Caparo T1, 2006

Caparo T1, 2006

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.

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."

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.