Gordon Murray Automotive T.50: The new supercar is already on its way to becoming a legend!
Gordon Murray, the designer of the iconic McLaren F1, has revealed the production model of its Gordon Murray Automotive T.50 hypercar.
Like the McLaren F1, the T.50 has a naturally aspirated V-12 engine mounted behind the cabin, a six-speed manual gearbox, and a central driving position flanked by two passenger seats, reached through gullwing-opening doors. It is set to beat its predecessor on mass, weighing a claimed (and impossible-sounding) 2174 pounds.
The big difference over the F1 is the arrival of active aerodynamics through a 15.7-inch, 11.4-hp, 48-volt electric fan that can spin at up to 7000 rpm to vary levels of downforce by removing the boundary layer from the car’s underbody diffuser, but also can reduce drag by creating a virtual longtail behind the car. This means that the T.50 doesn’t have to carry any large wing elements.
The body and chassis are entirely made of carbon fiber, and as a whole, the car is similarly sized to a Porsche Cayman. The design has some clear McLaren F1 cues, which is unsurprising since Murray was responsible for that supercar. The headlights, front fascia, roof scoop and split engine access panels are particularly reminiscent of the F1. The roof scoop also has a function where certain panels will conduct intake noise into the cabin, but they’re only engaged under heavy throttle to keep the cabin comfortable when cruising.
Murray says that three adults can sit in comfort, with a camera-based rearview system solving the F1’s main visibility problem. “It had internal mirrors on each side, but if there was anybody in either of the seats, all you could see was their faces.”
Ahead of the driver’s seat, a conventional tachometer is flanked by digital display screens with controls for lights, wipers, and the various aerodynamic modes through rotary controls on the left, and those for climate and HVAC on the right.
Gordon Murray Automotive plans to make just 100 units of the T.50, and the company is charging £2.36 million before taxes ($3.08 million at current exchange rates) for them. Production of the T.50 starts in January 2022. The first deliveries will happen later that year.
