Caparo T1 at the 2006 British International Motor Show

Caparo Vehicle Technologies (CVT), formerly known as Freestream.

Is a British company that provides advanced technology development, materials engineering, and design services to automotive, motorsport and aerospace markets. The company was founded under the name Freestream by Graham Halstead and Ben Scott-Geddes, former engineers that worked on the McLaren F1 project. In April 2006, under the guidance and lead from financier, Sean Butcher the company was acquired by Caparo, and renamed Caparo Vehicle Technologies. Caparo Vehicle Technologies produces a sports car called the T1.

The Caparo T1 was born from a pure engineering base with no compromises and delivered by a team that played a significant role in the design and development of some of the worlds fastest and most prestigious vehicles.

Their skills lay in producing literally the worlds best sports, road and racing cars and applying revolutionary design techniques and innovations to the T1, to create the ultimate track day experience.

“Everything pointed to a demand for a new kind of supercar –  something that was light, agile, quick and could stand the pace.” Ben Scott-Geddes

Today, the Caparo T1 still lives up to its racing pedigree by focusing on:

• 100% pure cutting-edge British engineering
• Superior power to weight ratio
• Distrinctive Formula 1 derived looks
• State-of-the-art technology
• One-of-its-kind driving experience

The Caparo T1 ground-breaking performance is due in equal measure to its design and its incredible power to weight ratio.

It’s achieved by an ultra lightweight carbon and aluminium honeycomb monocoque, extensive use of carbon fibre for structural components, and the highest spec race equipment, making the all-up dry weight only 550kg.

The other half of the equation is the engine. A normally aspirated 3.5l Menard V8, remapped for an optimum power curve for the Caparo T1 and limited to 10,500rpm, generates 575bhp. The Caparo T1’s power-to-weight ratio is over 1,000bhp per tonne. To put into this perspective, the Bugatti Veyron delivers 626bhp per tonne and the McLaren F1 550bhp per tonne. The Audi R10 that won Le Mans developed 695bhp per tonne.

That’s a big difference on paper. An even bigger difference in practice where the Caparo T1’s power pushes it to 60 mph in under 2.5 seconds, from 0 – 100 in 5 seconds, a top speed in excess of 200 mph with an agility that makes it the quickest thing point to point ever to wear a number plate.