We all know about passenger cars and F1 racing cars. Passenger cars are normal cars we can use in our roads which used to travel. F1 racing cars are used only for F1 racing. There are big differences between F1 cars and passenger cars. F1 cars need special construction, tyres, tracks and training to use it. That’s why it’s impossible to drive an F1 car in our normal roads.

This seminar report discusses about a different type of car-Caparo T1. It is the first F1 passenger car that can be used in our roads. ie it is the combined version of F1 car and passenger car.

Caparo is a UK based steel engineering company. The owner of caparo group is Mr. Swaraj Paul who havw roots in India. For the car production, they started ‘caparo vehicle technologies’ in 2006.

Caparo T1 is the product of F1 car and passenger car. The body, performance, interior etc. of the car is similar to F1 cars. But it can carry two passengers and can run through normal roads. This makes it as a family car. This is one of the post modern car presently. We can’t include this car to any segment in passenger cars. Which means this is a new innovation and a new segment in passenger cars.

The Caparo T1 is a track day and road going 2 seater sports car using aerospace and high formula composite racing technologies whilst providing race bred safety. This extremely lightweight sports car is capable of true ‘aerodynamic’ high speed performance and delivers a new level of acceleration, cornering and braking to the driver at 3g+ via its 1000 bhp/ton performance specifications.

CHASSIS

The chassis of the T1 is composed of a carbon fibre and alluminium honeycomb monocoque with a front composite crash structure and a rear tubular space frame construction. The suspension is of a double wishbone design with tunable anti-roll bars, front and rear, and five-way adjustable race dampers. The braking system `is composed of 355-millimetre (14.0 in) steel brake discs, with six-piston and four-piston callipers front and rear, respectively. The brake bias pedal box is fully adjustable and brake pads are available in various compounds. 

ENGINE

The T1 is mid engine car and it sports a 116-kilogram (260 lb), 32-valve, 3,496-cubic-centimetre (3.5 L), all-alluminium, naturally aspirated, Menard V8 engine with cylinder banks mounted at 90° and lubricated via a dry sump oil system. The cylinders have 93mm bore and 64.3mm stroke. Finger follower valve system is used and valves are light weighted titanium valves. Steel billet ‘flat plane’ crankshaft is used. Internal cooling system provided in pistons. Twin spray fuel injectors give fuel supply to the cylinders. The engine has gone through several designs, previously including a smaller 2.4-litresupercharged unit. The production design generates a maximum power of 575 horsepower (429 kW; 583 PS) at 10,500 revolutions per minute and a maximum torque 420 N·m at 9,000 revolutions per minute, giving the car a power-to-weight ratio of 1,223 horsepower per ton which twice more than Bugatti veyron. The engine is with around 800 moving parts.

GEARBOX

Caparo T1 contains a 6 speed sequential gearbox. The gear control is done by paddle shift provided behind the steering wheel. Limited slip differential is used. The drive shafts are equal length hollow tripod type.

BRAKES

In the brake section, 355mmdiametersteel race full floating discs are used in front and rear. 6 pot billet machined race calipers used in front and 4 pot billet machined race calipers used in rear. Fully adjustable brake bias pedal box is provided.

WINGS

The wings use the same principle as those found on common aircraft, although while the air craft wings are designed to produce lift, wings on T1 are placed ‘upside down’, producing down force, pushing the car on to the road. The basic way that an aircraft wing works is by having the upper surface a different shape to the lower. This difference causes the air to flow quicker over the top surface than the bottom, causing a difference in air pressure between the two surfaces. The air on the upper surface will be at a lower pressure than the air belong the wing, resulting in a force pushing the wings upward. This force is called lift. In this car, the wing is shaped so the low pressure area is under the wing, causing a force to push the wing downwards. This is called down force.

DIFFUSER

The diffuser is the most important area of aerodynamic consideration. This is the underside of the car behind the rear axle line. Here, the floor sweeps up towards the rear of the car, creating a larger area of the air flowing under the car to fill. This creates a suction effect on the rear of the car and so pulls the car down onto the road.

SUSPENSION

• Tunable front and rear anti-roll bar

• Five way adjustable race dampers

TYRES

• 250/640 R18 in front

• 290/680 R18 in rear

AERODYNAMICS

• Front cockpit aero screen

• Ground effect diffuser

• Adjustable front twin element wing

• Adjustable rear single element wing

• Low drag body design

• Range of wing options for road and track

ELECTRONICS

• Fully tunable engine ECU

• Speed sensors for traction and launch control

• Multi-function race dash including data logging

SAFETY

• Central safety cell with high strength steel roll hoop

• Composite front crash structure

• Head protection system

• Fire system

EQUIPMENTS

• Road and track parts fully inter changeable

• Wet weather canopy/bib screen or race screen