Gordon Murray Automotive has revealed the T.50s ‘Niki Lauda’, an extreme, limited run, track-only variant of the T.50 hypercar, which is designed to offer an uncompromising experience. The even more hardcore variant of the T.50, which is named after the legendary three-time F1 champion and is unveiled on his birthday, has been in development in parallel with its road-going sibling and will be built in just 25 examples, once production of the 100 road-going T.50 models is completed in January 2023.
The new GMA T.50s weighs just 852 kg, down from the T.50’s 986 kg, which is combined with a more powerful version of the naturally
aspirated 3.9-liter V12 engine that now produces 725 HP up from 654 HP) and
can rev up to a stratospheric 12,100 rpm. This beast of an engine is fed
through a roof-mounted RAM induction box and comes with a bespoke
straight-through exhaust system with thinner Inconel walls, features completely
revised cylinder heads and camshafts, and is now bolted to a newly designed
X-Trac six-speed paddle-shift transmission.
All exterior panels are unique to the
track-only T.50s and are made out of
ultra-lightweight carbon-fiber, while the glass uses lighter glazing from the
road-going version. The springs, dampers, and anti-roll bar are upgraded for
the ultimate track performance, while the ride height is lowered to 87mm at the
front and 116mm at the rear.
As we have already seen, the 400mm fan of
the road-going model is retained but is now combined with an even larger rear
diffuser and a new ‘delta wing’. The front end comes with barge boards designed
to improve airflow to the side air intakes, while there are also new dive
planes and a more prominent front splitter. Gordon Murray Automotive claims
that the new T.50s is capable of producing up to 1,500 kg of
downforce.
The cabin of the new GMA T.50s ‘Niki
Lauda’ still features the glorious central driving position, with the driver
sitting on a full racing carbon-fiber bucket. The new T.50s is a two-seater,
retaining a fixed passenger seat to the left of the driver. In place of the
seat to the right, there’s a fire-extinguisher system while the right footwell
is now occupied by a vertical switchgear panel.
Each one of the 25 owners of the new GMA
T.50s Niki Lauda will receive a bespoke and personalized service. In addition,
every example of the wild T.50s will be accompanied by the Trackspeed Package,
which includes both engineering support and all the equipment needed to run the
car at a track, including a full set of pit tools and refueling equipment.
With prices starting from £ 3.1 million or
about US$ 4.3 million at today’s exchange rates before taxes, the new GMA T.50s
‘Niki Lauda’ is going to be one of the most exclusive track weapons available
on the planet.