In Germany, Capricorn is a name primarily associated with a designer and vendor of high-end components for Formula 1 and endurance race cars. With the 01 Zagato, the company enters a new market: supercars that can be driven on the street. Only 19 will be made and offered from an eye-watering €3,000,000.
The coupe features an all-carbon body and a monocoque cabin made from the same lightweight material. It rides on subframe-mounted dual-wishbone suspension with Bilstein shocks and takes advantage of high-end Brembo brakes. 21-inch wheels can be ordered in alloy or carbon-fiber form.
A 5.2-liter Ford V8 sends 900 PS (888 hp / 662 kW) and 1,127 Nm (831 lb-ft) of torque to the wheels. The transmission is five-speed manual and comes from Cima, the same company that supplies Koenigsegg and Pagani with performance parts. With a curb weight of 1,227 kilos (2,705 lbs), it can attain 350 km/h (217 mph).
As the name implies, the exterior design was handled by Zagato. The famous Italian coachbuilder deliberately said “no” to drag-increasing parts like a rear wing or side canards, opting for a sleek and low-drag body shape that generates enough downforce on its own. Based on the earlier teasers, the doors are top-hinged and swing up like a gull’s wings.
The interior is delightfully retro with no touchscreens anywhere in sight, but plenty of mechanical controls and switches. The dash gauges are analog as well and exude a retro charm of their own. All seats are fixed in their positions, but you can adjust the positions of the steering wheel, the pedals and even the gear lever: it can be moved forward or backwards by up to 75 mm (3 inches).
To maximize the “analog driving experience”, as Capricorn puts it, the 01 Zagato comes with smart electronic assists and a power steering mechanism that only ever engages at the lowest speeds, helping with parking and not interfering the rest of the time.
The production quantity references the year Zagato was founded, 1919. The automaker claims it has plans for more road-worthy supercars down the line, and should meet the demand just fine with a maximum production capacity of 200 exclusive vehicles per year.
