compact 2.4-litre V8 engine develops almost 500bhp in a vehicle
weighing less than 500kg. The result is a significant technical
breakthrough; being the world's first ever road and track car
to produce 1,000bhp-per-tonne which defines an entirely new
breed of exotic - and far from ordinary - supercar that is lighter
than a Caterham but with twice the power-to-weight ratio of
a Bugatti Veyron. In turn, this endows the car with an extraordinary
0-100-0mph time of 8.5 seconds, which is directly comparable
to an A1 GP race car. |