Capricorn 01 Zagato Debuts as Limited-Edition Hypercar - AllCarIndex

Capricorn Group presented the first limited-edition hypercar to carry the company’s name. Featuring a body designed by Zagato, the capricorn 01 Zagato was a mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive, manual transmission hypercar, engineered and handbuilt by capricorn in Germany to deliver a pure, immersive, analog driving experience.

Lightweight Engineering and Performance

The capricorn 01 Zagato prioritized true lightweight technology and purity of driving over excessive horsepower. It featured a 5.2-liter supercharged V8 engine producing more than 900 PS (subject to final homologation results) and 1,000 Nm of torque. Built around a full LMP1-type carbon fiber structure and carbon fiber body, the car weighed less than 1,200 kg, ensuring an excellent power-to-weight ratio, exceptional agility, and a 0–100 km/h acceleration time of less than three seconds.

Collaboration Between Capricorn and Zagato

The capricorn 01 Zagato represented the culmination of a belief shared by capricorn Founder and CEO Robertino Wild and Zagato President Andrea Michele Zagato as to what a true driver’s car should stand for. The two men enjoyed a longstanding business relationship and a deep personal friendship, giving the project a special character and providing a strong foundation to combine German engineering discipline with Italian design flair.

Production of the capricorn 01 Zagato was strictly limited to nineteen coupes as a tribute to Zagato’s founding year, 19th April 1919. This number held particular significance for the design house and served as a nod to its history of creating highly sought-after, ultra-limited, collectible hypercars. The entire series was offered exclusively through premium and luxury automotive retailer Louyet Group.

Capricorn’s Motorsport Heritage

With a heritage dating back to 1933, capricorn was a global leader in five key technologies focused on lightweight construction: composites, forging, machining, casting, and additive manufacturing. The company had proven its competency at the highest levels of world motorsport, supplying bespoke components for Formula 1, LMP1, World Endurance Championship (WEC), World Rally Championship (WRC), and other categories.

Publicly known collaborations included work with Lotus and Caterham in Formula 1, Peugeot Sport in Le Mans, Porsche’s LMP1 program, Volkswagen Motorsport in WRC, and Peugeot Sport on the Dakar Rally.

Statements from Capricorn and Zagato

Robertino Wild explained: “The capricorn 01 Zagato represents the culmination of everything we have learnt from decades of pioneering ultra-lightweight materials, technologies and construction techniques. This car is a showcase of capricorn’s comprehensive capabilities. It demonstrates precisely what capricorn can do when it combines all of its different technologies and skills to engineer, develop, and build an entire car.”

Andrea Michele Zagato added: “Over the past century, we have had the honor of partnering with many iconic car brands such as Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lancia, Maserati, Porsche, and more than forty others to design highly exclusive and elegant collectible limited-edition vehicles. Until now, though, Zagato has never designed a hypercar. I am delighted that the first hypercar ever to feature a Zagato-designed body has been created in partnership with my dear friend Robertino Wild.”

Exterior Design and Aerodynamics

Chief Designer Norihiko Harada emphasized the timeless vision: “While it looks like nothing else on the road today, the capricorn 01 Zagato is not a car from a sci-fi movie or a game; it is a car that can take its place in the history of the automobile with confidence.”

The exterior incorporated gullwing doors and fender-mounted mirrors to minimize weight. Aerodynamics were managed through internal airflow and underfloor diffusers, eliminating the need for large wings. CFD data guided every design stage to integrate form and function.

Interior Philosophy

The interior reflected a minimalist, driver-focused approach. Constructed primarily from carbon fiber, it included machined titanium and aluminum details, Connolly leather, and Alcantara. The three-unit analog instrument cluster emphasized simplicity and precision, with the rev counter at the center.

The fixed seats were part of the carbon safety cell and equipped with Schroth four-point harnesses. Adjustable cushioning, steering column, pedal box, and gear lever ensured ergonomic comfort for all drivers.

Powertrain and Driving Experience

Capricorn’s re-engineered Ford 5.2-liter V8 featured a bespoke supercharger, dry sump lubrication, and capricorn-developed ECU mapping. The engine produced more than 900 PS and 1,000 Nm, revving up to 9,000 rpm.

A five-speed CIMA dogleg manual gearbox transmitted power to the rear wheels, emphasizing a direct mechanical connection. Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes and 21-inch in-house-designed alloy or carbon fiber wheels completed the setup.

Chassis and Dynamics

The car’s carbon monocoque and subframes, derived from LMP1 technology, provided exceptional rigidity and strength. Suspension employed double wishbones with pushrod Bilstein dampers, offering Comfort, Sport, and Track modes.

Capricorn developed an electric power-assisted steering system that disengaged at higher speeds to deliver pure mechanical feedback.

Production and Future Outlook

Production of the capricorn 01 Zagato was scheduled to begin in the first half of 2026. All nineteen coupes were to be offered exclusively through Louyet Group, primarily to established European collectors. Each car included a two-year warranty and four-year service plan, with maintenance performed at capricorn’s Düsseldorf facility.

Capricorn announced expansion of its Nürburgring production site to over 18,000 square meters by 2026, preparing for future limited-series manufacturing of 100 to 200 cars annually.

Robertino Wild concluded: “This project is not a one-off; it is the beginning of a new lineage of capricorn-branded high-end cars. And in addition, we are also open to taking on limited-series contracts for other OEMs and building fully bespoke hypercars for private clients.”

A Milestone in Modern Coachbuilding

The unveiling of the capricorn 01 Zagato marked a milestone for both capricorn and Zagato: a synthesis of German motorsport engineering and Italian design artistry. With its limited production, manual transmission, and lightweight construction, it stood as a modern interpretation of the pure, analog hypercar — created to celebrate the joy of driving itself.