In 2022, Gordon
Murray will launch the spiritual successor to the iconic McLaren F1, which he
masterminded back in the 1990s. The new supercar, dubbed T.50, will be
manufactured by Gordon Murray Automotive and is being touted as the “purest,
lightest, most driver-focused supercar ever built.”
Powering the T.50
will be a naturally-aspirated 3.9-liter V12 developed and built by Cosworth
with 650 HP and 450 Nm of torque, which will rev to a stratospheric
12,100 rpm. While those figures aren’t extraordinary in the modern world of
supercars and hypercars, Murray notes that maximum power is, in reality, closer
to 700 HP thanks to the ram-air effect provided by the large roof scoop.
Coupled to the
engine will be a lightweight six-speed manual transmission currently being
developed by Xtrac. Power will be sent to the rear wheels and braking will be
provided by lightweight monobloc alloy calipers and carbon ceramic discs.
Underpinning the
T.50 will be a carbon fiber monocoque and all of the exterior body panels will
be made from carbon, toom resulting in an extraordinarily low weight of just 980 kg, while the car’s footprint will be smaller than a Porsche
911’s. Much like the F1, the T.50 will be a three-seater with the driver
sitting in a central position. The car has a perfect 50:50 weight distribution
and, according to Murray, will be capable of GT-style cruising and offer superb
packaging and luggage space.
Perhaps the most
intriguing aspect owill be the use of an electronically-controlled 400 mm
ground-effect fan to suck the car into the tarmac. Murray pioneered this
technology with the Brabham BT46B Formula One ‘Fan Car’ back in 1978 that was
so ahead of the competition it was withdrawn from racing after just one race,
the Swedish Grand Prix, which the late Niki Lauda won with spectacular ease.
Production of the
T.50 will be capped at just 100 units worldwide, with prices starting at over
£ 2 million (US$ 2.5 million).
