The Capricorn 01 Is An 888bhp+, Manual Zagato-Styled Hypercar

We recently heard that Zagato, one of the more eminently strange Italian styling houses, was working with a German company you’ve never heard of called Capricorn to style a fully-fledged hypercar for the first time. Well, here’s that car, the gullwing-doored Capricorn 01 Zagato.

At its heart is a 5.2-litre Ford V8, complete with a supercharger and bespoke dry-sump system, rotating assembly (all the actually spinny round bits within the engine), intake, cooling system and exhaust. The result is a 9000rpm rev limit, ‘over’ 888bhp and 738lb ft of torque. Some of those figures almost seem a little tame when we’re conditioned to anything with a ‘hypercar’ label coming with a four-figure output these days.

But then we learn that Capricorn, a company with a long history of producing carbon fibre components for motorsport, has applied that considerable expertise to develop a carbon monocoque, subframes and body panels for the 01, and as a result, the dry weight is under 1200kg.

That means it’ll hit 62mph in 2.9 seconds and tops out at a quoted 224mph. All the power’s sent through a manual, too – rather surprisingly, an old-school five-speed box with a dogleg pattern. This, says Capricorn CEO Robertino Wild, “is a decision that deliberately prioritises driver engagement and passion over the need for more gears.”

Underneath, there’s all the good stuff you suspect from any self-respecting hypercar – all-round double-wishbone pushrod suspension, adjustable Bilstein dampers with three stiffness settings, carbon ceramic Brembo brakes with six-pot callipers and bespoke 21-inch wheels, available in either lightweight alloy or carbon. It’s even got some ground effect going on, allowing it to generate downforce without any big, ugly wings. Steering is handled by a bespoke electric power-assistance system that can shut itself off at higher speeds for maximum feel.

What do we make of the styling? We’re seeing hints of everything from a second-gen Ford GT to Rimac Nevera, and also, weirdly, some DNA of the VM180, Zagato’s oddball rebodied third-gen Toyota MR2. It’s clearly its own thing, though, and we’re powerless to resist anything that has exhaust pipes that exit straight out of the rear deck, a la Porsche 918. And of course, no Zagato design would be complete without a double bubble roof.

Inside, there’s lots of the minimalism and driver focus makers of these low-volume hypercars often like to shout about, which generally means very few screens (just one hidden away that makes itself known to display the backup camera feed) and analogue dials. In the 01, the bulk of the cabin structure is carbon fibre, with milled titanium and aluminium switchgear and all the important bits trimmed in lovely-looking Connolly leather. The steering column and pedal box are adjustable, and so, unusually, is the position of the gearknob – which, by the way, is a nice clicky-clacky open-gate arrangement.

Want one? There are still some allocations open (price on application, naturally), but Capricorn is only building 19, so you’d better be quick. However, the company says it won’t be the last road car we see with its badges. “This project is not a one-off; it is the beginning of a new lineage of Capricorn-branded high-end cars,” says Wild. Watch this space, then.