Capricorn 01 Zagato Brings Back the Art of Pure Driving with 900HP

Mechanical Poetry - There’s something magical about the rare union of raw engineering passion and timeless design. In a world where most hypercars rely on electric trickery and digital driving aids, one machine dares to go the opposite way — embracing the analogue spirit with a vengeance. Meet the Capricorn 01 Zagato, a 900-horsepower masterpiece that feels like it was born to remind the automotive world that pure, mechanical thrill still matters. 

The Capricorn 01 Zagato is a mid-engined hypercar built in collaboration between Capricorn Group and Zagato, and built around a carbon-fiber tub and clothed entirely in carbon panels, pushing the scale down to a razor-sharp 1,200 kilograms. Its beating heart is a 5.2-liter V8 drivetrain. (Picture from: Autoblog.nl)

At first glance, the collaboration itself sounds like a dream pairing. On one side stands Zagato, the legendary Italian design house with over a century of heritage in sculpting some of the most graceful cars in history. On the other, Capricorn Group, a German engineering powerhouse best known for supplying parts to Formula 1, WRC, and endurance racing. When these two names announced a joint project, enthusiasts knew it wouldn’t just be another carbon-fiber showpiece. And now, the result proves that assumption right — breathtakingly so.  

The Capricorn 01 Zagato continues its theme of restraint inside, offering no giant screens or mood lighting—only a minimalist cockpit built purely for driving. (Picture from: Autoblog.nl)

The Capricorn 01 Zagato is a mid-engined hypercar built around a carbon-fiber tub and clothed entirely in carbon panels, pushing the scale down to a razor-sharp 1,200 kilograms. Its beating heart is a 5.2-liter V8 that once lived inside Ford’s ferocious Mustang GT350R — the “Voodoo” engine. Capricorn, however, wasn’t content with leaving it stock. They tore it down, gave it dry-sump lubrication, replaced the internals with their own bespoke crank, rods, and pistons, and then force-fed it with a supercharger. The result? Over 900 horsepower, 738 lb-ft of torque, and an astonishing 9,000 rpm redline — all channeled through a five-speed manual gearbox. Yes, manual. In 2025. 

The Capricorn 01 Zagato continues its theme of restraint inside, offering no giant screens or mood lighting—only a minimalist cockpit built purely for driving. (Picture from: PistonHeads)

That last part alone makes the 01 feel like an endangered species. Most cars boasting numbers like these rely on dual-clutch transmissions or electronic wizardry to manage the chaos. Capricorn instead gives the driver total control — no paddles, no drive modes, no electronic babysitting. Even the steering system disengages its power assist once you’re on the move, turning it into a raw, mechanical connection between the driver, the wheels, and the tarmac. It’s the kind of purity car lovers feared might never return. 

The Capricorn 01 Zagato is elegant rather than loud, yet its gullwing doors guarantee it turns heads wherever it goes. (Picture from: Autoblog.nl)

Performance, of course, is ferocious. The 01 rockets from 0–62 mph in under three seconds and doesn’t stop until it sails past 220 mph. Yet the company insists this car isn’t about chasing absurd numbers — it’s about feeling every pulse, every vibration, every surge of acceleration. Capricorn calls it a “pure, analogue driver’s hypercar,” and that philosophy runs deep through every nut and bolt.

The Capricorn 01 Zagato is a mid-engined hypercar featuring a carbon-fiber tub and full carbon bodywork, keeping its weight to a razor-sharp 1,200 kilograms. (Picture from: Autoblog.nl)

But the performance is only half the story. The other half — arguably the more captivating one — lies in its looks. Zagato’s Chief Designer Norihiko Harada approached the project with one mission: to create a car that would age as beautifully as a 1930s Bugatti or a 1960s Aston Martin. No wild wings, no oversized spoilers, no digital gimmicks — just flowing, functional beauty. The aerodynamic downforce comes from the car’s underbody and carefully sculpted air intakes, leaving the body clean and uninterrupted. It’s elegant, not shouty, though its gullwing doors ensure it still turns heads wherever it appears. 

The Capricorn 01 Zagato skips wild wings, oversized spoilers, and digital gimmicks, relying instead on its underbody and sculpted air intakes for downforce, creating a clean and fluid design. (Picture from: Autoblog.nl)

Inside, the theme of restraint continues. There’s no vast touchscreen or mood lighting — just a minimalist cockpit built for driving. Owners can personalize everything from the Connolly leather or Alcantara upholstery to the color of exposed carbon and the exterior paint, ensuring that none of the 19 cars will ever be the same. For those lucky few, individuality is part of the experience. Harada’s words capture the intent perfectly: the 01 had to “stand the test of decades, not years.” And standing next to it, you can almost imagine it gracing a future concours lawn, admired as a relic from an age that valued craftsmanship over algorithms. 

The Capricorn 01 Zagato is powered by a 5.2-liter V8 derived from Ford’s fierce Mustang GT350R “Voodoo” engine, extensively reworked by Capricorn for greater performance. (Picture from: Autoblog.nl)

Capricorn didn’t just stop at design and performance; they thought about practicality, too. Each 01 will be homologated for global markets, backed by a two-year warranty and four-year service plan — an uncommon level of support in the hypercar realm. Built at Capricorn’s facility near the Nürburgring, every component is crafted in-house by engineers who’ve spent years working on motorsport projects. It’s not just a show car — it’s a precision instrument built to be driven. 

The Capricorn 01 Zagato is not merely a show car but a precision instrument engineered to be driven. (Picture from: PistonHeads)

And perhaps the most exciting part? This isn’t a one-time project. Capricorn has already begun expanding its facility to build up to 200 cars per year, promising a whole new lineage of high-end machines under the Capricorn name. The 01, then, is not the end — it’s the beginning of something bold and refreshingly different. | ao-2q2CjHvs |

In a time when performance cars are rapidly surrendering to automation and hybrid systems, the Capricorn 01 Zagato feels like a rebellion — a carbon-fiber manifesto for the purest form of driving. It doesn’t beg for attention; it earns it. It doesn’t need a touchscreen to impress; its sound and feel say everything. For those who still crave the raw connection between man, machine, and road, this 900-horsepower analogue marvel is not just a car — it’s a statement that emotion, not electricity, still drives the soul of performance. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | CAPROCORNGROUP | PISTONHEADS | TOPGEAR | AUTOCAR.CO.UK | AUTOBLOG.NL ]

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