Gordon
Murray Automotive has shared the first official image of the upcoming T.50
supercar, a successor of sorts to the
legendary McLaren F1, which aims to offer the most advanced, most effective
aerodynamics ever seen on a road-legal vehicle.
As
you might have spotted, Murray’s T.50 will feature a 400mm ground-effect fan on
the rear end, which is part of the vehicle’s unique airflow management system.
Looking like something out of a sci-fi movie, the fan is coupled with an active
underbody aero agenda and dynamic rear aerofoils, enabling the T.50 to achieve
a much better aerodynamic performance than conventional ground-effects.
Gordon
Murray Automotive is teaming up with F1 racing team Racing Point for the
physical testing of the T.50 at the team’s rolling-road wind tunnel, starting
early next year. The
T.50’s fan is used to rapidly accelerate the air passing under the car, forcing
it through special control ducts that are part of the rear diffuser. In its
“High-Downforce” mode, the system can increase downforce by 30 percent, while
in “Streamline” mode it reduces drag by 10 percent to boost straight-line
speed.
The
finished version of Murray’s upcoming supercar will feature six different aero
modes that will prime the vehicle for different scenarios, with the most
extreme being the V-Max mode. When enabled, the V-Max mode will draw extra
power from the 48-volt integrated starter generator and ram induction to boost
its power levels to 700 HP.
Gordon
Murray’s supercar, which will tip the scales at a super lightweight 980 kg, is gunning for the title of the purest, most driver-focused
road-legal vehicle. It’ll also be powered by the world’s highest-revving
road-car engine ever, a bespoke 3.9-liter Cosworth V12 than can rev up to
12,100 rpm, producing 650 HP and 450 Nm of torque and paired to a
six-speed manual transmission. The
rear-drive T.50 will also feature a three-seat layout, with the driver sitting
right in the middle, just like in the legendary McLaren F1 designed by Gordon
Murray.
First
customer deliveries of the GMA T.50 are scheduled for January 2022; the first
completed body will be ready for physical aero testing during the first quarter
of 2020 while a complete reveal is set for the upcoming May.