 "Our
powertrain is comparable to an
F1 car so we should give a
good account of ourselves on
the hill climb," said Graham
Halstead engineering director
Caparo Vehicle Technologies.
"For reliability we restrict
the rev limit of our 2.4-litre
V8 engine to less than that of
an F1 car, but have the
benefit of it being
supercharged which improves
low end torque and
driveability."
"A
lot depends on tyre
specification and mechanical
grip; and whether the track is
wet or dry," added design
director and company
co-founder Ben Scott-Geddes.
"An English summer is
notoriously unpredictable and
Goodwood has suffered its
share of torrential downpours
as well as blisteringly hot
weekends. Ultimately, track
times come down to
power-to-weight ratio and
sheer dynamic performance."
 More
than 150,000 visitors are
anticipated throughout the
Goodwood motorsport weekend to
see the Caparo T1 close-up,
including many celebrities and
VIPs from the world of
motorsport. More than 300
journalists, 200 press
photographers, 20 TV channels
and 9 radio stations will
cover the event worldwide. To
accommodate the high level of
media interest in the car the
company will participate with
its senior management team
comprising Angad Paul, chief
executive Caparo plc, Richard
Butler, chief executive Caparo
Vehicle Products, together
with design director Ben
Scott-Geddes, engineering
director Graham Halstead and
commercial director Sean
Butcher, from Caparo Vehicle
Technologies.
"For
the automotive enthusiast the
Caparo T1 is bound to impress
in the most dramatic way
possible," said Angad Paul,
"but it's also a technical
demonstrator for us to reveal
new and advanced technology to
carmakers and their Tier 1
suppliers. The same approach
to aerodynamics, choice of
materials and efficient
design, which has allowed us
to develop the Caparo T1, can
be applied in equal measure to
create safe, affordable,
fuel-efficient and lightweight
family cars."
Caparo
announced the T1 project
earlier this year, defining an
entirely new breed of road and
trac k
supercar that is lighter than
a Caterham but with twice the
power-to-weight ratio of a
Bugatti Veyron. The
eye-catching Caparo T1 was
created to demonstrate the
company's technical know-how
and competence in whole
vehicle design. Running
prototypes are now under
construction for a 2006 test
programme to confirm the
vehicle's robustness and
reliability before it goes on
sale.
Arguably the world's
most exciting car project
since the McLaren F1, the
spiritual successor to the
iconic F1 supercar is a pure
and undiluted high performance
two-seater designed to give
customers an affordable season
on the track without major
rebuilds or the King's ransom
costs of running an ex-Formula
One car for the same
experience. With deposits
already being taken, the hand
built car has been tentatively
priced at £165,000 and is
expected to be available to
the first customers later this
year.
"Goodwood's
celebration of a centenary of
Grand Prix racing provides an
ideal backdrop to showcase a
car that will be the first to
offer a driving experience
close to the performance of a
modern Formula One car," said
Sean Butcher commercial
director Caparo Vehicle
Technologies.
The
appearance of the Caparo T1
complements a spectacular
line-up at Goodwood of Grand
Prix cars from the past 100
years, including the Renault
AK 90CV that won the first GP
in 1906 right through to last
season's championship winner.
 A century of
technological advances have
led to a tenfold increase in
the power-to-weight ratio of
modern F1 cars compared with
the first generation of Grand
Prix cars. The old GP cars
developed around 105bhp in
structures weighing not more
than 1,000kg, the maximum
permitted by the regulations
of the day, compared with
around 800bhp raced at 600kg
for a modern F1 car.
By comparison the
Caparo T1 is a mere
featherweight delivering
almost 500bhp with a vehicle
mass of less than 500kg –
lighter even than a fully
ballasted F1 car in race
condition. Both have V8
engines of 2.4 litres capacity
the main difference being the
restriction of the Caparo
engine to 10,500rpm in the
interests of reliability
compared with around 20,000rpm
from an F1 engine.
The
Caparo T1 will be displayed
throughout the Goodwood
Festival of Speed weekend,
which is proclaimed as the
world's biggest celebration of
motorsport history. The show
runs from Friday 7 July to
Sunday 9 July.
|
The
brainchild of ex-McLaren
engineers, the Caparo T1 has
the pedigree and
qualifications necessary for a
serious attempt up the famous
1-mile hill - but not before
completing a rigorous 2006
test programme. Meanwhile, the
first pre-production model,
built purely as a show car,
will tease the crowds as a
static exhibit sitting
menacingly in the supercar
paddock throughout the weekend
as it weighs up the
opposition.
