IN ONE OF THE longest press releases we’ve ever received, Gordon Murray Automotive has unveiled details of its T.50 supercar in full for the first time, showing the finished exterior and interior design and confirming its ground-breaking technical specifications. The T.50, according to GMA, has been engineered to be the purest, lightest, most driver-centric supercar ever.
Improving on his acclaimed McLaren F1 “in every conceivable way”, Gordon Murray is leading the team that will begin building customer versions of the 986kg supercar in January 2022. Justifying its £2.36m (before taxes) price tag, the T.50 promises to deliver an unsurpassed driving experience. It is powered by a 100 percent bespoke 3.9-litre, 488kW V12 engine that revs to a record-breaking 12,100rpm, and features the most advanced and effective aerodynamics ever seen on a road car – aided by a 400mm rear-mounted fan.
The most dominant characteristics of the T.50 (the name refers to it being the 50th car penned by Murray and his 50-year career) are the purity of its exterior design, free from the wings, skirts and vents that adorn most modern-day supercars.
The purity of the silhouette is broken dramatically when the pair of dihedral doors rise up and forwards, coming to rest high above the passenger cabin. Inside, the driver-centric approach is plain to see – from the central, jet fighter-like driving position, to the aerospace-grade primary and secondary controls arranged in an ‘ergonomic bubble’ around the driver.
British suppliers are responsible for every major component throughout the interior, as well as every facet of the car’s exquisitely-engineered underpinnings.
Every T.50 customer has the opportunity to meet Murray (who, like Colin Chapman, admires weight reduction as the path to performance) to discuss their car and personalise it inside and out. Part of this process includes a seat, steering wheel and pedals ‘fitting’ session – personalised to every owner – that will ensure the T.50 is ergonomically perfect and individualised for each discerning customer.
“Just 100 customers will share my vision, a car created to improve on the F1 formula in every conceivable way. With 30 years of technological and systems advancement, now, the time is right to design the greatest analogue driver’s car. I believe no other company could deliver what we will bring to market in 2022, producing this British supercar will be my proudest moment.” Gordon Murray
The T.50 highlights another Murray signature touch: the central driving position. The ‘jet-fighter’ style seating position affords an unhindered view out of the cabin, offering the type of pure driving experience usually associated with a single-seater race car layout.
Murray insists that the engine contributes to at least 50 percent of a great driving experience. With this in mind, Murray set out to create the greatest ever V12. The bespoke Cosworth GMA unit hits the mark as the world’s highest revving, fastest responding, most power dense, and lightest road-going V12. In terms of aural enjoyment, the T.50 raucous 12,100rpm redline will certainly deliver on wow-factor. The car also features Direct Path Induction Sound – a system pioneered on the McLaren F1 and refined on the T.50 to channel the sound of the throttle-induced induction growl into the cabin.
A cold-air ram induction intake sits immediately above the driver’s head, and carbon fibre panels in the roof act as a loudspeaker, amplifying engine sound within the cabin. The system is actuated by throttle angle and not revs, meaning the T.50 is quiet and refined on part throttle, growing louder as the throttle opens.
Inside the cabin, all of the T.50’s ergonomically-placed analogue controls are beautifully weighted. From communicative steering, which delivers pinpoint accuracy, to the weighting of the six-speed manual transmission and titanium throttle pedal, the engineering focus has always been on driving perfection.
During testing, the manual H-pattern gearchange motion and weighting was honed meticulously. Signed-off personally by Murray, the T.50 provides ‘the ultimate gearchange’ – a tactile short throw with a narrow cross gate for smooth, crisp, satisfying gearchanges.
The T.50’s kerb weight of 986kg makes it the lightest supercar of the modern era, lower than the average supercar weight by almost a third. Thanks to the focus on lightweighting, the car offers unparalleled levels of agility, responsiveness and driver focus. The T.50 is a car that is created to be ‘alive’ at normal road speeds, not only when the revs climb past 10,000rpm. It will entertain and engage on low-speed daily trips, as well as when driving on the open road just for the thrill of it.
Driver aids have been programmed for minimal interference – importantly, ESP and traction control, can be disabled entirely. The technologies that do influence performance – for example, the six aero modes enabled through active and interactive fan-assisted aerodynamics – enhance rather than numb the drive experience. The 400mm rear-mounted fan expands the car’s performance capabilities significantly versus an ordinary ground-effect supercar. In partnership with the active rear spoilers and interactive diffusers, the fan helps to increase downforce by 50 percent (in Braking Mode 100 percent more downforce is generated); reduce drag by 12.5 percent; add around 36.7kW to the car’s output, in combination with ram-air induction; and cut braking distance by 10m from 150mph (240km/h).
Sitting prominently at the rear of the car, the fan is just one example of ‘engineering art’ on the T.50. Another, about which Murray feels passionately, is the engine. Murray detests carbon or plastic engine covers so, upon raising the twin gullwing openings that span the rear half of the car, the Cosworth GMA V12 engine sits proudly on display with its cam covers, primary exhaust manifolds and inlet trumpets all taking centre stage.
T.50 supercar – key details
T.50 is the most driver-centric supercar ever made. From the driver’s position right in the middle of the car, to the placement of controls, the sound of the engine, and the responsiveness of the throttle.
Overview
- T.50 breaks from performance-car convention, weighing significantly less than any other current supercar and delivering an unrivalled driving experience
- Gordon Murray Automotive is not chasing power or top speed figures
- Its engine is designed to deliver optimum performance, not to hit prescribed power, speed or acceleration target
- It has the most advanced and effective aerodynamics of any road car
- Non-committee-based vision and control enables purity of decision making
- Purity of design – no unsightly flaps, vents or wings
- Daily usability – comfort for three passengers with good luggage space, day-to-day refinement and practicality
- From January 2022, 100 exclusive customer cars will be built at Gordon Murray Automotive’s production site in the UK
- Price: £2.36m ($A4.3 million at current rates of exchange, plus taxes and on road costs)
Chassis and body
- Chassis and body constructed from high-grade carbon fibre
- Carbon tub monocoque provides exceptional stiffness and torsional rigidity
- Carbon fibre body panels ensure lightness – total body including monocoque weighs less than 150kg
- Monocoque construction and F1-style ‘passenger safety cell’ provides exceptional occupant safety protection
- Glazing is 28 percent thinner than typical glass delivering valuable weight saving
Aerodynamics
- The most advanced aerodynamics of any road car
- Unique 400mm ground-effect fan combines with active underbody aerodynamics and two dynamic rear spoilers to aid performance and help deliver an unrivalled driving experience
- Six aero modes enable driver to optimise dynamic and outright performance: Auto / High downforce / Streamline / Braking / Test / V-Max Boost
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- Streamline Mode – creates a ‘virtual longtail’
- V-Max Boost Mode and ram induction raise T.50 output to 515kW
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Design
- Design combines purity and drama
- No unsightly vents, ducts, or flaps due to intelligent aerodynamic design
- Striking dihedral doors deliver drama alongside practicality for easy access
- Engineering art features throughout the car
Engine
- 3.9-litre V12 Cosworth GMA engine
- Power: 488kW @ 11,500rpm
- Torque: 467Nm @ 9,000rpm (71 percent of max torque available from 2,500rpm)
- The highest-revving naturally-aspirated road car engine ever (12,100rpm)
- Most-responsive naturally-aspirated engine ever (28,400 revs per second pick-up)
- The most power-dense naturally-aspirated engine ever (122kW-per-litre)
- The lightest road-going V12 ever (178kg)
- The best V12 sound ever
- Engine fully on show beneath gullwing-opening ‘viewing gallery’
Transmission
- Xtrac manual H-pattern six-speed transmission
- Five close ratios, geared for acceleration, with a longer sixth ratio for cruising
- Casing engineered from aluminium, cast at just 2.4mm thickness
- Lightweight gearbox weighs just 80.5kg
Vehicle dynamics and lightweighting
- Total vehicle weight just 986kg – Almost a third lighter than a typical supercar (approx. 1436kg). Dry weight 957kg
- Weight-to-power = 150.77kg per 73.5kW (typical supercar = 210kg per 73.5kW)
- Power-to-weight = 494kW/tonne (or more than 515kW/tonne with V-Max Boost Mode and ram induction)
- Forged aluminium double wishbone suspension, with forged aluminium uprights
- Simple rack and pinion steering setup engineered for driving purity with low-speed power assistance (LSPA)
- Semi-structural engine and transmission saves weight while retaining refinement
- Lightweight bearing carriers and hubs with one locking nut reduce un-sprung mass
- Brembo calipers and carbon ceramic discs for ultimate stopping power and braking feel
Interior
- Jet fighter-style central driving position ensures optimal visibility, balance and a totally-immersive driving experience
- Driver-centric controls
- Well-appointed, comfortable, refined
- Premium audio sound system – 10 speakers, 700W (nominal)
- Android Auto / Apple CarPlay with Bluetooth phone connectivity
Everyday usability and analogue features
- Comfortable seating for three adults
- Easy ingress and egress
- Class-leading, usable luggage space – up to 288 litres
- Refined cabin environment
- 120mm front and 140mm rear ride heights for practical everyday use
- Incredibly compact footprint – comparable to a Porsche Boxster
- Analogue rev counter and minimal controls / no column stalks or touchscreens
- No turbos, no hybrid – just an exquisitely engineered V12 engine
- ‘GT mode’ engine map for improved day to day drivability
The press release adds a further 5000 words (or three times more than you have already read, assuming that any of you still are).
In the extremely unlikely event that we are able to test and assess the new GMA T.50 supercar, seniordriveraus will bring you a comprehensive review, including everything the over-50 driver needs to know.