| First Drive | Norfolk, England | Caparo T1 |

It's difficult to approach a car like the Caparo T1 without the bare numbers in mind. It has a power-to-weight ratio in excess of 1,000bhp per tonne. Compare that to a few other rather fast cars: Bugatti Veyron: 520bhp per tonne; McLaren F1: 550bhp per tonne; 2006 Audi R10 Le Mans winner: 695bhp per tonne. Beginning to get the picture? Caparo describes its creation as the 'fastest accelerating road car on the planet', yet straight line speed is only part of the equation. We've driven the latest development on the road.

In the Metal

Few know what this car is, but you don't need to be a car nut to realise it's something special. The front wing and nosecone are reminiscent of those on a single-seat racer, as is the heavily vented rear body work. The rear wing is huge too, and its uprights neatly house LED lights. Tellingly, much of the aerodynamic add-ons are adjustable - including the front wing elements, rear wing and 'fowler flaps'.

As you'd expect, the interior of the Caparo is best described as functional, though the contrasting stitch leather covering is a nice touch. There's room for a passenger to the left (and slightly behind) the driver, though that seat is quite snug. The positions of the pedal box and steering wheel are tailored to the buyer as the seats are moulded as part of the carbon tub. Once you're strapped in by the harness it's difficult to see what's happening behind you, but the extremities of the front of the car are visible.

What you get for your Money

When you look at the level of engineering and the exotic material and component mix gone into the Caparo, the £208,400 starting price ('plus local taxes') looks like a bit of a bargain. That's for a track-ready version called the T1 Track Day. The next step up is to the T1 Race Extreme, at £238,700, which boasts a blueprinted 620bhp version of the engine.

There are two road legal options: the T1 Road and the T1 Road Extreme. The latter adds ceramic brake discs and a few other bits and pieces. Choice options include a canopy for wet weather use at about £22,000 and air conditioning (£3,750). Every car is built to the buyer's specification and there's a long list of tempting options.

Driving it

On the face of it, there's not a lot to learn about driving the Caparo. The pedals are where you expect them to be (though the clutch isn't needed once on the move) and the tiny steering wheel hides a pair of carbon fibre gearchange paddles. This is no video game though; the T1 takes a little getting used to. That's especially true of slow-speed manoeuvring, where the large turning circle makes things tricky.

Thankfully, once on the move, the Caparo is relatively easy to drive. And it's impossible to drive it slowly. Pull back on the right hand paddle to slot first (there's a read-out at the top of the steering wheel, but you feel the gear clunk into place), ease the clutch out and squeeze the throttle and you're away - with some practice. The T1 will do over 80mph in first gear though...

Once the coolant temperature exceeds 70 degrees C we can do what we want. Short-shifting up to second feels more natural than extending the engine in first gear, but there's seemingly no dead spot in the delivery. Despite the high-revving nature of the 3.5-litre V8, and that its 575bhp is produced at about 10,000rpm, it's remarkably tractable at relatively low revs. By 4,000rpm the car is already accelerating hard enough to widen your eyes, hit 6,000rpm and you know there's nothing else on the road this quick and then you realise that there's another 4,000rpm or so to play with before you need to go up a gear.

The up-shifts are more or less seamless, signified only by a change in the engine note. Occasionally it sounds like a beefy V8, but most of the time it's howling manically and sounds like nothing else. Down-changes feature an automatic throttle blip, but it's sometimes smoother to add your own too.

We didn't test the full capability of the Caparo on track, where its significant levels of downforce are sure to make it formidable. Instead we took to narrow country roads, where you wouldn't expect the T1 to excel. The first thing that strikes you is how well it rides. The wide rubber follows every little camber though, so you're busy at the wheel. There's a very direct connection between it and the front wheels so you know what's going on down at road level. The brakes are immense, hauling the car down from speed in an almost violent manner.

It doesn't take long to grow in confidence. There are masses of grip front and rear and the traction control is variable to your liking. The engine easily overcomes the grip, though the rear end moves in a benign manner as you exit a corner. We weren't exactly power sliding around, but that distinctly rear-wheel drive feel is present and correct and there's no fear in using the full performance, even in less than perfect conditions on a bumpy B-road.

Worth Noting

Those of us that couldn't possibly consider buying a car worth quarter of a million pounds may not fully appreciate why it costs so much. The extensive use of carbon fibre, along with highly expensive bespoke components, means that Caparo will never turn a profit from the T1 project. Its development alone cost in the region of £9 million. When you realise that items like the optional canopy are 'optically perfect' and made by the same people that do the Euro Fighter's it begins to make sense. This car really has been built with few compromises. A project of its type may not be seen again for some time.

Summary

It's easy to define a car like the Caparo T1 by its headline grabbing figures. They only tell half the story though. This is one of the most exhilarating cars ever made. To drive it to a fraction of its ability is to experience something truly special. To own one and have years to learn it in depth must be incredibly rewarding. It's a bit of a cliché to say it's as close to a Formula One car as there is for the road, but we reckon it's even better than that.