
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Caparo T1.
The British engineering team at Caparo has quickly made a name for itself by diversifying its production and design expertise with the absolutely insane T1 supercar, while simultaneously landing the contract to supply body structures for the equally revolutionary, if far less expensive, Tata Nano. Caparo is looking to expand its line of products to include two new models that also span the spectrum from high-strung super coupe to a compact, lightweight city car.
Currently, Caparo has sold 20 T1s and has taken in around £4 million, which will aid in the development of both vehicles. The new high-performance model will be a more useable version of the T1, but Caparo's chief exec, Angad Paul, remained mum on the details. The other model will make use of innovative materials and packaging, and is likely aimed at smart's fortwo and other small, urban runabouts. The major push by Caparo is to make composite body panels less expensive in an effort to reduce weight and increase efficiency. "The carbon fiber route is not just for expensive cars," Paul maintains, "We are thinking of the Fiat Punto class."
[Source: Autocar]

The recent spate of negative press hampering the Caparo T1 hasn't stopped the makers of the clichéd "road-going racecar" from releasing a host of details outlining the finer points of the T1's safety systems.

Jason Plato, BTCC champion and Fifth Gear presenter, found himself in the midst of a Caparo T1 barbeque while testing the new supercar at the Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in Leicestershire. According to Plato, he noticed a loss of power while traveling upwards of 150 MPH. He checked the outside mirror, saw smoke and then felt a rush of intense heat. The T1 "spontaneously erupted into a ball of flame," said Plato, who immediately stopped the Caparo and jumped out after sustaining burns to his neck, face and hands.















