Caparo T1 engine

The Caparo T1 engine is a high-performance automobile engine originally developed by Tom Walkinshaw Racing (TWR), and later produced by Menard Competition Technologies (MCT). It was used in the Caparo T1 sports car from 2006 to 2015. The engine is derived from the Nissan VRH35ADE IndyCar engine.

Originally called the Freestream T1, the Caparo T1 roadcar was intended to be powered by a supercharged 2.4-litre V8 that produced 480 bhp (358 kW).

After the project was taken over by Caparo, that engine was abandoned in favour of a naturally-aspirated, 32-valve, 3,494 cc (213.2 cu in) V-8, with cylinder banks at 90°, and a dry-sump oil system. It weighs 116 kg (256 lb). The engine's block and cylinder heads are made of aluminium alloy, and its cylinder liners are of Nikasil-coated aluminium. The crankshaft is machined from steel billet, and is a flat-plane design. The injection system is sequential, with two injectors per cylinder. Each cylinder also has its own throttle butterfly. Actuation of the titanium valves is by finger-follower. The MCT V8 is managed by a fully tunable Pectel SQ6 engine control unit, and uses a throttle-by-wire system.

The production engine generates a maximum power of 575 hp (429 kW; 583 PS) at 10,500 rpm and a maximum torque of 310 lb⋅ft (420 N⋅m) at 9,000 rpm, giving the car a power-to-weight ratio of 1,223 horsepower per tonne (912.8 kW/t). An engine converted to methanol fuel is reported to have produced 700 hp (522 kW; 710 PS).

In 2009, Caparo announced a high-performance version of the T1 called the Race Extreme, which seemed to retain the 3.5-litre engine base, but which was tuned to produce 625 bhp (466 kW). An even higher output version of the car announced in 2014 was called the Caparo T1 Evolution, with an engine with a claimed output of 700 bhp (522 kW). It is unclear what model engine this version is based on.

• Caparo T1