Gordon Murray Automotive, sister-business of vehicle design and engineering company, Gordon Murray Design, has released some details of its first hypercar, the T.50. It is said to be the purest, lightest, most driver-focused hypercar ever built and its development is at an advanced stage, with full production and customer deliveries set to commence in early 2022. A mere 100 owners of the T.50 will experience Murray’s vision, a sportscar inspired by his 50 years at the pinnacle of Formula One and automotive industry engineering and design.
Professor Gordon Murray CBE, Chairman of Gordon Murray Group, said: “An unflinching dedication to lightweighting, highly-advanced active aerodynamics and world-leading standards of advanced engineering will ensure that the T.50 rewrites the rulebook. We are applying the same uncompromising approach to design and engineering that shaped every facet of the original McLaren F1 and it will deliver substantial improvements over that car in every meaningful way.”
T.50 will be manufactured in the UK by Gordon Murray Automotive. Celebrating 50 years of Murray’s career, every race or road car penned by Murray so far has featured a ‘T’ designation and the T.50 will be the 50th in a highly illustrious line. It breaks from performance-car convention and weighs significantly less than any other current supercar. Its advanced aerodynamics will help it to to deliver the purest, most driver-focused performance and dynamics of any road car since the F1.
An all-new V12 engine. capable of an extraordinary 12,100rpm and developing 650bhp, will deliver unmatched power-to-weight potential. Yet, Gordon Murray insists that he has no interest in chasing records for either top speed, or acceleration times. His focus is on creating the most rewarding driving experience of any supercar ever built…although it will also be very quick.
The T.50 adopts the same, iconic three-seat format that Murray pioneered for the F1, with the driver benefitting from a central ‘jet-fighter-style’ driving position. The new car builds on the F1’s highly-advanced aerodynamics, taking Murray’s ground-effect innovations to an all-new level with intelligent management of underbody airflow coupled with a 400mm fan at the rear. The fan controls underbody airflow actively, which was a feature that Murray premiered famously and controversially on the Brabham BT46B Formula One ‘Fan Car’ (you can Google it to see for yourself). This intriguing approach allows the upper surfaces of the car to retain purity and beauty oif form, eschewing the exaggerated scoops and spoilers familiar currently in the class and equipping the T.50 with the most advanced aerodynamics of any road car ever.
All engineering, design and styling of the T.50 is by Gordon Murray Design and the car will be manufactured by Gordon Murray Automotive at a new, purpose-built facility in Surrey. In addition, all major components will be bespoke and UK-sourced, including the powertrain, body and chassis. T.50 will be a true British supercar.
