The Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 is a $3 million+ supercar that will offer 100 lucky individuals the spine-tingling sensation of a naturally-aspirated V12, with no electrification whatsoever!
In December 2019, legendary British automotive designer & engineer Gordon Murray gave us the first glimpse of the all-new T.50 supercar. While quite a few details of the car had been revealed then, including an official debut time of May 2020, Murray's creation has finally been revealed in full after a delay caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The name 'T.50' also signifies Murray's 50th design in a career that's spanned across 50 years!
In essence, the Gordon Murray Automotive (GMA) T.50 is claimed to be the true spiritual successor to the McLaren F1, Murray's earlier creation. And the T.50's looks & build clearly retains some of the most iconic design elements of the F1, especially the low-slung front with a flat nose, cockpit shape, and jet-fighter-style centre layout of the driver's seat. In fact, from the front, the T.50 looks like a modern-day iteration of the F1. However, the huge 400mm ground-effect fan at the rear, part of the T.50's other-worldly aerodynamic setup, gives it a bespoke look and sets it apart from the McLaren F1.
The T.50 is an unusual creation, in the sense that it does not aim to be a part of the 'wannabe' 1,000bhp supercar club. Also, at a time when new-age supercars and hypercars are opting for electrified powertrains, the T.50 stays true to the original concept of the 'driver-engaging' supercar and, therefore, offers no turbos or hybrid powertrain, or even an automatic gearbox! In fact, the T.50 is a naturally-aspirated V12 supercar, fitted with a straight-forward Xtrac six-speed manual gearbox. Yet, the T.50's specs are record-breaking!
To start with, the T.50 tips the scales at just 986kg, nearly 150kg less than the F1. This has been achieved by shedding off max possible weight from each component. As a result, the T.50's monocoque & body panels (all carbon fibre) combined weigh less than 150kg and the engine weighs only 178kg. This makes the 3.9-litre NA V12 Cosworth GMA motor the lightest 12-cylinder motor ever fitted to a road-going car. The same engine also happens to be the most responsive (picks up at 28,400 revs per second, allowing it to redline from idle in just 0.3 of a second) and highest-revving (12,100rpm) V12 ever fitted to a production vehicle. The engine develops 655bhp & 467Nm of torque.
The 400mm fan at the back is powered by a 48V motor and can spin at 7,000rpm. Through six aero modes (Auto, High Downforce, Streamline, Braking, Test, and V-Max Boost), the fan aids the T.50's over- & under-body airflow while providing ram-air induction to the engine (V-Max Boost mode). This last aero mode also pushes up the T.50's power output to 690bhp.
Despite such extreme performance figures, the GMA T.50 has also been designed keeping everyday usability in mind. To this effect, it offers a luggage capacity of up to 288 litres and is equipped with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, Bluetooth connectivity, and a 700W 10-speaker audio system. The front & rear ride heights are also set at an appreciable 120mm and 140mm, respectively.
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